How to Find Background Extra Work in Your Region with Simple Steps
Updated: Sep 24
Getting booked as an extra can feel oddly hidden at first. The work is real, productions need people all the time, but the calls don’t always show up in the same place twice.
The good news is that you don’t need an agent, a giant resume, or a perfect reel to get started. You need to know where local productions post, how to submit cleanly, and how to stay ready when a casting team needs bodies fast.
This guide walks you through a simple way to find background extra work in your region, sort the legit opportunities from the sketchy ones, and give yourself a better shot at getting called in.
1. Research what projects film nearby and who casts them
Before you sign up for anything, figure out what kind of productions actually shoot in your area.
Some regions have steady film and TV work. Others may have mostly commercials, student films, indie features, reenactment shows, music videos, or local industrial videos. All of those can use extras.
Start with a quick search for:
`film office near me`
`your state film commission`
`casting extras your city`
`background casting your city`
`open casting calls extras your state`
Most states and many large cities have a film office or film commission. Their sites often list productions, local casting resources, crew directories, permits, and sometimes links to casting companies.
You’re looking for patterns. Do the same casting company names keep appearing? Are productions filming in nearby cities? Do extras calls ask for locals only? This tells you where to focus.
If you live outside a major production hub, widen your search radius. A job may be listed for a city two hours away, but the shoot location could be closer than it sounds. Productions also use nearby towns for specific looks, like small-town streets, farms, beaches, schools, warehouses, churches, diners, or suburban homes.
Make a short list of:
Local casting companies
Regional film commission pages
Production companies that post extras calls
Nearby colleges with film programs
Community theater or performer groups where calls may be shared
Keep this list somewhere easy to update. A simple notes app is enough.
2. Sign up with local extras casting companies
Once you know who casts in your area, go straight to the source.
Extras casting companies often have their own databases or submission forms. Some post on their websites. Some use casting platforms. Some post calls on public pages and ask you to submit by email.
When you sign up, read the instructions slowly. Casting teams deal with hundreds or thousands of submissions. If they ask for a specific subject line, use it exactly. If they ask for three photos, send three. If they ask for your height and availability, include both.
A strong submission is short and complete.
Here’s a simple format you can adapt:
Hi, I’d like to be considered for the cafe patron role filming in Austin on April 12. I’m fully available that day and can work as a local hire. Name Phone Email City Height Clothing sizes Vehicle, if requested Availability Recent photos attached
Don’t send a long biography unless they ask for one. Don’t attach a reel unless the call requests acting footage. Don’t pitch yourself for a different role in the same email.
For extra work, casting wants to answer a few quick questions.
Can you work the date? Do you fit the look? Are you local? Did you follow directions?
Make it easy for them to say yes.
3. Create a basic extra casting profile
Extras casting moves fast. If a casting director posts at noon and needs people by the next morning, you don’t want to spend an hour searching for measurements and photos.
Set up your basic materials now.
You’ll usually need:
Current photos
Legal name and stage name, if different
Phone number and email
City and general travel radius
Height
Weight or body type, when requested
Clothing sizes
Shoe size
Vehicle info, if you’re willing to work with your car
Special skills
Availability
Work eligibility details, when required by the casting platform
Your photos matter, but they don’t need to look glamorous. In fact, simple is better.
Use a clear head-and-shoulders photo and a full-body photo. Stand in natural light against a plain background. Wear everyday clothes. No sunglasses, heavy filters, costumes, hats, or group shots.
Casting needs to see what you currently look like. If you changed your hair, grew a beard, removed a beard, got visible tattoos, or changed your look in a major way, update your photos.
If you're an actor, don’t overthink this like a theatrical headshot session. For extra work, accuracy beats polish.
4. Use reputable casting platforms without paying for nonsense
Casting platforms can be useful, especially in regions with regular production work. Some are free. Some have paid tiers. Some are only worth it in certain markets.
Before paying for anything, explore the free version first. Search your region and see whether current extras calls are actually posted there. If the last local listing is old, don’t rush to subscribe.
