Preparing Looks For Different Time Periods

When you become a Background Actor with Central Casting, you have the opportunity to work on movies and TV shows set in all kinds of time periods, like the 1960s in Godfather of Harlem, the '90s in Dexter: Original Sin, and multiple decades in For All Mankind. The variety of locations, eras, and storylines gives you the chance to put looks together for a wide range of roles. From prepping period costumes to getting your hair just right, here's what you need to know about preparing for set.

As with any role you book with Central Casting, all your booking information will be in your details, which will come as a message from our casting platform and may include additional resources like a Details Blog. It's important to read this information fully and carefully when crafting your period looks so you can show up to set as expected.

Period hairstyles

Hair is a big part of making period roles look authentic. When booking these types of shows, Casting Directors may include additional questions in their messages asking you to verify your hair details. Please be honest when responding as you will be expected to arrive on set with that hair length, color, and style.

Depending on the production, your details may include specific hairstyles to emulate and for others you will have more leeway to create your own era-appropriate looks. If you need inspiration or instructions for how to create a style, YouTube has how-to videos for a variety of looks for your hair type.

Makeup and nails

Like with hair, your makeup details may be very specific or more general to the era. When creating your look, be aware of your category and the time period. Like some hair trends, many modern makeup techniques are not realistic for past decades. For example, a heavily filled eyebrow would be out of place in some 1980s looks when brows were less defined.

If you're instructed to do a natural look, that usually means a base foundation, mascara, and light blush. Remember, it's always easier to add than remove, so if you're not sure how far to take a look, it's better to do your makeup conservatively and bring your products to set so the makeup department can suggest how to add the finishing touches.

Don't forget about your nails! Gel and acrylic nails often won't work for period pieces. If you have gels, acrylics, or modern nail art, be sure to ask the Casting Director about nail requirements before submitting or accepting an offer for work.

Period costumes and wardrobe

When it comes to putting your outfit together for set, you may be asked to create your own look, wear clothing provided by production, or a combination of the two. Production's decision to provide wardrobe can be based on a lot of different factors, like budget, time period, character, scene contents, aesthetic, and more.

When bringing or wearing your wardrobe to set, your clothing should arrive clean and unwrinkled (unless otherwise stated in your details). When wardrobe is provided, there will likely be base items you need to bring, like specific color socks or a certain kind of shoe, and you should always wear clean and sufficient undergarments.

A great way to set yourself up for success is to know your accurate sizes and to keep them up to date in your online profile. If you need help figuring out your measurements, we have easy to follow video tutorials on our Measurements page to get you started.

If you're looking for inspiration on period styles, check out our decade guides in our wardrobe and hair and makeup article categories.