Extra Casting

General Film and Television Extras Information

If you want to work as an film and television extra in Los Angeles, the first thing to do is to register at Central Casting (its free and legit). Second, if you have the money, you want to go to AFTRA and buy your AFTRA card (and yes, anyone can walk in and join with the initiation fee). With that card you can work as a television extra on all of Central Casting's AFTRA sitcoms, plus the Soaps. That should do the trick as far as getting some quick work as a film and television extra. It really is good experience because you can work as an extra on commercials, films, tv shows, outdoors on-location, in sound stages. Lot's of variety, and since you might end up working in one of those environments as a "principal player", you would be super comfortable in that situation.

Unlike actors, film and television extras do NOT have agents who take a 10 percent commission. You simply register with extras casting companies and call in each day on their casting lines to get work. Unless you hire an "Extras Calling Service" for about $30 -$50 a month to "call-in" and get you the work. Of course these "calling or booking services" really do not "call-in" to get you the work, they simply know people at the extras casting companies and get lists of what they need, and act as "sub-casting agents". Think about it, why would the film and television extras casting company individually call each and every person, when they can just call an "extras calling service" and say, "we need 120 people for a party scene". Then the "calling service" does all the work and calls each of their clients themselves! SAG is trying to regulate these companies at some point, but the fact remains that these services can get you much more work than you can on your own just calling in on the casting lines all day trying to get through the busy signals.

The Screen Actors Guild does have jurisdiction over film and many television extras, however, the contracts only require a small number of union extras to be hired for a given union production, and the rest of the extras are non-union. This is part of the contract that production companies sign with the union. There is a publication called "Extra Work for Brain Surgeons". It truly is the Bible of Extra work. I am NOT one to try to sell books for anyone. But I am in the know about this subject.

Central Casting is the largest film and television extras casting company in the world. There is a huge amount of work for non-union extras, and just a small amount of union extra work. As a matter of fact, one can work every day as a non-union extra, but if you are a SAG member, it is much harder to get union extra jobs. This is because the minimum number of SAG covered Background Actors is 50 for feature films, and 19 for television shows. The rest of the film and television extras hired can be non-union.

If you sign up with a "booking service" or "extras calling service" as they like to call themselves, you can literally work every day. But the pay is not much more than minimum wage for non-union, although overtime is usually the norm as well as "wardrobe allowance" and sometimes "mileage allowance". You also can get paid extra for using your car, pet, or props in a scene. There are many SAG members secretly doing non-union extra work simply because there just is not enough union extra jobs to go around.

You must live in LA (or within driving distance) of course, get a "Thomas Guide" map book, and have a cell phone and a car. But if you do your homework, you literally can work every day, no matter your experience or looks. You can be young or old, tall or short, overweight or underweight, some one-armed dude, or whatever. There is plenty of work to go around, and Hollywood needs all types of people. You don't even need headshots or a resume, they take a digital photo when you register with all of those extras casting companies. Just stick with the legit companies. There is a nominal $25 or so fee to register. Even SAG member have to pay a "photo fee" to register.

So there it is.

Don't take bad advice. Just register with the big extras casting companies and follow the rules of working as a fim/tv extra, but be careful as there are tons of bottom-feeders scamming people who want to work in film and television as extras.

If you are lucky, you can even become "SAG Eligible" from doing non-union extra work, but that is a whole other long story.

Peace Out,

Alan Baltes

PS: AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) has jurisdiction over Soaps and Sitcoms among other videotaped and radio broadcast productions. This is a whole different story, and anyone can walk into AFTRA and join for about $1,250

Click Here for sample photos used for extra work.

(photos courtesy of Rich Hogan Photography).

A Little Background About Background Acting

The history of background actors, or ‘extras’, as been around nearly as long as the film industry itself. The first films date back to the early 1890’s and they were mostly unedited, slice-of-life, documentary style films that showed regular people doing everyday things. Though they weren’t touted as such, these regular people were the very first movie extras.