Many casting offices have social media accounts that can give you great insight!
A good casting platform should show real details, such as:
Shoot area
Work date or possible date range
Type of production
Pay status
Union or nonunion status, if listed
Submission instructions
Age range and look requested
Whether you need to work as a local hire
Be careful with vague posts that promise fame, guaranteed roles, or instant access to major productions for a large fee. Extras casting does not work like that.
You should never pay someone just to be “discovered” as an extra. Paying a legitimate casting platform for access to listings is one thing. Paying a random person who promises a role is another.
If a post feels off, search the casting company name plus words like `reviews`, `scam`, or `casting notice`. You can also check whether the company has a consistent history of casting real projects in your area.
5. Find local social groups, but verify everything
Local performer groups can be great for finding extra calls. These might be community groups, film groups, theater groups, college film pages, or regional casting pages. Check Facebook groups and Google to see if there are local groups you aren't aware of!
That said, open groups can be messy. Anyone can post. Some calls are real. Some are unpaid passion projects. Some are vague. Some are just not worth your time.
Use groups as a discovery tool, then verify the details.
Before submitting, look for:
Who is casting the project
Whether the production name is listed
Where it films
When it films
Whether it pays
How they handle meals, parking, and wardrobe
Whether minors need a parent or guardian
Whether the contact email looks tied to a real person or company
You don’t need every detail before you submit, but you do need enough to feel safe and informed.
Be extra careful with posts that ask you to come alone to a private address without clear production details. Real productions are usually able to tell you the general area, call time range, role type, compensation, and who you’ll report to.
6. Search nearby cities and regions
One of the easiest mistakes is searching too narrowly.
If you only search your exact city, you may miss calls listed under the nearest production hub. Productions often use the name of the biggest nearby city because that’s what performers recognize.
For example, a “Chicago area” call could shoot in a suburb. An “Atlanta area” call could film well outside the city. A “New Orleans” call might be nearby but not downtown.
Build searches around:
Your city
Nearby major cities
Your state
Your region or metro area
Common production nicknames for your area
Also search by travel terms:
`local hire`
`extras casting`
`background casting`
`stand-in casting`
`photo double`
`featured background`
A stand-in is not the same as a regular extra. Stand-ins help crews set lighting and camera framing for main performers. Photo doubles match a performer’s body type, hair, height, or hands for specific shots. These roles may require more precision, but they can also be great experience.
Save your searches where possible. If a platform lets you set alerts by location, use them.
7. Learn what a legitimate extras casting call looks like
Once you’ve seen a few casting notices, they start to look familiar. Most include the same core details.
A solid extras call may include:
Project type
General filming area
Shoot date
Fitting date, if needed
Pay rate or unpaid status
Age range
Specific look or wardrobe need
Submission deadline
Availability requirements
Instructions for photos and contact details
Union status, when relevant
Here’s what you should pay attention to first.
Pay
Some extra work is paid. Some student and indie projects may be unpaid. Decide what you’re willing to do before you submit.
Unpaid work can still be useful for experience, networking, or footage if there’s a specific reason. But don’t let anyone pressure you into giving time you can’t afford.
Local hire
If a call says local hire, that usually means production won’t pay for your travel, hotel, or mileage. Only submit if you can get there on your own and stay for the full day.
Availability
Extras days can run long. You may not know your exact call time until the night before. Don’t submit for a day when you need to leave early unless the call clearly allows it.
Wardrobe
Some calls ask you to bring clothing options. Others have fittings. If you’re cast, follow wardrobe notes closely. Bring clean, camera-friendly clothes without large logos unless they ask for them.
8. Keep your availability simple and honest
Casting teams remember reliable people.
If you submit as fully available, they expect you to be fully available. That means you can work the date, get to the location, answer messages, and stay until wrapped.
Don’t submit to everything just to see what happens. If you cancel after booking, show up late, or stop responding, you make it harder to get booked again.
A better habit is to check your calendar before you submit. If you have a conflict, skip it or mention it only if the call allows partial availability.
