Do I need industry experience or training?
What is the difference between a casting company and a talent agency?
Are there any fees?
What is the pay for this type of work?
What are the hours or schedule?
Where do the productions take place?
Do I have to join SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and how does SAG work?
 

Do I need industry experience or training?
Movies, television and commercials use everyday people to be background characters for non-speaking roles, so no experience is necessary. We choose background talent based on the need of the client and the look of the scene for the project. We have seen many new people land speaking roles if they fit the look of the scene as well.

What is the difference between a casting company and a talent agency?
MovieWork Now Casting is a Casting Company and not a Talent Agency. The biggest difference is we represent production companies and assist them in finding the exact talent they need for their project. We do not represent talent nor take commissions from talent. Talent are not exclusive with us who work on our projects. There are no license requirements for a casting company, such as us, other than a normal business license. On the other hand, a Talent Agency, represents actors and models. They are required to be licensed by the Industrial Commission of Arizona and do take commissions on jobs their actors work on. If you are signed by a licensed agent, then you are exclusive to that agent and cannot work with another agent in town. Most agents prefer that you have a lot of experience in order to be signed by them. Regardless of being represented by an agent or working through a casting company there are no guarantees of work.

Are there any fees?
There are no fees to be included in our in-office talent binders. We just ask that you leave us a non-returnable snapshot. You will be considered for background work only. If you did not bring a snapshot today, you can mail one or drop one off to match up with your profile form. MovieWork Now Casting utilizes various methods when conducting a casting which include: talent binders, online databases, Talent Agencies and Casting Calls. MovieWork Now also operates an online database and there are fees associated with joining but it is only offered to people interested in working in the industry on an ongoing basis and/or those who are interested in becoming actors. There is never a fee to audition for our projects.

What is the pay for this type of work?
The pay depends on the type of project, your role within the given project, and the project’s overall budget. For example, typical extra work pays $50.00 to $200.00 per day. However, there are pay supplements known as “bumps” that you may receive depending on the shooting requirements for the project. For example, if you are bumped up to a featured extra, stand-in, photo double, bit player or principal character you will have an increase in salary and can earn up to $1500.00 per day or more.

What are the hours or schedule?
This type of work is part-time only and on call. There are no set hours and it all depends on the projects shooting schedule. You may work one day on set or multiple days on set. The days can run long and you may spend up to 12 hours on set each day. For the most part you are fed and taken care of throughout the day. It is always interesting and exciting to see the behind the scenes of movie and commercial making.

Where do the productions take place?
Although productions take place throughout the state of Arizona, we mainly focus on projects within two hours traveling time to Phoenix. We prefer talent that have their own transportation due to the inconsistent hours and locations.

Do I have to join SAG (Screen Actors Guild) and how does SAG work?
The Screen Actors Guild is a union for actors. Arizona is a “right to work” state but does have a local SAG office. “Right to Work” simply means no person shall be denied the opportunity to obtain work because of non-membership in a labor union. Many of the projects that come to shoot in Arizona are non union. If the project is a union project then we have the responsibility with casting to audition or submit all ’Qualified Actors” that fit the requirements first for review by production. If production does not find the “Qualified Actor” they need then they can do a special hiring of a non union actor. The actor may have an opportunity to join the union after that but is not required. There are yearly membership dues and fees associated with joining SAG. While MovieWork Now Casting does SAG and non union casting, SAG does not franchise Casting Directors or Casting companies. Talent Agencies, on the other hand, can be an actual SAG franchised agency and there are several here in the state.