The lull is a great opportunity to seek out some thoughts from the real background actors.A guy named Dave sits in a director's chair with an elegant gash across his face and talks enthusiastically about background acting. "Cut!" After that take they need to wire the principals for clearer audio, so AD Clark takes pity on me and sends me to the bathroom Unfortunately it takes so long that I miss the next take. But hurrying along the catwalks that crisscross behind the walls of the mammoth set, I can hear the bleak cacophony of people trapped and petrified Without the visual, it's pretty terrifying. Remember yesterday? At 12 we were rockin'."On Take 2 people are expressing much greater suffering It feels good We're all getting into it, carrying out our assignments. I ask Valerie if she's OK and drag her out from under the bent railing.

The first AD doesn't hesitate: "Bring the excitement level up!" With his sandy hair, professorial glasses and excited gleam, Petersen appears to be genuinely joyful in this big-budget madness "Go with the energy," he chimes in "Forget it's 9am Pretend it's 12. action!" As the lights burst on, we immediately start stirring and moaning like it's a big collective hangover. I try to pantomime agony, but when I get to Valerie I realize that I have no idea what to say to her Luckily, the take is cut. Petersen comes on the "God mike" and gives us a little first-shot-of-the-day pep talk, ending with: "G-G-G-G-Go for it!" The dripping water is cued The fire bars go hot The lights are extinguished A tense pause as we all lie still in the silent darkness .. And: "Background ...

Mine includes crossing to pull Valerie, a pretty woman in a slinky, black, size-zero dress, from under a twisted staircase and away from the flames that will shoot from a long fire bar cued by a stunt performer nearby.Finally, everything is set: 100 background actors, Kurt Russell in the middle and dozens of crew, all ready to make some art, baby. The phalanx of second ADs fans out, each with his own small group of extras to direct AD Clark gives us our assignments. As he finishes, an excited call ripples down the row of tents: We are needed on set.We're filming on Stage 16 and the ballroom set in the cavernous space is absolutely spectacular. Sprinkled about the artful wreckage are incredibly realistic-looking dummies playing dead people. We didn't get through hair and makeup fast enough, he says, so from now on women need to put on base and men need to shave at home. She uses background work, she says, to fill in the gaps between more substantive gigs.