As films became more sophisticated, so, too, did the talent that was required. And as productions became larger, the number of movie extras needed increased, too. Fortunately for the burgeoning film industry in Hollywood, there was no shortage of movie extra talent as thousands of people flocked to Los Angeles every month in the hopes of becoming of a star.

By 1922, there were an estimated 30,000 movie exras in LA and not nearly enough jobs to go around. With no system in place to regulate background talent, many people looking to break into the industry as movie extras were exploited. The same newspapers and magazines that hyped Hollywood and led to the swelling numbers of hopefuls were soon reporting stories of these exploitations.

The motion picture industry was facing a PR nightmare. Angry Americans deemed the movie industry immoral and there were calls for government regulation. Major Hollywood producers responded by turning to Republican Party leader Will Hays whom they commissioned to direct a campaign to restore their public image. Hays in turn commissioned the Russell Sage Foundation to study the problem. The results of this study led to the unlikely alliance of the major Hollywood producers, comprising the Association of Motion Picture Producers, to establish their own organization that would provide movie actors for their films. The organization was called the Central Casting Corporation and it opened for business in 1926.

For producers, the creation of Central Casting allowed them to continue operating without government interference while providing a consistent stream of background talent for their films. For background actors, Central Casting provided a road map to working as an extra in Hollywood. Background actors could register with Central and all they had to do was call a job hotline to find work rather than having to drive from studio to studio looking for their own jobs.

In the 80 past years, a lot has changed. Background extras formed their own union, the Screen Extras Guild, in 1946; created their own newspaper dedicated to the Hollywood extra, The Hollywood Megaphone; and even had their own awards for stand-ins called ‘The Elmers.’ Today, the Screen Extras Guild, The Hollywood Megaphone and The Elmers no longer exist. The Screen Extras Guild merged with the Screen Actors Guild. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists also has jurisdiction over television extras, and all soap operas extras.

Extras Casting Companies In Los Angeles

The following are extras casting companies who do casting in the Los Angeles area. It is a good idea to register with as many extras casting companies as possible. Please call for registration details:

ACROSS THE BOARD CASTING
5287 SUNSET BLVD. 2ND FLOOR
HOLLYWOOD. CA 90027
REGISTRATION LINE: 818-974-9973
CASTING HOTLINE: 323 769-6439
COMPANY CONTACT: LAVONNE & CARMEN
EMAIL: castingboard@sbcglobal.net

ALICE ELLIS CASTING
P.O. BOX 1828
VENICE, CA 90294
REGISTRATION LINE: 310-314-1488
COMPANY CONTACT: ALICE ELLIS
WEBSITE: www.elliscasting.com
EMAIL: submissions@elliscasting.com

ALL LOCATIONS CASTING
P.O. BOX 518
HERMOSA BEACH, CA 90254
REGISTRATION LINE: MAIL IN ONLY
COMPANY CONTACT: SHAWN MAKRIS, MARIE MARKIS
WEBSITE: www.alllocationscasting.com

ATMOSPHERE CASTING
9903 SANTA MONICA BLVD., SUITE 412
BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90212
REGISTRATION LINE: 888 858-7090
COMPANY CONTACT: ROBERT LEWIS

BACKGROUND PLAYERS/CASTING ENTERTAINMENT
4350 SOUTH ARVILLE ST.
BLDG. E SUITE A40
LAS VEGAS, NV 89103
REGISTRATION LINE: 702-895-6833
COMPANY CONTACT: REGISTRATION TEAM
WEBSITE: www.davidanthonycasting.com

BILL DANCE CASTING
4605 LANKERSHIM BLVD., SUITE. 401
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA 91602
REGISTRATION LINE: 818-725-4209
COMPANY CONTACT: BILL DANCE
WEBSITE: www.billdancecasting.com
EMAIL: office_manager@billdancecasting.com

BRENTWOOD CASTING
9663 SANTA MONICA BLVD., SUITE 261
BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210
REGISTRATION LINE: 310-837-3009
COMPANY CONTACT: ELI MATHIEU & ASSOCIATES
WEBSITE: www.brentwoodcasting.com
E-MAIL: brentwoodcasting@yahoo.com