When you’re booked, save every detail:
Project name or code name
Casting contact
Shoot date
Location area
Call time
Wardrobe notes
Parking instructions
Pay details
Required paperwork
Use your phone calendar and set reminders. Extras often get details close to the shoot, so check your email and texts often the day before.
9. Prepare professionally
Your job on set is simple, but it still matters.
Arrive on time. Bring your ID and any paperwork requested. Wear or pack the wardrobe options they asked for. Bring water, snacks, a phone charger, and something quiet to do while waiting.
Expect waiting. A lot of it.
Extras may sit in holding for long stretches, then get called to set suddenly. Stay nearby and listen for instructions. Don’t wander off without telling a production assistant.
Good set habits help you get invited back:
Follow directions the first time
Keep your phone silent on set
Don’t take photos unless production clearly allows it
Don’t approach principal performers for selfies or career advice
Don’t talk during takes
Keep continuity in mind
Be kind to production assistants
Continuity means repeating your movement the same way each take. If you cross behind a character holding a coffee cup in your right hand, do it the same way again unless directed otherwise.
Small things like that make you useful.
10. Track submissions
If you’re submitting regularly, it’s easy to lose track.
Make a simple spreadsheet or notes file. You don’t need anything fancy. Track:
Date submitted
Casting company
Project or role
Shoot date
Pay status
Contact method
Whether you were booked
Any notes after the job
This helps you spot what’s working. Maybe one casting office books you often. Maybe period pieces call you in because your look fits. Maybe commercials in your area need cars, families, or specific skills.
Tracking also keeps you from submitting twice to the same call when the instructions say not to.
After you work, save your voucher, payroll details, or payment notes until you’re paid. Payment timing can vary by production, so keep records.
11. Build relationships without being pushy
You don’t need to “network” in a fake way. Just be easy to work with.
Casting teams, assistant directors, and production assistants all deal with pressure. If you respond quickly, show up prepared, and follow directions, that stands out.
You can send a short thank-you after a booking if you have a direct casting contact and it feels appropriate. Keep it brief.
Something like:
Thanks for booking me today. I had a great experience and would be happy to be considered for future local extra work.
That’s enough.
Don’t message repeatedly asking why you weren’t chosen. Don’t ask for upgrades. Don’t ask casting to look at unrelated materials unless they invite it.
The best reputation is simple. Reliable. Pleasant. Prepared.
12. Avoid the common scams and time-wasters
Most extras calls are harmless, but scams do exist and so do poorly run projects.
Be cautious if someone:
Guarantees you a speaking role for a fee
Asks for payment through gift cards, wire transfers, or payment apps before you work
Refuses to share basic production details
Uses pressure like “send money now or lose the role”
Offers unusually high pay for vague work
Asks for sensitive personal information before you’re officially booked through a real process
Wants you to travel far without clear pay, lodging, or contact details
Real productions may need tax forms and legal documents, but that usually happens through a known payroll process after you’re booked or at check-in. If something feels strange, pause and verify.
Trust your instincts, but also use common sense. Search the company. Ask local performers if they’ve worked with them. Check whether the casting notice appears on the company’s official page.
13. Stay persistent
Not getting picked is normal. It usually isn’t personal.
Extras casting depends on the scene. They may need people who look like restaurant guests, hospital staff, teenagers, parents, 1970s pedestrians, concert fans, airport travelers, or police station visitors. They may already have too many people with your general look for that day.
Keep your materials current and keep submitting to calls that truly fit.
The more reliable you are, the more useful you become. Over time, you’ll learn which companies cast in your region, which platforms are worth checking, and what kinds of roles you book most often.
What success looks like
You’ll know your system is working when you have a short list of trusted casting sources, current photos ready to send, alerts set for your region, and a clear way to track submissions.
From there, the next step is simple. Check your sources a few times a week, submit only when you fit and you’re available, and treat every booking like a chance to prove you’re easy to hire again.
Extra work can be unpredictable, but finding it gets much easier once you know where to look and how to respond. Start local, stay organized, and keep showing up prepared.
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