Go Behind the Scenes with ‘Strictly Background’

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on August 4, 2008

It is absolutely the highlight of my day when a publicist representing a smaller, independent gem emails me some info asking for just a little bit of coverage about their little-known film. For one, it makes me feel important, as if people actually care what I have to say. Secondly, it allows me to discover a new film, filmmaker and potentially a new favorite.

Today’s entry into that category is a indie documentary entitled Strictly Background. Directed by newcomer Jason Connell, Strictly Background tells the story of the little people in Hollywood, the men and women who are the faces that we see, but the names we never hear. For every headlining actor or actress, there is a “Crazy Bum 2″ or a “Miscellaneous Drunk Man” in the credits — and this is their story.

It is a really interesting concept for a film — tell the story of the people who are sometimes regarded as set dressing, the extras whose authenticity can sometimes make or break a shot, whether we notice them or not. It seems even more interesting to hear the stories behind all of these people. Why do they do it? And why, in many cases, do they do it on the cheap? Strictly Background is a film intent on telling that story. For more, have a look at the film’s trailer below.

Doesn’t that look like an interesting doc to you? It certainly does to me. Then again, I am a sucker for a good documentary about the regular folk in the entertainment business. It reminds me a lot of the interest I had in Matt Ogens’ documentary Confessions of a Superhero, which focused on the Hollywood Blvd. character actors. And that film turned out to be fantastic. Strictly Background appears to be cut from the same fabric.

Strictly Background hits DVD shelves tomorrow, August 5th. Find out more over at StrictlyBackground.com.

Read more articles by Neil Miller