I live very close to the film capital of the world, Hollywood. That being said, the dream of becoming a big screen actor is very much alive and well. I would have to say that 2/5 of the people that you talk to will say that they want to become an actor or they are already working on multiple acting projects.
When most people think about acting, they usually think about the big screen actors like Chris Pratt, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence, and others even though there are also TV actors and commercial actors. Even lesser known people in the film, TV, and commercial industry are the background actors. These people are the actors that are crossing the street, driving cars, playing sports, and eating food all in the background of a scene. The task of a background actor is to make the scene look believable as if it were happening in real life.
Central Casting is essentially an agency that has a huge database of people who are looking for gigs as background actors. There are movies, TV shows, commercials, and music videos that are being filmed every day and they need background actors for almost all scenes. The producers of the shows then go to Central Casting to access their database of people to fill those background roles.
I joined Central Casting on Monday, March 19, 2018, and I had my first gig on Thursday, March 22, 2018.
Getting on Central Casting's database by going through the signup process is honestly the easy part. Getting a gig is the hard part.
As soon as you are done with the signup process (lining up early morning, getting your pictures taken, and filling out paperwork), you really should start following Central Casting on Twitter and Facebook because that is where the gigs are posted. Central Casting tells you that they'll reach out to you via text, email, or phone call with potential gigs for you, but I believe it's a lot better if you're proactive and reach out to them for gigs instead of waiting for the gigs to brought to you.
On a typical post, you will see a description of the people the production is looking for. If you believe you match that description, you are encouraged to call the phone number in the post or send them an email at the email address in the post. Here is an example:
I'm sure this method is great for Central Casting since it's easy for them to post multiple gigs quickly to the followers, but it makes it difficult for people to get gigs since there are hundreds of people trying to call one phone number. For the gig that I got the other day, I had to call the number about 10 times just to get through but I have heard of people who called 100 times and they never got through. It's a combination of luck and timing.
As I said before, I was fortunate enough to get through with 10 calls. At Central Casting, I had to sign a non-disclosure form stating that I could not talk about the scenes that I was in nor could I talk about the people that I saw. Therefore, I can only tell you information that is public.
The background role that I was cast as was a soccer player in a TV show. It was a lot of fun! I'll go ahead and walk you through the process after I got booked:
After getting booked, we were told what wardrobe we needed to take to set. Big tip: Make sure to take alternatives! When you get on set, the wardrobe people will take a look at the clothes you took and will tell you that you either need to change or you're okay. The process will always be easier if you take alternatives and the wardrobe people tell you that you're good to go.
When I arrived on set, there was so much food waiting for us! The crew on set really takes care of you by providing you with amazing food. All of the food was freshly made on the spot. There was even a chef making personalized omelets for anyone! Whenever you get cast and you arrive on set for the first time, you already know you're going to be eating really well.
In regards to being social with everyone else, some people just aren't open to it. Since you're going to be surrounded by other background actors, sometimes in the hundreds, there are going to be plenty of people to talk to. But, there will be some people who will always have their earbuds in to completely shut people out. Regardless, I still socialized with others and I got along well with my fellow teammates. Actually, I encourage you to try to socialize with as many people as possible! Not only does it make the experience a lot more fun, but it also allows you to network your way into bigger opportunities.
Well, those three points essentially cover my whole experience without actually telling you everything that happened (because of the NDA). If you are planning on joining Central Casting to become a background actor, then I encourage you to take my experience and use it as advice for yourself. It's really fun experience and I think it's a great way for people to make some extra side income. Let me know about your experience with CC if you join or are already a part of their agency!
