THEY are anonymous passers-by, expressionless waiters in bistros, sweating rickshaw boys outside a casino; they are masked thieves, dead soldiers, street vendors, heavily made-up prostitutes and ragged beggars.

Click! The camera captures them without a word said. Whether they will make it in the final cut remains to be seen.

They are extras, working and living in the Shanghai Film Park in Chedun Town in the Songjiang District - and dreaming that one day, stardom may come their way.

"We're professional extras," said Yu Rongji, 24. "We're not allowed to take pictures of the stars, but sometimes they let us. The more famous they are, sometimes the nicer they are."

Yu, who originally hails from Anhui Province, has been an extra for about five years. He has become something of a team leader, responsible for selecting extras to appear in movies or TV dramas shot at the film park.

The Extras Management Department was created about five years after the film park opened in 1998. About 10 team leaders decide how extras are recruited and deployed.

Each morning, as early as five o'clock, the front gate of the film park is jammed with people, young and old, men and women, locals and migrants - all seeking work as extras.

The Extras Management Department is told how many extras will be needed that day and what kinds of bit players are sought. The team leaders peruse the crowds at the gates, looking for those who fit the bill.

Best extras in China

"It's no exaggeration to say that extras at the Chedun film park are the best in China, which is acknowledged by almost each film crew that's worked here," said Zong Xiaojun, director of the extras department. "We pay wages by the day and are the only film park in China to provide them insurance while they are working. If any disputes occur between extras and film crews, we step in to mediate."

Last year a film crew shooting a TV drama needed more than 700 extras to work from 6am to 2pm.

"Two small steamed buns, an egg and a bowl of soybean milk," said Zong. "That's the only lunch they were provided. I was really angry about that."

Zong rushed to the studio and threw a lunch box at the director.

"I told him if he treated my extras like this, I would withdraw them right away," he recalled. "I knew it might not be the director's fault. It may be a producer wanting to save money. But I had to protect my extras."

He added, "Extras are the hardest, lowest group in a cast. They don't ask much. They only want some pocket money, a good meal and the joy of being involved with film."

Extras are paid 50 yuan (US$8.12) for an eight-hour day, plus a box lunch.

"When the studio first opened, the daily wage was about 20 yuan," said Wang Cheng, 31, who started work as an extra about eight years ago.

Today, he's risen to become an assistant director, who helps to select, organize, position and mobilize extras for film crews in the park.

During spring and summer, the busiest season, up to 15 film crews may be working concurrently in the park.

Many extras, including local farmers, migrant workers and students, work only part-time.

"It's sort of a hobby for them," Zong said. "They can earn a little pocket money and get to rub shoulders with their favorite stars."

Hu Xiaolong, 30, from Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province, is often among the first extras to show up at the film park. He has been working as an extra for about 10 years.

"At first, I came for the fun of it," he said. "Who would have ever guessed that I would find my niche here?"

Hu has been an extra in almost every movie and TV drama using 1930s Shanghai as its setting. His film credits include the 2007 "Lust and Caution" by Oscar-winning director Ang Lee, the 2008 "Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," and a 2004 kungfu film with Hong Kong actor and director Stephen Chow.

"I don't know if I actually made it to the final cut of those films," Hu said. "But I surely had fun doing the work."

Hu is a popular figure on film sets, often offering to haul heavy equipment for the crews. He is now working as a manager for Zong, helping in the recruitment and management of extras.

"Don't trifle with extras; some are really experienced," Zong said. "Sometimes they are even better than the professionals."

Popular figure on film sets

Skill comes from practice. Having worked in the studio as extras for so many years, Yu and Wang provide invaluable assistance to directors.

"We know what a director wants to shoot just by how he positions the cameras," Wang said. "How to position hundreds of extras naturally in front of a camera requires skill and experience."

Wang first came to Chedun Town in 2006. A film crew working on "The New Shanghai Bund," starring heartthrob Huang Xiaoming, was recruiting extras that day.

"They needed some pedestrians, and I thought why not give it a try," said Wang, smiling at the recollection. "At least, it got me free admission into the park."

Tall and strong, Wang was picked as an extra. The first day, he was a mere pedestrian. The following day, he got a small speaking part as a street vendor selling pears at a railways station. He has never forgotten his first movie words: "I know that guy."

Wang was proud to see that his brief appearance escaped the cutting floor.

But not every film experience is so rewarding. In 2008, Wang was chosen to play a lieutenant in a film.

"The assistant director promised me I would be in the shot, but in the end, only my feet made it to the screen," he said. "It was disappointed, I admit."

For his part, Yu said he knows he will never be a big-time star, but that doesn't mean he can't dream.

"Sometimes when I'm working as an extra, I often think about how it would be if I could act in a lead role," Yu said.

Just for fun, he once wrote a little play - the love story of a rich girl and a poor blind boy. Yu directed and took the lead role, inviting fellow extras to play other parts.

"It was just a bit of entertainment for me and my friends," he said.

Pursuing dream of stardom

Liu Feixiang, 22, a martial art practitioner, also harbors dreams of stardom. Tall and handsome, he has been in many TV commercials.

He thought about giving it all up and going home to southern China to work with in his father's business.

"I didn't see much future for me at that time," Liu said. "But when I went back home for a brief stretch, I suddenly realized how much I loved the film world, so I came back."

Cai Lei, 24, has a dark complexion and looks older than his age. That probably explains why he is often cast in a bit part as a rural farmer or middle-aged rickshaw driver. He quit a factory job to pursue the film industry full time.

"I didn't regret it at all," he said. "Here I am doing what I truly love and I have met other people who share the same dream as me."

They may not have become noted celebrities, but that doesn't stop extras from talking about the rich and famous, the snobs and the down-to-earth.

"One actress, I think her jaw and chin had undergone plastic surgery, brought six personal assistants to the studio and gave everyone the cold shoulder," Yu said. "But then you have people like Hong Kong actor Ng Man Tat, who is so nice. He once chatted with us for six hours and offered to take photos with us. Chow Yun-fat, such a superstar, waved, smiled and said hello to everyone, including cleaning staff."

Yu once got into a fight with a famous actor after another extra mistakenly sat in a chair designated for the star. The actor got in a huff and ordered an assistant to shoo the man away. The assistant dashed to the chair and began swearing at the extra. Yu interceded.

"Being bullied by actors is part of our work routine," Yu concluded, ruefully. "We've learned to accept that, but we also have our bottom line."

The extras can be as colorful as character actors.

There's Yao Yuanqing, nicknamed the "sleep god" because he falls asleep at the drop of a hat.

One incident still brings a laugh. Yao was cast as an extra soldier in a war movie. The director suddenly shouted "run!" All the soldiers on set quickly dispersed, leaving Yao snoring in a heap.

"I was so embarrassed," he said.