Welcome to our first Q & A blog!
Every so often we are going to address some of the questions we get sent.
So today we’re compiling a few of these topics and kicking off a brand new Q&A series…
Be sure to post your questions at the bottom so we can address them in future Q&A blogs!
Two different agencies have contacted me for the same role on the same production - how do I respond?
If you haven't worked on the production yet, by all means spread your bets and respond available to both agencies.
If you are successful, the moment you are booked by the first agency, inform the second agency immediately. Your email should read along the lines of, “Unfortunately I am no longer available for this role because I have now been booked on this production through x agency.”
Always honour the agency that booked you first.
Once you are booked, all further bookings and communication should go through the agency that booked you.
If you work on a production with one agency, can you work on it with other agencies in the future?
In short, no.
While it is sometimes possible to be recast on the same production, especially if you weren't very visible in your first role, this should be done through the same agency that got you the first role.
You should respond “Not Available” to any further roles or dates that any other agency presents to you for this production.
Getting booked through two agencies on the same production can really confuse the Crowd team’s numbers, create continuity issues, muddy communication channels, or even cause your costume to be sent to the wrong location.
This is why sometimes Availability Enquiries will specifically ask if you’ve been on this production before through another agency. Careful considerations have to be made by the Crowd 2nd AD before anyone is recast.
I’m on set through another agency but I’m with other SAs who were booked through Extra People - how come I didn’t receive any enquiries for this job through Extra People?
When more than one agency is working on the same production, the Crowd 2nd AD often splits the SA roles between the agencies.
One agency could be asked to find the pub goers and the other to find the police officers.
Some ADs might give Monday’s scenes to one agency and Tuesday’s scenes to another.
Or they send everything to all agencies and it’s a bit of a first come, first serve situation.
Moreover, each agency is run by human beings using their own casting methods.
That’s why some bookers might approach Joe Bloggs for a scene but others prefers to ask Steve Smith. There is no rule to this. The databases are big and it can just come down to different processes.
If you never hear from us despite being on our books, email epcommunity@extra-people.com.
We’ll have a look at your profile to see if anything is missing or outdated.
Please be aware that we largely operate in London and the surrounding areas. If you are based in Cardiff, Liverpool or Glasgow etc, we will be unable to send you consistent availability enquiries all year round.
Why am I not being asked about that production filming just round the corner from me?
You see all the tell-tale signs. The coded arrows. The transport trucks. Perhaps even a big white crowd marquee.
How have you not heard anything about this production!? It’s walking distance from you!
There can be lots of reasons but they all boil down to one key factor:
Production dictates the casting brief.
We cannot suggest students to play professors or pensioners to play soldiers (unless its Dad’s Army!).
Put simply, your location isn’t the only criteria considered in the casting process.
What matters far more is whether you match the casting brief for the roles available:
Your look. Your measurements. Your skills.
This is why contacting us about that shoot happening just round the corner from you is not that helpful;
If you were right for the part, we would have contacted you already.
Rest assured that we do search for artistes based on a distance radius from the filming location.
This radius begins small and then increases as more options are needed.
When we need to find last minute replacements, this radius is very small to ensure that
only people that can travel to set quickly are put forward.
Chances are there are people living nearby that are booked on job - it’s just that we can’t cast EVERYONE that lives close to it!
And remember, your favourite TV shows are mostly composed of dialogue scenes with just the main cast. You may have stumbled upon a filming location, but that doesn’t mean there’s many if any SA roles up for grabs there.
If you were released from that nearby job, remember the agency can only put you forward -
It’s the production that books you.
To ensure that we can always suggest you, make sure to keep your Current Look photos updated.
Hair & Make-Up departments don’t trust photos older than 2 months, so be sure to regularly take new selfies and upload them with the Current Look tags on your profile!
Please explain costume briefs!
What if we are unable to source appropriate costume options at short notice?
If the availability enquiry mentions the importance of bringing a specific clothing item (such as a dinner jacket, ball gown or uniform etc.), make sure to only respond ‘Available’ if you can actually provide these. This helps everyone and prevents embarrassment.
Having said that, sometimes a production doesn’t inform us about the costume brief until the booking confirmation or even the day before filming. In these instances, just bring what you can that matches the brief as closely as possible.
A booker won’t be able to do much at 9pm at night - simply just take what you can. Do not drop out!
Sometimes Costume will contact you directly to discuss what you have. More likely, you will just have to use your initiative. Often the Costume department has a few options, they're just low in stock and can’t fit everyone. Obviously the more options you provide, the more helpful you are to Costume.
How are we compensated for bringing our own clothes?
1) If you are required to bring 2-3 outfits, you will be compensated under the Supplementary Fee Category A for Change in Clothing (£21.00 under 2023 FAA Rates).
Under the 2022 Equity Rates, you will be paid £20.00 under Personal Property (SP3).
(The Equity/PACT rate card is due to be updated in April 2023).
