How to work as an extra on a film or TV show
Updated September 15, 2026 · Production List
Extras, also called background, are hired by a background casting company that the production engages, not by the production office. The company posts calls for specific shoot days, usually a few days ahead, and books from people already registered with it. The way in is to register with the background casting companies working in your area before a production you want starts shooting.
How background casting works
A production with crowd scenes hires a background casting company, sometimes called extras casting, separate from the casting director who casts speaking roles. That company keeps a database of registered people with photos, sizes and availability, and books from it against the production’s daily needs: fifty office workers on Tuesday, two hundred concertgoers on Thursday. Calls go out days, sometimes hours, ahead.
Because booking happens from an existing database, registering after a production is announced still works, but registering before is better. Most companies register year-round and are looking for people who show up on time and follow direction.
Finding the right casting company
Background casting is regional. The companies that staff productions in Georgia are not the ones staffing New York or Vancouver, and each active market has a handful of them. Production listings name the casting companies attached; the casting companies in Production List’s directory are filed under their own category, and each company page lists the productions it is attached to.
Register with every company active in your market, keep your photos current, and answer calls quickly. Being reliable across several small bookings is how people move from background to featured background and stand-in work.
What to expect on the day
Long days, a lot of waiting, and instructions to follow exactly. Bring the wardrobe options the call asks for, arrive before the call time, and do not photograph the set. Pay and conditions are set by the production and, on union shoots, by the relevant agreement; the casting company will tell you the rate for each booking when it offers it.
Common questions
- Do I need an agent to be an extra?
- No. Background casting companies register people directly. Agents are for speaking roles.
- How far ahead are extras booked?
- Usually days ahead of each shoot day, from people already registered with the background casting company. Register before the production starts shooting.
- How do I find the casting company for a specific show?
- The production’s listing names the casting companies attached to it. On Production List each production page lists them, and each casting company page lists the productions it is working on.
Source: Production List, published by the Film & Television Industry Alliance. Cite this page as https://www.productionlist.com/guides/how-to-work-as-an-extra-on-a-film-or-tv-show (updated September 15, 2026).