Movie extras pass time playing games, cards and sleeping

CLEVELAND - While parts of downtown Cleveland are bustling with movie production, many extras working on the films are spending most of their time playing cards, snacking or sleeping.

NewsChannel5 cameras visited the Halle Building near Huron and Euclid avenues and found hundreds of extras occupying the tables in the lower level food court area.

"A lot of sitting around, a lot of waiting," said Tony Zingale, an extra cast member in "The Avengers" playing the role of a New York City police officer. "We're on iPads or tablets, playing word games, talking, joking around, anything to pass the time."

Still, Zingale is not complaining. He's getting paid. "It's easy money," said the father of 4-year-old triplets. "They pay us $10 an hour regular and then time-and-a-half after eight hours."

Zingale said of his first 30 hours as an extra, he had only been "on set" about an hour-and-a-half.

But Zingale also said he was enjoying his first movie-making experience. "When we're on the set, it's exciting. It's interesting watching them blow things up and see how they set up a scene and how some stand-ins are there. It's interesting. I would do it again in a minute."