Background Actor Casting: How Stand-Ins Work

A stand-in is a person who takes an actor's place while the crew prepares a shot. The crew needs someone standing in the exact spot to set the lights, check the camera angles, and mark the floor. The actor arrives later, when everything is ready to shoot. It is a different kind of day from being part of a crowd, and it helps to know what to expect.

What a stand-in does

On a set, the principal actors are called the first team, and the stand-ins are the second team. You stand in for one actor while the camera crew sets lights and camera angles. You do not act. You hold a position and you hold still, sometimes for a long time. The crew may ask you to walk a path, sit in a chair, or move to a new mark so they can see how the light falls and how the camera moves. When they have what they need, you step out and the actor steps in.

This is a quiet role. If you are patient and you like paying attention, it can suit you well. If you like being in the middle of the action, general background roles may suit you better.

Matching a person by height and coloring

Casting looks for a stand-in who matches the actor. The usual points are height, hair color, and skin tone, and you may be asked to wear the same shirt or clothes as the actor so the lighting crew sees the right colors. If you are about the same height and build, and your hair and skin tone are similar, the crew can set lights and camera for you and get a good idea of what the actor will look like. That is why stand-in roles depend on your look more than on experience.

Casting uses your Photos and your Profile to compare, and it searches by height and sizes for roles like this. Keep your Photos current, and answer the questions about your height and look honestly. If a role does not fit you, there will be others.

Long waiting and repeated positions

A stand-in day includes a lot of waiting. The crew may stop to move a light, change the set, or fix a prop, and you may be asked to stand in the same spot many times. Bring a book and a phone charger, wear comfortable shoes, and keep a bottle of water close. Days usually run about 12 hours, and some start at 5 or 6 in the morning, so a snack matters too. Lunch is about 6 hours after the crew call.

You may be asked to go back to your first position again and again. Do it calmly and the same way each time. Patience is the most useful thing you bring, because the crew relies on you being ready when they call.

Working with the crew

Stand-ins work closely with the cinematographer's crew, the people who run the lights and cameras, so listen and do what they ask. Your mark is a spot on the floor, often shown with tape, where you stand. Find it and stay on it until someone tells you to move. Keep quiet while they work, because lights and cameras are being adjusted and they need to concentrate. If you need to leave your spot, ask a crew member first.

Be easy to find, too. If you need a bathroom break, tell someone so they know where you are. When the actor arrives, step back and stay out of the way until the crew tells you what happens next.

Pay

Stand-ins typically earn more than general extras, about $175 to $200 for a day. Photo doubles are usually paid the same. Rates vary by production, and the Open Call shows the rate for each role. The guide to getting paid and keeping records explains how a day rate works.

How to find stand-in roles

Stand-in roles show up in Open Calls, and the Open Call says which role it is. Read the title and details before you reply.

1. Open Calls, then tap the stand-in role.
2. Check the dates, the location, and the pay. The Open Call shows the pay rate.
3. If you can be there for the whole day, tap "Yes, I'm available."

Casting answers arrive in Replies, and a red number shows new ones. If casting wants to book you, the booking request shows up there too. Reply the day the Open Call comes out, since roles are often booked for the next day or two.

A good attitude carries a lot of weight here. Casting looks for a similar look to the actor and someone who is easy to work with. One stand-in job often leads to more, because the crew and the casting team remember who was patient and easy to work with.

New to being an extra? Start with the guide to becoming a background extra. The difference between a stand-in and a photo double is in the photo double guide. For what a typical day on set looks like, read the set etiquette and holding area guide.

Open Calls is the next place to look. Check the role title and details for the words "stand-in."