Extras are Important
When the Titanic sank, hundreds of passengers drowned in the ocean. To replicate this devastating scene, over 150 actors were needed to play the passengers. What’s interesting is that James Cameron took each of the extras aside, to give them names and personal backstories. That means each of the extras was playing a specific character.
Photo by Brett Baker / Vanity Fair
The director also wanted to make sure everyone would able to portray the era. Therefore, he provided the extras with a class on the mannerisms and customs of 1912. The lesson was taught by Lynne Hockney, the choreographer for the movie. The director wanted to make sure that even the seemingly insignificant characters in the movie still had a story and tragically died.