Want to be an extra in a movie? New film in Myrtle Beach looking for local stars

Terri Richardson
·2 min read

If you’ve ever wanted to be in a movie, a new film being shot in Myrtle Beach could be your chance.

Filming began Monday for “The Grand Strand,” which will be shot in the Myrtle Beach area through July 7.

Those involved in the filming are still looking for extras that can appear in the movie.

“We have had locals sign up and would love more,” Dustin Whitehead, co-founder and creative director of Local Cinema Studios, which is filming the movie, said by text Monday.

Those interested in being extras can sign up at thegrandstrandmovie.com audition page.

The script was written by Luke Lowder, who based the film on his memories of summer vacations in Myrtle Beach during his teenage years at the Apache Family Campground and Pier.

Myrtle Beach SC to be site of new film. Here’s where cameras will begin rolling in June

The 27-year-old North Carolina writer and director made the campground the center of his new movie. Other scenes in the Myrtle Beach area, including Myrtle Beach State Park, will also be included.

“The Grand Strand” follows the story of 14-year-old Levi, who is being raised by his elderly grandfather on their sprawling North Carolina chicken farm. When Levi’s grandfather succumbs to a heart condition, Levi must choose between going into foster care, or living with his aunt and uncle while they spend the summer in Myrtle Beach.

The film is based on “bits and pieces” of what happened during Lowder’s summers at the campground, but all the places are real, he said. The story itself is fictional.

Local Cinema Studios, which works with universities and communities to connect students to real film production opportunities, selected Lowder’s script for its next project, which is funded by the South Carolina Film Commission.

Whitehead, who teaches acting and filmmaking at the University of South Carolina, has partnered with other colleges, including Coastal Carolina University and Horry-Georgetown Technical College. The project pairs a crew of students working alongside industry professionals.