CAROL GRANT CASTING
PO Box 5710
Newport Beach, CA 92662
REGISTRATION LINE: 323 692-7779
COMPANT CONTACT: CAROL
WEBSITE: www.carolgrantcasting.com
EMAIL: cgcasting@yahoo.com

CASTING ASSOCIATES
3304 SEPULVEDA BLVD., SUITE #1
TORRANCE, CA 90505
REGISTRATION LINE: 310 364-0233
COMPANY CONTACT: TRACY, JOSEPH & DAVID

CENTRAL CASTING
220 S. FLOWER ST.
BURBANK, CA 91502
REGISTRATION LINE: 818-562-2755
COMPANY CONTACT: REGISTRATION TEAM
WEBSITE: www.centralcasting.org
EMAIL: N/A

CREATIVE EXTRAS CASTING
2461 SANTA MONICA BLVD., #501
SANTA MONICA, CA 90404
REGISTRATION LINE: 310-203-7860
COMPANY CONTACT: VANESSA PORTILLO
EMAIL ADDRESS: cecasting@yahoo.com

DEBE WAISMAN CASTING
11684 VENTURA BLVD., #415
STUDIO CITY, CA 91604
REGISTRATION LINE: 818-752-7052
COMPANY CONTACT: DEBE WAISMAN
EMAIL: debeatwork@earthlink.net

DEEDEE RICKETTS CASTING
8205 SANTA MONICA BLVD., SUITE1-229
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA 90046
REGISTRATION LINE: Online Only
COMPANY CONTANT: DEEDEE & STACY
WEBSITE: www.ddcasting.com

EXTRA EXTRA CASTING
11693 SAN VICENTE BLVD., PMB 279
LOS ANGELES, CA 90049
REGISTRATION LINE: 310-859-6951
WEBSITE: www.extraextracastings.com
EMAIL: xtraxtracasting@aol.com

HEADQUARTERS CASTING
400 S. BEVERLY DR., SUITE 306
BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90212
REGISTRATION LINE: 310-556-2626
COMPANY CONTACT: CARLA LEWIS
WEBSITE: www.headquarterscasting.com
EMAIL:hqtalent@gmail.com

IDELL JAMES CASTING
MAILING ADDRESS ONLY:
15332 ANTIOCH ST., PMB #117
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA 90272
REGISTRATION LINE: 310-230-9344
COMPANY CONTACT: IDELL JAMES

JEFF OLAN CASTING
14044 VENTURA BLVD., SUITE. 209
SHERMAN OAKS, CA 91423
REGISTRATION LINE: 818-377-4475
INFO LINE/HOTLINE: 310 285-3375
COMPANY CONTACT: JEFF OLAN
WEBSITE: www.jeffolancasting.com
EMAIL: jeffolancasting@yahoo.com

L.A. CASTING GROUP, INC.
LOS ANGELES CENTER STUDIOS
1201 W. 5TH ST., STE. F-240
LOS ANGELES, CA 90017
REGISTRATION LINE: (213) 534-3888
COMPANY CONTACT: MICHAEL
WEBSITE: www.lacgroup.com
E-MAIL: info@lacgroup.com

ON LOCATION CASTING
1223 WILSHIRE BLVD., SUITE #409
SANTA MONICA, CA 90403
REGISTRATION LINE: 310-229-5332
COMPANY CONTACT: TINA KERR

PETE SUTTON CASTING
c/o MOUNTAIN ASH CASTING
P.O. BOX 56687
SHERMAN OAKS, CA 91413
REGISTRATION LINE: 818-759-1818
WEBSITE: www.petesuttoncasting@maccpro.com

PRIME CASTING
6430 SUNSET BLVD., STE. 425
LOS ANGELES, CA 90028
REGISTRATION LINE: 323-962-0377
COMPANY CONTACT: PETER, JILL OR ANDREW
WEBSITE: www.primecasting.com
EMAIL: primecasting@aol.com

