Strictly Background will have its North American DVD release on August 5, 2008, from distributor Anthem Pictures. Directed by Jason Connell, the documentary “exposes the behind-the-scene lives of ten working background actors, ‘extras’.”

To read Jason Connell’s thoughts on Strictly Background, be sure to visit his conversation with Armstrong Interviews, located here.

The following is the official press release for the Strictly Background DVD:

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Hollywood’s Undiscovered, Found in New Documentary

Strictly Background chronicles the lives of movie “extras”

Los Angeles, CA – July 16, 2008 – Have you ever wondered how movies get all those people to perform in a crowd scene? And how do all those actors know to scream, fight or dance in unison? A new documentary by filmmaker Jason Connell exposes the behind-the-scene lives of ten working background actors, “extras”. This humorous and heartwarming film focuses on the actors that most often, by nature of their roles, go unnoticed. Both an in-depth look at the Hollywood system and a character-driven film, Strictly Background is a dynamic exploration into the pursuit of stardom and the real-life struggle to stand out.

In the film, we meet intriguing characters such as Tafan Nieves whose heart and conviction to build a career in the entertainment industry is both comical and inspiring. Nieves is not the only one in the film that has experienced ups and downs as Hollywood’s human backdrop. Another aspiring thespian, Geoffrey Gould, shows us how one’s attitude toward background work can make a world of difference when casting directors are looking to fill smaller roles.

The idea for the film was born when Oklahoma native Jason Connell moved to Los Angeles and spent a few weeks getting acquainted with the industry by serving as an “extra” himself. The experiences he had on set were memorable, and suddenly a whole world of storytelling opened up to him as he became
exposed to the subculture of “extras”. Next, Connell decided to flip the script and make a film chronicling the lives of some of Hollywood’s most exciting background actors.

In total, the film has won six (6) festival awards and has screened at numerous film festivals across the U.S. as well as Internationally. And now the experience can be shared at home as Strictly Background is scheduled for a North American DVD release on August 5th, 2008 from distributor Anthem Pictures.

About Connell Creations

Connell Creations was founded in Tulsa, OK in 1999 and then relocated to Los Angeles in early 2004
when the focus shifted from commercials and corporate videos to feature films and television.
Anthem Pictures sells to most major retailers and with a growing presence in North America, they are
quickly becoming a popular distributor in the independent film industry. Retailers and wholesalers can
purchase directly from them by contacting Charles Adelman, President of Anthem Pictures, at chuck@anthemdvd.com. For International inquires, please contact Derry O’Brien, Managing Director of
Network Ireland Television, at derry@network-irl-tv.com.

For more information, please visit the film’s official website, www.strictlybackground.com.