Production Driven Casting: Background Casting Built for Your Production’s Creative Vision
For the first time in our 100-year history, Central Casting is providing background casting services in all 50 states, delivering the trusted casting experience and support productions have relied on for over a century, no matter where your production takes you.
Filming outside of major markets, across multiple states or in a new location used to mean juggling multiple vendors to hire and pay background actors — each with their own timeline, processes and point of contact. Production Driven Casting changes all of that.
Production Driven Casting is Central Casting’s newest offering, available to film, television and commercial projects filming anywhere in the US, outside of California, New York, New Jersey, Georgia and Louisiana.
What is Production Driven Casting?
Background actors are an integral part of bringing movies and TV shows to life. They not only add authenticity, but help tie together the look and feel of your production. With Production Driven Casting, that creative vision stays in your hands.
How it works: Central Casting delivers a digital Lookbook of talent curated specifically for your production. You select, book and manage the background talent throughout production, supported by Central Casting’s dedicated team of casting directors.
With Production Driven Casting, you get:
- The right background actors. Creating the exact look you need means having access to talent who fit your vision. With Central Casting’s diverse database, you can find the right look to match your creative direction.
- Access to the industry’s leading technology. With the Casting Portal, the industry’s most advanced background casting platform, your team can easily manage and track background actors across the entire casting process.
- Support from skilled casting directors. From filling large calls to nailing a niche look, our casting professionals know what it takes to cast the right background actors in the right roles. They are by your side every step of the way, without your team handing over creative control.
- Payroll handled by Entertainment Partners. As the entertainment industry's top payroll provider, EP brings fast turnaround, accurate processing and production-ready reporting. Payroll edits are completed within 48 hours, backed by experienced Paymasters and cost reports that connect directly to your SmartVoucher data.
Production Driven Casting is available in: All states outside of California, New York, New Jersey, Georgia and Louisiana.
One Trusted Platform for Background Casting, Digital Vouchers and Payroll
Central Casting's integrated platform means casting, digital vouchers and payroll live in the same system. Your chosen background actors get paid accurately, compliantly and on time without the manual handoffs or reconciliation that slow productions down.
Using the Casting Portal, your team can easily search through your production’s casting director-curated online Lookbooks, hire background actors, and track background statuses in one secure platform.
Every booking flows directly into SmartVoucher, EP's leading digital voucher technology. With SmartVoucher, your AD team saves time on set with simple check-in and wrap procedures, automated calculations and auto-generated Background Reports. Submitting to EP Payroll is as easy as clicking a button.
With Central Casting there is no back-and-forth between vendors and only one accountable team to call.
Background Casting Services Across the US
Central Casting offers background casting and payroll services designed to support productions of every size, available depending on where your production is filming.
In addition to our Production Driven Casting service, Central Casting provides:
- Premium Casting. If you are filming in California, New York, New Jersey, Georgia or Louisiana, then Central Casting’s Premium Casting is right for you. With Premium Casting, Central Casting’s casting directors handle every step of the background casting process, backed by the Casting Portal and the largest and most diverse background talent database.
- Payroll with SmartVoucher. Just need background payroll? If your production already has casting covered, Payroll with SmartVoucher is available in all 50 states to support your production with production-ready reporting, breakdowns on demand and dedicated Paymasters who deliver accurate payroll on time, every time.
Hire Background Actors with Central Casting’s Production Driven Casting
Whether you are a UPM coordinating a complex production schedule, an AD managing daily background calls or a Line Producer keeping a close eye on cost and compliance, Production Driven Casting is built around how you work. Streamline the background casting process and keep creative control in your hands from start to finish with Production Driven Casting.