RICH KING CASTING
6671 SUNSET BLVD., STE 1597
LOS ANGELES, CA 90028
REGISTRATION LINE: 323 993-0186
COMPANY CONTACT: RICH, KELLY, KEAN

SANDE ALESSI CASTING
13731 VENTURA BLVD.,
SHERMAN OAKS, CA 91423
REGISTRATION LINE: 818-623-7040
COMPANY CONTACT: SANDE

SMITH & WEBSTER-DAVIS CASTING
4924 BALBOA BLVD., SUITE 431
ENCINO, CA 91316
REGISTRATION LINE: 310-364-3521

STEWART & BERNARD CASTING
P.O. BOX 341469
ARLETA, CA 91334
REGISTRATION LINE: MAIL IN ONLY
COMPANY CONTRACT: TEDDY STEWART/FAYE BERNARD

STUDIO KIDS CASTING
15068 ROSECRANS AVE., #198
LA MIRADA, CA 90638
REGISTRATION LINE: 562-902-9838
COMPANY CONTACT: LISA MARIE SANTILLAN
WEBSITE: www.studiomanagement.com
EMAIL: studiokidscastn@aol.com

TIFFANY WOODS CASTING
11260 OVERLAND, #19G
CULVER CITY, CA 90230
REGISTRATION LINE: MAIL IN SUBMISSIONS ONLY
COMPANY CONTACT: TIFFANY WOODS
WEBSITE: www.geocities.com/tiffanywoodscasting
EMAIL: tiffanywoodscasting@yahoo.com

XTRAZ CASTING
P.O. BOX 4145
VALLEY VILLAGE, CA 91617
REGISTRATION LINE: 818-781-0066
COMPANY CONTACT: TOM THACKER
EMAIL: xtraz@concentric.net

Working as a Film and Television extra in Vancouver, BC

Thanks to Vancouver extras casting director Andrea Brown for information regarding the casting of background actors in Canada. Andrea Brown has cast dozens of top television shows and feature films including The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

The following information also applies to the other provinces of Canada.

In British Columbia, Canada, extras can be represented by "Extras Agents", which differ from Extras Casting Directors. Agents charge a 15% commission fee for their services, as well as a yearly photo fee of $25.00. Casting Directors such as Andrea Brown (who are contracted by the production company) hire the vast majority of their extras through Extras Talent Agents such as these reputable companies (only people LOCAL to the filming areas are generally hired):

A Tactical Actions Group
Blink Management

Boss Management

Def-Con-5

Golden Empire Talent

Hollywood North Extras

In Motion Talent

LJR Talent

Local Color

Muse Artist Management

There are two types of calls that extras talent agents make. One type of call is to book you for the job. The other type is to check your availability. It is common practice to check your availability before submitting pictures to the extras casting directors. A call to check when you are available is not a booking. If you are chosen by the extras casting director, the extras agency will call you back to confirm the booking. When They call to book you, they let you know the exact date(s) they need you. They usually call the day before you work, they rarely get much notice. When they call to book you, they need a yes or no, not a maybe-depending-on-the-time answer. When they are booking you they do not know the start or end time of the shoot. You need to be completely free on the day of filming with absolutely no other commitment. Under no circumstances can you be late to the set or leave early once you are on set. You will get a phone call later in the day from the production company, usually the second assistant director or extras coordinator, to give you the exact call time and location.

You must have a social insurance number or a work permit to work in Canada. More information regarding "Extras Agents" can be found here:

BC Ministry of Labour.

You can find information on how to obtain a Canadian Work Permit here:

How To Obtain a Canadian Work Permit

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The aim of this blog is to help people who are interested in working as a union or non-union extra. I hope the information on this page can help you achieve your goal of working as a background actor in Film and Television. I post this information absolutely free of charge, and try to verify all details as much as possible. I hope my websites continue to help talent obtain employment in the entertainment industry.

Note: All content on third-party advertisers' websites is the sole responsibility of the respective website publisher(s)/owner(s).

