Virtual Visiting Round Up: Spring 2024

As a Central Casting Background Actor, Virtual Visiting gives you an opportunity to introduce yourself, ask questions to, and learn from a panel of our Casting Directors. Reservations are limited, so we are sharing the most asked questions from our Spring 2024 sessions.

I think I can pull off looks at different ends of the spectrum, from grungy to formal. How do I show Casting Directors I'm versatile?

Uploading additional photos to your online profile is a great way to show the different types of looks you can portray, though our Casting Directors stress that quality over quantity is best. They don't need to see a photo of you in every look you can portray or photos of you in similar looks. These only make it harder for them to find the photo they need to determine if you fit the requirements for the role. We recommend uploading a current headshot and full body shot; a casual, business, and formal look; then 1-2 photos of unique looks or specialty wardrobe. Any photos you upload to your profile should only be in wardrobe or costumes you own and have access to. You should never take photos on set with wardrobe provided by production. Our Photo Guide is a great resource to learn more about taking profile photos that look professional in your online profile.

I'm very interested in working as a Stand-In, what can I do to increase my chances of getting booked?

Stand-Ins are often booked for their experience and professionalism, particularly in multi-cam productions (like The Neighborhood and Frasier), but there are still opportunities to be booked even if you've never worked as a Stand-In before. Single camera productions (films like Bad Boys: Ride or Die, drama series like Godfather of Harlem, and some comedies like Hacks) often need Stand-Ins who match the principal actor in height, weight, hair color, and complexion and may opt to hire a Stand-In with no or little experience if they fit the look. That's one of the reasons why it's so important that the measurements in your online profile are accurate and completely filled out. It's also crucial that your measurements reflect what your sizes actually are and not your best guess or preferred sizes. If you're booked based off this information, you will be expected to show up to set as described in your profile.

Being professional, present, and following directions is also a great way to get noticed when Assistant Directors need to upgrade a Background Actor to a Stand-In on set. Just remember, upgrading Background Actors to Stand-Ins is based on the needs of production; do not ask to be upgraded, they will let you know if they need a replacement.

If you have Stand-In experience, even if you've only worked a couple of times, Casting Directors recommend uploading a Stand-In resume to your online profile. Be sure to list the name of the project, the name of the actor you stood in for (or if it was Utility), how long you worked on that project, and whether it was single or multi-camera. Please be honest about your work experience as you will be expected to perform to that experience level on set. Once your resume is ready, you can upload it to the "casting Information" section of your online profile.

I own a few cars I want to work with, what's the best way to let Casting Directors know about them?

We book a variety of vehicles in all kinds of conditions; if you're willing to work with your car on set, add that information to the "vehicles you own" section of your online profile. Be sure to include vehicle type, make, model, color, and year. We will continue to add vehicle options to our platform; if you don't see information that matches your car, include what you can and check back for updates.

When uploading photos of your vehicle, Casting Directors find it helpful if you include text on the photo that states the make, model, and year. This helps them identify the vehicle when looking through the photos in your profile and is especially useful for older and rarer models.

Thank you to all our Background Actors who attend and participate in Virtual Visiting! To learn more, you can read our latest Virtual Visiting recaps for Winter 2024 and Fall 2023.