What is The Casting Collective?
The Casting Collective is a private background artist database used by Casting Directors when searching for performers to work on film and television productions shooting in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. The Casting Collective offers background artists secure technology and exciting new tools to help efficiently manage job offers, bookings and communications with Casting Directors. The Casting Collective is proudly powered by EP Casting Portal.
Which Casting Directors use The Casting Collective?
The Casting Directors listed here work independently on a variety of film and television productions. Please view their previous credits on IMDb (Internet Movie Database).
What is a background artist?
A background artist is an individual who appears in the background of a film, television or commercial production. Background artists are also referred to as extras, background performers or BG.
What kind of experience do I need to become a background artist?
None! You just have to enjoy working with people, be able to commit to any work dates that you accept and follow a variety of instructions.
Is The Casting Collective an extras agency?
No. If you’re offered employment by a Casting Director you would be working as an independent performer with the production. You’re never charged any fees or commissions. You keep 100 % of the money you earn.
Do I need an extras agent to work as an background artist?
No. Due to the costs involved many performers prefer to work independently as a background artist and handle their own scheduling and bookings. Extras agents charge background artists a yearly fee to register and then a commission fee of 10 to 15 % of their earnings each time they work, plus a 5 % GST service fee. The Casting Collective will never charge any of these fees to background artists.
Can I work with The Casting Collective if I also have an extras agent?
Yes! Background artists are able to find employment opportunities however they choose through a variety of sources. Please always honour your bookings with each Casting Director and their productions.
What happened to BCF Casting?
After 11 years of providing services to film and television productions, the BCF Casting performer database was retired in December of 2023 and The Casting Collective performer database was launched with improved features for performers and productions. If you had a profile at BCF Casting and would still like to be considered for work as a background artist, please create a new profile for yourself at The Casting Collective.
Do I need to keep my availability calendar up to date?
The best way to let Casting Directors know that you’re available for work is to update your calendar frequently. Casting Directors will often first consider background artists who have listed themselves as green and available. Note that by marking yourself green you’re indicating that you’re available and able to accept a booking for that day. Please mark dates red if you’re definitely not available. If you do not know your availability please leave your calendar blank, Casting Directors will still contact you if they have a great opportunity for you!
What happens after I’ve created a profile at The Casting Collective?
Casting Directors will review your profile and contact you if you have the right look for one of their productions. Sometimes they may get in touch with you right away or you may not hear anything for awhile. It all depends on the requirements of the productions that are currently shooting and what types of people they need for their background roles. Please note that by creating a profile with The Casting Collective you are not guaranteed employment. Casting Directors will only contact you if they have something that may be right for you.
How often should I expect to work?
The answer to this question differs with each person depending on many factors including your look, wardrobe, skills, availability, etc. It also depends on the needs of the productions currently shooting. For the majority of performers, background work is a great opportunity to be involved part-time in the film and television industry.
Why does it seem that some people are working more than I am?
It could be for many different reasons that we can’t even attempt to answer. If you’re not working as much as you’d like, we suggest that you update your profile with better photos of yourself and ensure that all of your information, as well as your availability calendar, are up to date.
What should I do if I’m having problems uploading photos to my profile?
Please keep in mind that The Casting Collective only supports .jpg and .png uploads, you won’t be able to upload any other file types. It’s important to make sure when uploading photos, you are uploading to a free photo slot. If you want to allocate the photo to a different position you can do so after it’s been uploaded.
How do I inactivate my profile if I’m no longer available to work as a background artist?
You can inactivate your profile at any time. To set your profile as inactive, go to the top banner of your profile and click on the Profiles link, then click on Manage, select your profile and click Deactivate. You are always welcome to reactivate your profile if you become available again.
Background Artist's Guide
Please review these other pages of the Background Artist's Guide:
Creating Your Performer Profile
Availability Inquiries & Bookings
Frequently Asked Questions
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