What is a Background Actor?

A "Background Actor" or "Extra" is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, non-singing or non-dancing capacity, usually in the background.

War films and epic films often employ background actors in large numbers. Some films have featured hundreds or even thousands of paid background actors. Likewise, grand opera can involve many background actors appearing in spectacular productions.

On a film or television set, background actors are usually referred to as "Background Performers", "Background Artists" or simply "Background," while the term "Extra" is rarely used.

In a stage production, background actors are commonly referred to as "Supernumeraries". In opera and ballet, they are called either 'Extras' or 'Supers'.

SAG-AFTRA

The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is an American labor union representing over 150,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. The current organization is the result of the March 30, 2012 merger of the Screen Actor's Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

According to the SAG-AFTRA Mission Statement, the union seeks to: negotiate and enforce collective bargaining agreements that establish equitable levels of compensation, benefits, and working conditions for its performers; collect compensation for exploitation of recorded performances by its members, and provide protection against unauthorized use of those performances; and preserve and expand work opportunities for its members.

The Screen Actors Guild was founded in 1933 in an effort to eliminate exploitation of actors in Hollywood who were being forced into oppressive multi-year contracts with the major movie studios that did not include restrictions on work hours or minimum rest periods, and often had clauses that automatically renewed at the studios' discretion. These contracts were notorious for allowing the studios to dictate the public and private lives of the performers who signed them, and most did not have provisions to allow the performer to end the deal.

SAG-AFTRA is the primary performer's union in the United States. The union is affiliated with the AFL-CIO. SAG-AFTRA claims exclusive jurisdiction over motion picture as well as radio, television, Internet, and other new media. Internationally, SAG-AFTRA is affiliated with the International Federation of Actors.

How To Qualify For SAG-AFTRA Membership

A performer becomes eligible for SAG-AFTRA membership under one of the following two conditions:

1) Proof of Employment.

SAG-AFTRA membership is available to those who work in a position covered by a SAG-AFTRA (or AFTRA or SAG) collective bargaining agreement. Any person qualifying through work as a background actor must have completed three days of work as a background actor under a SAG-AFTRA (or AFTRA or SAG) collective bargaining agreement.

2) Employment Under an Affiliated Performers Union.

Performers may join SAG-AFTRA if the applicant is a paid-up member of an affiliated performers union (ACTRA, AEA, AGMA or AGVA) for a period of one year and has worked and been paid for at least once as a principal performer in that union’s jurisdiction.

All new members pay a one-time-only initiation fee, plus the first semiannual dues at the time of joining. The national initiation fee rate is currently $3000.00 (initiation fees may be lower in some states). Annual Base dues are $198.00. In addition, work dues are calculated at 1.575 percent of covered earnings up to $500,000.

Once you are a member, you must abide by the rules of membership, starting with Global Rule One and the No Contract/No Work Rule. And, whether you are a SAG-AFTRA member or not - NEVER accept work during a Union strike!

Becoming a SAG-AFTRA member is a very important milestone for every working professional talent in the entertainment industry. But you should not be in a rush to join unless you are absolutely certain that you are ready to compete for professional performing jobs. For actors, you should prepare yourself by studying acting and improv, doing live theatre, and perform in non-union on-camera productions in order to build your resume and gain extremely valuable experience.

How do I get three SAG-AFTRA background vouchers?

Excellent question; there truly isn’t a simple answer. The best way is to work as a non-union background actor as often as possible and do a great job, showing up on time and bringing the proper wardrobe.

Occasionally there will be an immediate need for a certain look or ability on the set and if you are in the right place at the right time you will be offered a SAG-AFTRA voucher. Sporadically a casting director will offer you a SAG-AFTRA voucher if they are unable to locate a SAG member who fits the requirements of the production company.

Demo Reel Information

An actors demo reel (or "demo tape") is a short compilation of clips from professional acting work on films, commercials, and television shows. It is usually no more than a few minutes in length.

A demo reel IS NOT the same as an "Audition Video". An Audition Video IS a homemade video that you make when casting directors are accepting audition video submissions.

