ACTORS / PERFORMERS
Background Actors
Performers who are not part of the principal cast and do not have spoken dialogue whose presence adds to the realistic atmosphere of a scene.
How they find employment:
Background Casting Companies like Central Casting, sometimes using a call service.
Types of Background Actors / Extras work:
General Background - Person of atmospheric business which includes the normal actions, gestures and facial expressions of the background actor’s assignment.
Special Ability Background Actor - Background actor specifically called and assigned to perform work requiring special skills such as tennis, golf, dancing (including square dancing), swimming, skating, riding animals, driving livestock, non-professional singing (in groups of 16 or less), mouthing to playback in groups of 16 or less, professional or organized athletic sports (including officiating and running), amputees, driving which requires a special skill and a special license (such as truck driving but not cab driving), motorcycle driving, insert work, and practical card dealing.
Stand-In - Background actor used as a substitute for another actor for purposes of focusing shots, setting lights, etc., but not actually photographed. Stand-ins may also be used as general background.
Photo Double - Background actor who is photographed to substitute for another actor. A general background actor who is required to do photographic doubling shall receive the stand-in rate.
In commercials, basically the definition of an extra is anybody who doesn’t fit the definition of a principal (as described in Section 6 of the contract).
Click here for the SAG-AFTRA Background Digest - a handbook for working background.