STEPPING OUT OF THE BACKGROUND
Feature Film Documentary
Project Type: Feature Film Documentary
Project Status: Pre-Production
Director and Producer: Mackenzie Rohan
Director of Photography/Co-Producer: Walker Sayen
LOGLINE
Stepping Out of the Background is a feature documentary that spotlights five background actors as they prepare for The Blurries, the 2026 Los Angeles Union Background Actors Awards. The film reframes background work as an essential pursuit and culminates in a night where these unsung performers finally take center stage.
SYNOPSIS
Stepping Out of the Background is a feature documentary that shines a spotlight on the often-overlooked performers who bring authenticity and depth to every frame of Hollywood storytelling: background actors. Following five prolific “extras” as they prepare for The Blurries, the 2026 Los Angeles Union Background Actors Awards.
The film captures their artistry, resilience, and unshakable dedication to a craft that’s woefully underrecognized. As they juggle grueling 4:00 a.m. call times, navigate industry politics, and pursue seconds of screen time, each subject reveals a unique perspective and journey. Whether it’s a veteran who’s built a decades-long career on set, a newcomer chasing stability in the gig economy, or an actor who dreams of breaking out from the shadows and stepping into the spotlight. It’s equal parts funny, poignant, and vulnerable.
The film reframes background work as an essential, passionate pursuit and culminates in a night where these unsung performers finally take center stage.
MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Los Angeles is often portrayed as a city of stars, but in truth, it is a city of crowds. It’s workers who arrive before dawn, faces that fill the frame, and people who stay until the last shot wraps. Having briefly worked as a background actor myself, I know the strange tension of being both essential and unseen. With Stepping Out of the Background, I want to illuminate the lives of the people who make our screens feel real but whose names are rarely noticed in the credits.
The Blurries, with its tongue-in-cheek categories and grassroots spirit, offers a rare moment of visibility for a community that is too often dismissed. Behind the humor lies something urgent: a call for dignity, fair treatment, and respect for creative workers whose contributions shape the fabric of cinema yet remain undervalued. This film is not simply about an awards show. It’s about labor, recognition, and the artistry of invisibility.
Stepping Out of the Background is, at its core, a story about equity in the arts. Background actors embody the rhythms of Los Angeles itself. They’re resilient, diverse, and endlessly adaptable. Stepping Out of the Background is about what it means to be seen, what it means to be valued, and why it matters to give space and dignity to the people who make stories possible, even when their own often remain untold.
Meet The Filmmakers
Mackenzie Rohan
Director/Producer
Mackenzie Rohan is a screenwriter and producer whose work centers on female-driven comedic narratives that challenge traditional and self-limiting stories. Earlier this year, she was selected for the NBCU Launch Unscripted Pitch Accelerator and signed a development deal with Universal Television Alternative Studio (UTAS). She's previously been selected for the Disney Entertainment Television PA Initiative and Hollywood Radio and Television Society Foundation Fellowship. She’s also been recognized by The Black List x WGA’s Michael Collyer Fellowship, Final Draft's Big Break, and multiple other screenwriting competitions. Rohan is a Syracuse University alum and has worked on sets for Disney+, Hulu, TikTok, and more. A San Francisco native, and first-generation Irish-American, Rohan now lives and works in Los Angeles. Three Key Credits: Untitled Mackenzie Rohan Project (Development Deal - NBCUniversal/Universal Television Alternative Studio), The Binge (Hulu), The Quest (Disney+)
Walker Sayen
Director of Photography/Co-Producer
Walker Sayen has spent the past ten years working on film sets. As a Key Grip, Gaffer, DIT, 1st AC, Camera Operator, Sound Engineer, and Producer, he has learned the ins and outs of every aspect of the filmmaking process. His experience includes a wide range of productions, from Lexus commercials to indie feature films to live television, including the Oscars and the Grammys. As a cinematographer, Walker loves experimenting with camera and lighting techniques, bringing a unique aesthetic to every project. He specializes in documentary cinematography — filming interviews, landscapes, architecture, art, and craftspeople at work. He has filmed exhibits at galleries such as BLUM, Hauser & Wirth, and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, documented the fabrication of Pamela Rosenkranz’s sculpture Old Tree for The High Line in New York City, captured footage of The Broad for Dezeen, and filmed interviews for the documentary “Record On Paul Weller – Wild Wood” for White Light TV. Whether filming as a one-man band or leading a large crew, Walker brings his years of expertise to deliver the highest caliber results.
Your Help
STEPPING OUT OF THE BACKGROUND is a fiscally sponsored project of Cinematography for Actors, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation will be tax-deductible!