You will never be asked to bring more than three outfits.
If you are required to bring a change of clothing but are not subsequently required to wear it, then you will be due 50% of the supplementary fee (£10.50 under 2023 FAA Rates).
These briefs can be quite general such as “Smart Casual”, “Office Wear” or “Party Vibes”, but the key here is that these have to be separate outfits. Simply providing alternate tie colours isn’t an entirely new outfit.
You will not be paid for changing between outfits that productions have provided.
If you are only required to provide the one outfit, then under the current FAA Agreement, no supplementary fees are due. Providing more options definitely helps the costume designers, but do not expect compensation for this.
2) If you are booked to bring a specific clothing item, such as a Tuxedo suit or Ball Gown, you will be compensated under the Supplementary Fee Category B for Specialised Clothing (£21.00 under 2023 FAA Rates).
Again, under the 2022 Equity Rates, you will be paid £20.00 under Personal Property (SP3).
These aren’t the general “Smart Casual”, “Office Wear” or “Party Vibes” briefs.
The key here is that you have been booked specifically because you are able to provide a particular clothing item/outfit that most of the SA population cannot.
For Specialised Clothing, payment shall be due for each separate outfit of clothing provided.
Note: You will only be compensated for more than one outfit if you were asked to bring more than one specialised outfit. Bringing two dinner jackets to help Costume pick which one they prefer does not warrant extra payment. Bringing one tuxedo and one police uniform for two different scenes absolutely does.
3) No payment shall be due for providing multiple outfits to a fitting.
You must be providing clothes for a performance engagement to gain a Supplementary Fee.
How many people are asked for each role?
This is something we briefly covered in the Why do Agencies Have Such Large Databases blog.
At Extra People, we aim to supply productions with 3 options for every 1 role.
For example, if a production asks for 30 party goers, we will aim to send them around 90 good options in lookbooks. This 3 to 1 rule is necessary because these SAs will need to be approved by several different departments as part of the selection process; Costume, Hair & Make-Up and the Director/Casting team.
But in order to find these 90 available options, we will need to ask a couple of hundred people about their availability. This is because the majority of people sent Availability Enquiries either do not respond in a timely fashion or respond ‘Not Available’.
Some productions are very picky and this forces us to supply more than 3 options for every 1 role.
Others are very relaxed and will book everyone from the first lookbook they see.
It also depends on the role. For a very specific role, you will be in a lookbook with just a handful of other SAs that meet the same exact unique requirements. If the role is very general, such as for 50 passerbys set in Modern Day, then you will be amongst hundreds of other faces.
Do Extra People submit everybody or do they choose a subset who they feel best suits the role?
We submit everybody who has responded ‘Available’ and has answered the questions correctly for what we need…
And has uploaded new photos!!
We will always try to be transparent about what we are looking for and the questions will indicate the requirements that need to be met to be submitted. For example, “Are you willing to have a haircut?” or “Are you happy to be clean shaven?” usually suggest that production are only interested in booking people that are flexible with their look. If we ask if you drive, it’s likely that production prefers drivers.
Sometimes these are definite requirements and sometimes they’re simply good for production to know.
So if you have a big beard, don’t be insulted by the clean shaven question - it’s a standard question and no-one sees your lovely beard expecting you to go clean shaven for a 1 day job!
Ultimatley, we wouldn’t have asked about your availability unless we thought you suited the role, but keep in mind that your responses do matter.
Do productions overbook SAs as insurance to cover dropouts?
No. If they want 50 people, they will book 50 people.
That’s why a no-show is a costly issue to both production and the agency.
Rarely, on certain productions with enough budget and when they need to ensure that they fulfil the numbers exactly for special roles, they may overbook by a couple and then compensate these people for being on standby. These people will be aware that they are booked on standby.
There will be no one booked with the intention to release them last minute, and we as an agency would not comply with such an instruction.
How do I get hold of you?
team@extra-people.com is our main support inbox that our entire team has access to.
It’s the best place to contact us for general enquiries. Make sure your email subject is clear.
If you have an issue with a specific job, reply to the last email you had regarding that project and your reply will be sent to a dedicated inbox for that production.
020 3542 3685 is our office phone number, which is answered between 09:00 - 18:00 Mon - Fri. Sometimes we are on the phone so it may go to voicemail. We will try to get back to you, but please understand a lot of the enquiries we get are either answered via the FAQ page or simply need to go directly to the booker in question.
If you know exactly which booker you need to contact, find their contact details on our team page.
Personal numbers that are provided in Check-Ins are for emergencies concerning your booked job only.
So that wraps our first Q & A blog!
Don’t be too disheartened if we didn’t answer your question - some submissions need a full blog to answer and we’ve saved some questions for the next Q&A session.
Remember to leave your own questions below so we can add them to the list for future blogs!
Liked this blog? Read more at the Advice Centre.
All the best,
Extra People.