Finding Extras for Your Project: A Guide for Productions

If you are a casting director or a producer, the fastest way to find reliable extras is to start early and post a clear Open Call. Say what you need, give the dates, the pay rate, and the location, and then pick from the people who reply. MyCastingFile is free for extras to join and apply, and your casting page explains how to start.

Know what you need

Before you post, get clear on the scene. How many extras do you need, and on which days? What ages, looks, and sizes does the scene call for? Is it indoors or outdoors, day or night?

Start background casting early. Contact background casting at least 3 weeks before a film starts, and more for a big film. For a TV pilot, 2 to 3 weeks is a good lead. A commercial can come together a day or two before. Roles for a single day are often booked for the next day or two, so a late post leaves little room.

Write a clear role post

Background casting is about types and looks. Describe the role the way you would explain it to a neighbor: a businessman, a police officer, a customer in a coffee shop. Say what the person will be doing, such as sitting in a diner or walking on a sidewalk. If you need a specific size for a costume, or a skill such as juggling, a handstand, or riding a unicycle, say so. Extras can only tell you about a skill if the post asks for it.

A broad role can bring 20 to 500 replies or more. A specific role brings fewer, and they fit better. Mention wardrobe too. Many casting offices email wardrobe guidelines the evening before, and extras usually bring about 3 looks.

Extras read these posts on their phones, so keep the post short and easy to scan. Avoid industry shorthand that new extras may not know.

Dates, pay, location

Three details matter most to extras, and every Open Call shows them: the dates, the pay rate, and the location. Give each one clearly. If the call time is early or the shoot runs at night, say so. If there is a parking note or a check-in spot that differs from the filming location, include it.

Rates vary by production, and the Open Call shows the rate you post. Extras decide whether to reply based on it, so be exact. Say how pay arrives if it is not the usual route. Extras are usually paid by a payroll company by check or direct deposit in 2 to 4 weeks, and some small productions pay differently. Extras are usually hired locally, so say whether anything beyond the day rate is paid, such as parking.

Review replies

When extras reply, you see their profiles and photos. Look for the looks and sizes your scene needs. You can search by city and ZIP code to find people near the location, and height and sizes matter for stand-ins, photo doubles, and costume fits.

When an extra marks a date available on the Calendar and is in your area, you see a small calendar icon on their profile for that date. That makes it easier to check availability, though extras are also told to reply to the roles they want.

Choose a few more people than you need, since plans change. Quick repliers tend to be reliable ones.

Book and confirm

MyCastingFile has two kinds of messages. Send an availability request to ask whether someone is free for your dates. Many productions send more than they need, for example 400 requests to book 100 people, or 2 requests for 1 role. When you are ready to book a person, send a booking request. Extras see both under Replies, and once a person accepts, the booking appears under Confirmed bookings.

Extras cannot cancel on the website. They email or call your casting company, and only you can remove the booking. Each casting company decides how to handle no-shows. Many ask why and offer another chance, but repeated no-shows usually end it.

Plan for paperwork and fittings

Tell extras early what the start of the day involves. They check in with the assistant directors and fill out a voucher, which holds their basic information and a W-4. Ask them to bring a driver's license and Social Security card, or a passport. In a state with a film tax incentive, extras may also fill out a form that shows they are residents of the state. More productions now use digital vouchers and digital time cards on the phone, and some ask extras to finish the paperwork the day before.

If extras need costume fittings, schedule them in time. Fittings can happen 1 to 2 weeks before the shoot, the day before, or the morning of. They are paid, usually as a "quarter check," which is 2 hours of pay on a $150/12 rate. A fitting on the morning of the shoot day does not get extra pay.

Union rules vary by area and by contract. SAG-AFTRA covers background under its theatrical contract only in certain zones, and commercial contracts cover a set number of extras. Check SAG-AFTRA for the current rules before you post.

Take care of your extras

Extras remember how a set treated them, and good treatment is the best way to get good extras next time. A few habits go a long way:

• Send the call time, check-in spot, parking details, and wardrobe notes before the shoot day.
• Tell extras honestly how long you expect the day to be. Days run about 12 hours, sometimes more.
• Give people a place to wait out of the weather, and tell them where to find water and a restroom.
• Remember that background is often called before the crew, so lunch may come 7 hours in. Tell extras to bring a snack.
• Release extras as soon as you are done with them, and pay as agreed.

Nobody likes surprises at five in the morning or after midnight.

Your next step

Write your next Open Call with the dates, pay rate, and location at the top, then post it. Visit the casting page to learn how MyCastingFile works for productions. For more on choosing the right people, see the art of extraordinary casting, and the home page for an overview.