It is NOT necessary to send in a demo reel when submitting for extra roles. Only submit a demo reel if the casting directors request it, or through an agent.

Extras Calling Services

There are companies that are termed "Calling Services" or "Booking Services" that charge fee(s) to obtain extra work for you. These Calling Services are not contracted by production companies as Casting Directors are, rather they are independent services that work for the individual extras that sign up for their service. The fee is usually on a monthly basis, however some use a per-job-booked fee structure also.

Most Extras Casting Directors use these calling services often, especially when they are casting large amounts of extras for a specific production. It is much easier and less time consuming to make one call to a Calling Service and tell them what they need than it is to call each and every extra individually.

Once an extra signs up for a Calling Service, they provide them with photos, clothing size forms, and contact information. Then it is simply a matter of letting the Calling Service know your availability. The booking service will submit their clients based on their availability to all of the extras Casting Directors, and the Casting Directors can book as many or as few of these extras and give the booking service the call times, wardrobe requirements, shooting location, etc., to forward along to their clients. It is then the responsibility of the Calling Service to provide the details to their extras and confirm the booking.

Extras who do not use a Calling Service must constantly call recorded casting lines that the extras casting directors set up, and then call a separate number if they fit exactly what is on the recorded line. The competition to get work this way is extremely fierce. It is a generally accepted reality that extras who use respected and legitimate Calling Services are booked far more frequently than those who try to do their own booking.

The fees that Calling Services charge range from around $45 - $75 per month depending on your union status, age, and the number of days that you are booked during the month. There also may be an initial registration fee that can be as low as $20 to over $100 if they require a first month fee and last month fee in addition to the registration fee.

Should I Do Extra Work For Acting Experience?

I personally feel that if a person does not have experience, doing extra work is a fantastic way to get used to being on a film or TV set. It gives you an idea of how things work and allows you to become comfortable on a set without risking "burning bridges" if you get nervous and a little stage fright.

I myself did extra work in the beginning of my career and it helped me tremendously. I had terrible stage fright, but I became very comfortable after doing background work for a while.

So the answer is yes, doing extra work will help you. It doesn't pay a whole lot, but the experience you get is valuable.

Acting is like any other job, the more training and experience a person has, the better chance of getting the job. But at the same time, we all have to start somewhere!

Types of Background Actors

General Background: Person of atmospheric business which includes the normal actions, gestures and facial expressions of the Background Actor’s assignment.

Special Ability: Background Actor specifically called and assigned to perform work requiring special skills such as tennis, golf, choreographed social dancing (including square dancing), swimming, skating, riding animals, driving livestock, non-professional singing (in groups of 16 or less), mouthing to playback in groups of 16 or less, professional or organized athletic sports (including officiating and running), amputees, driving which requires a special skill and a special license (such as truck driving but not cab driving), motorcycle driving, insert work, and practical card dealing.

Stand-In: Background Actor used as a substitute for another actor for purposes of focusing shots, setting lights, etc., but is not actually photographed. Stand-Ins may also be used as general background.

Photographic Double: Background Actor who is actually photographed as a substitute for another actor. A General Background Actor who is required to do photographic doubling shall receive the Special Ability rate.

Day Performer: A Performer who delivers a speech or a line of dialogue. A Background Actor must be upgraded to a Day Performer if directed to speak, except in the case of “omnies”.

Omnies: Any speech sounds used as general background noise rather than for its meaning. Atmospheric words such as indistinguishable background chatter in a party or restaurant scene.

Advice for Child Actors

1. Have fun and enjoy every performance.

2. Learn as much as possible from the professionals you work with.

3. Get your rest, and drink plenty of water!

4. Be respectful and do what you are asked to do to make the child wrangler's job easy.

5. Remember you are there to do a job.

6. Share the experience with your friends and family.

7. Visit as many places as you can.

8. Be thankful for the opportunity.

9. Use your down time to keep up with schoolwork.

10. Laugh, Laugh, Laugh.

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