Movie Extra Casting: Getting Paid and Keeping Records

Each Open Call shows the pay rate for its role, so you can read it before you apply. After the day, a payroll company usually sends your pay by mailed check, sometimes by direct deposit, in 2 to 4 weeks. Keep your own records, since they help you check a payment later. This guide covers how pay works in general, and each production handles its own details.

Typical day rates

Rates vary by production, and the Open Call shows the rate for your role. As a rough guide, these are typical day rates on MyCastingFile:

• general extras: $100 to $150
• featured extras: $150 to $350, depending on the skill needed
• stand-ins: about $175 to $200
• photo doubles: usually the same as stand-ins

Use these as a typical range and not a promise. Do not assume one role pays what another did, and do not guess. If the rate on an Open Call is not clear, ask casting before you agree to the role. Movie Extra Roles: How to Read an Open Call explains where to look.

What $150/12 means

You may see a rate written like $150/12. It means $150 guaranteed for a day of up to 12 hours. If you are released after 8 hours, you still get the $150.

The rate already includes 4 hours of overtime, because overtime is usually figured after 8 hours in a day. Hours after the 12th are paid at time and a half.

Who pays you, and when

Extras are usually paid by a payroll company. That company is your employer of record, so your W-2 comes from the payroll company. Pay usually comes by mailed check, sometimes by direct deposit, in 2 to 4 weeks.

Some small independent productions pay differently, for example as 1099 work or in cash. Ask the production how and when it pays before the day, and write the answer down.

Extra pay

There is usually extra pay for working with your car, bringing your pet, special wardrobe, and similar requests. Casting tells you the amount when you are hired. Read the booking details before you assume a number. Extras Casting for Cars and Pets explains how to add those to your Profile.

Fittings are paid too. A fitting is usually 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. Fittings can happen 1 to 2 weeks before, the day before, or the morning of.

Travel and parking

Extras are usually hired locally, so travel is usually not paid. Parking is paid when the production sends you to a paid lot or garage. Check the booking details for parking notes.

Paperwork on set

Expect forms on a shoot day. The first one is the voucher, which holds your basic information, including your Social Security number, and comes with a W-4. In a state with a film tax incentive, you may also fill out a form that shows you are a resident of the state. Bring a driver's license and Social Security card, or a passport.

More shows now use digital vouchers and digital time cards on your phone, and some ask you to finish the paperwork the day before. Read each form before you sign. If a term is unclear, ask the production, and keep a copy when you are given one.

Keep records

Keep a simple log of each day. Write down the date, the production's title, your call time, and the time you wrapped. Save the booking details and the Replies that set up the day. When a payment arrives, note the date and the amount, and compare it with the rate and hours you wrote down.

A notebook or a folder on your phone works well. Write your notes the same day, while you remember the details. Many people also save a screenshot of the Confirmed bookings entry for each day. Keep these records for as long as you might need them.

If something looks wrong

If a payment seems late or incorrect, write down what you see, the date, and the names of the people you spoke with. Pay usually takes 2 to 4 weeks, so give it that long first. Then ask casting or the production. Ask in writing when you can, so you have a record of the question and the answer. Stay calm, and keep your notes.

Ask the production, not us

MyCastingFile does not pay extras and cannot answer for a production. Questions about your pay go to the casting company or production that booked you.

No tax advice

This article does not give tax advice. Tax rules depend on your own situation, so ask a tax professional about your records and any tax forms you receive.

For more places to find roles, read Movie Extra Opportunities. For roles close to home, read Finding Extras Needed Near You.

Start a record today with the next role you reply to: write the date, the title, and the pay rate from the Open Call.