How to Transfer from a Minor to Adult Profile with Central Casting
At Central Casting, we onboard minors from 15 days to 17 years old to work as Background Actors and doubles in our productions. If you were registered as a minor, but would like to continue working with Central Casting, there are a couple steps you need to take to become active and eligible to work as an adult.
Minor to adult profile
Whether you have been working consistently as a minor or were signed up a while ago and want to return to background acting, you do not need to go through the full Talent Onboarding process again as an adult. But there are forms you will need to fill out to become active and eligible to work.
The first step is to fill out our Activate Profile Request form. A member of our Talent Onboarding staff will review your submission, then email you further instructions on how to complete these forms through your online profile. After filling out and e-signing all forms, you must respond to this email to let our staff know. If everything is in order, we will let you know of any next steps or if you are eligible to begin booking roles.
Update your profile
Your online profile is one of your best tools to find work and be successful with Central Casting. Our Casting Directors use this data when searching our casting platform and considering you for work, so the more accurate and thorough you are, the easier it is for them to determine the types of roles you can portray.
Sizes are especially important and are used when production provides wardrobe and when casting Stand-Ins and doubles. If you're not sure how to determine your sizes, you can watch our easy-to-follow tutorials on the Measurements page.
While Casting Directors use the photos in your profile to determine if you can portray a certain age, you can help them find you in searches by filling out your profile's "playing age" field. Please be honest when choosing your playing age and ask someone you trust to help you figure it out if you're not sure. A playing age does not lock you in to roles only in that range, but is another tool for Casting Directors when they're booking specific looks. Due to labor laws with casting minors, Casting Directors regularly look for Background Actors who are 18-to-look-younger (18tly) to play high school students. If you think you can portray 18tly, be sure to mark that portrayable age range (14-17) so you'll show up in searches for this look.
Your profile should always have a current headshot and full body shot, which you can upload to the Artists' Choice slot. Photos should be well-lit, in focus, and taken against a white or solid background. Keep in mind, when we say headshot at Central Casting, we don't mean professional headshots. These are often edited and altered and cannot be used when considering you for background work. Instead, we recommend having a friend or family member take your photos to ensure you are framed correctly. Check out our Photo Guide for more details on what we look for in profile photos.
You can also upload additional photos to your profile to show the different types of looks you can portray and wardrobe you own. Having too many photos only clutters your online profile, which is why we ask that you only add unique and distinct looks. In addition to a current headshot and full body shot, Casting Directors recommend a casual, business, and formal look, then 1-2 photos of unique looks or wardrobe.
How to get booked
As a minor Background Actor, the parent/legal guardian is the main point of contact for Central Casting. Now as an adult, you will respond and manage your bookings directly. The two main ways to find work are by responding to casting messages or by submitting for work on our Jobs page.
When booking their roles, a Casting Director may reach out with an availability inquiry. This is not a guarantee of work, Central Casting is simply asking if you are available and interested in working on a certain date or date range. We ask that you respond to all casting messages, even if the answer is "not available." This lets our Casting Directors know if they need to reach out to additional Background Actors to book their shows. If you respond as available, a Casting Director may reach out with a first avail, booking offer, or other message. You can learn more about the messaging process in our guide, How to Respond to Central Casting Messages.
You can also proactively look for work on our Jobs page. In their posts, Casting Directors will include information about the role, like portrayable age, portrayable ethnicity, SAG-AFTRA status, and more. Please read this information fully and carefully before responding. After reviewing your submission, if the Casting Director thinks you meet the requirements for the role, they may reach out with an availability inquiry.
You can learn more about how to be a professional Background Actor with Central Casting in our articles How to Stand Out to Casting Directors and 5 Tips for Getting Booked.
