Background Extras: General, Featured, Stand-In, and Photo Double

Extra roles come in more than one kind. Productions use several types of extras, and each type does a different job on set. When you know the four common ones, an Open Call is easier to read and you can pick roles that suit you.

General background extras

A general extra is part of a larger group and is not singled out. Think of a pedestrian on a street, a customer in a coffee shop, a person waiting at a bus stop, or someone in a crowd. The role is non-descript on purpose. Faces may be seen, but they are not the focus of the shot, and the job is to make the place look lived in.

Because the role is simple, it is also the easiest one to say yes to on a first booking. You show up, listen, and do what the crew asks.

Most roles on MyCastingFile are general background roles. The Open Call describes the setting and the action, and it often says what kind of look the scene needs. A broad role like this can draw anywhere from 20 to 500 or more replies, so reply the day it comes out. A typical day involves a lot of waiting, a few takes of simple action, and a lot of staying where you are told. The guide to acting in the background explains the habits that help.

Featured extras

A featured extra is singled out. The person may have a character, such as the parent of a child character, and the face may be on camera. A featured extra does not speak.

Featured extras are usually picked from photos. Casting sends options to the director or an assistant director, and that person picks. Sometimes the pick happens on set, from the general extras already there. Because the camera looks closer, featured roles often ask for a particular look that fits the scene, and some call for a particular skill.

The Open Call states if a role is featured. Read the role details before you reply, and think about how you feel about the extra attention.

Stand-ins

A stand-in is also called the "second team." The first team is the principal actors. A stand-in stands in for one actor while the camera crew sets lights and camera angles, then steps out when the actor arrives. Casting looks for someone with a similar height, hair color, and skin tone to the actor. A good attitude and being easy to work with count a lot. For a closer look at the day, read how stand-ins work.

Stand-in roles depend on looking like a specific person. Casting may compare your Photos and Profile with the actor the role has to match.

Photo doubles

A photo double goes further than a stand-in and appears on camera as the actor, for example from behind or from the side. Photo doubles need a close physical match to the actor, including height, weight, and clothing sizes. For the details, read what a photo double does.

Like stand-ins, photo double roles depend on your look. Answer each question about your appearance as exactly as you can, so casting only sees you for roles you really fit.

What every type has in common

All four types follow the same shape of day. You check in with the assistant directors, do your paperwork, go to wardrobe, and then wait in holding until the crew needs you. Days usually run about 12 hours, and "on time" means 15 minutes early. The difference between the types is where the camera or the crew points you, not how the day runs.

You may move between types over time. A stand-in job often leads to more, since the crew and casting remember people who were easy to work with. Casting also books again the extras who are reliable and answer emails, texts, and calls.

Which role fits a new extra

Most new people start in general background roles. Those roles need a look that fits the scene and a Calendar that matches the dates, and they do not require a close match to one actor. You get to learn how a set runs without extra pressure.

Pay differs by role type, and rates vary by production, so the Open Call shows the rate. The guide to getting paid explains how a day rate works.

The Open Call states the role type. Read it before you reply. If a role is a stand-in or photo double and you do not match the actor's look, pass on it and look at the next one. For a wider look at how to read an Open Call, read the guide to movie extra roles.

To learn the first steps, read how to become an extra in a movie. Then go to Open Calls, check the role type on three roles, and reply to one that is a general background role and fits your Calendar.