Virtual Visiting Round Up: Summer 2022

Virtual Visiting gives Central Casting Background Actors an opportunity to introduce themselves, ask questions to, and learn from a panel of our Casting Directors. Reservations are limited, so we are sharing some helpful Casting Director tips from our summer sessions.

Do you have any advice for responding to availability inquiries?

The first thing to remember about availability inquiries is that they are not offers or guarantees of work. When Casting Directors send an availability inquiry, they are asking if you’re free, interested in working on a certain date/date range, and may ask additional questions related to the role. If you receive multiple availability inquiries for the same work date, you can reply as available to all of them.

That said, it’s incredibly important to be honest about your availability. We know many of our Background Actors worry about replying unavailable, but Casting Directors prefer that you do. And don’t worry, responding as unavailable does not have any effect on future availability inquiries you may receive.

Please read all messages completely before responding. We appreciate when you respond to messages as soon as possible, but if you don’t read the message completely, you may be missing important information. For example, when booking Background Actors with cars, a Casting Director may add an additional question asking you to include your car’s make, model, and color. If you don’t include this information, you may miss out on an opportunity you were perfect for.

I really want to work as a Stand-In, but don’t have any experience. How can I get booked?

While it’s true many Stand-Ins are booked for their experience and professionalism, there are ways for you to land that first Stand-In gig, like when you match the height, build, hair color, and complexion of a principal actor. To be considered when these opportunities arise, the best thing you can do is fill out the appearance section of your online profile with as much accurate information as possible. This helps Casting Directors find you when searching for specific looks in our casting platform.

You can also find Stand-In opportunities on our Jobs page. When booking Stand-Ins to match a specific look, Casting Directors will include detailed information in their posts and may ask additional questions about your Stand-In experience. Please be honest about your experience, even if you’ve never stood in before. Depending on the production, they may opt to hire someone who matches the look no matter their experience.

There are also opportunities to be upgraded to a Stand-In on set. When making replacements, Assistant Directors often look for Background Actors who pay attention, can follow directions, and act professionally. 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.

I no longer look like my main profile photo. How can I show Casting Directors my current look?

Rest assured, our Casting Directors look at the additional photos in your online profile when booking their shows. That’s why we recommend uploading new photos any time your look changes. Don’t forget to delete old photos when you upload new ones so there’s no confusion about which photos represent your current look.

You can upload photos in the “photographs” section of your online profile. After uploading, you will be prompted to select a slot (category) for your photo. You do not need (and should not) upload a photo for each slot, these are just some common categories. Too many photos in your profile makes it harder for Casting Directors to find the best picture that helps determine if you’re right for a role. A good rule of thumb is to upload a current headshot and full body shot, 1-2 additional looks you can portray, and photos of cars/pets you own and are willing to work with. Be sure to read through our profile photo guide to better understand what we’re looking for in profile photos.

Want more Casting Director tips? Check out the Virtual Visiting recaps from our winter and spring sessions.