Know When To Keep Quiet and Observe

Keeping your mouth shut

Recently I had the pleasure of coaching two young men on the same film. Both were coming on set as extras. I gave both of them the same advice. It was a very simple instruction that took them a long way: “Keep your mouth shut.”

As cold and blunt as that may be, it was crucial to their development that they did just that, at least for the first few days. I explained that whenever you are the “new guy” on set, the casting and production team will try to feel you out. No one likes the talky guy. Everybody respects the quiet guy who just works incredibly hard.

The quiet bird catches the worm

I told them a true story about when I was on set as an extra for Ant-Man, the hit Marvel movie, which filmed in Atlanta. I followed my own advice that day. While all the other extras were talking amongst each other, I stayed quiet and close to the casting desk.

Because of this, I was able to pick up on the production team saying that they needed a body double for one of the lead characters. I fit the description to a T, so when the production assitant came looking, he scanned the room looking for someone who would be ready to shoot, which fortunately was me.

Long story short… Since I was focused on keeping quiet and focusing on the job, I was able to pick up on an opportunity to advance in my career. This happens all the time.

Keep quiet to avoid missing out on opportunities

So take it from me, keep your mouth shut and look out for opportunities! It would be a shame to miss them simply because you were too busy chatting with other people.