Looking for film and TV extra work? Surprisingly, experience is NOT essential even for top TV dramas and exciting studio feature films. But you’ll need to be legally entitled to work in the UK and registered with one of the UK’s best extras agencies.
Read on to discover more about some of the best extras agencies in London, Scotland & across the UK:
- The Casting Collective
- Mad Dog 2020 casting
- Ray Knight Casting
- Universal Extras
- Guys and Dolls Casting
- Niche Castings
- Mint Casting Agency
- Euro Kids & Adults (EKA)
- Lakeside Castings
- NE1 4TV
- JPM Extras
- Rentacrowd Extras Agency
- Real People
- Andrea Casting
- The Extras Dept.
- Two 10 Casting
- Greenlight Casting
- Catnap Casting
- The Casting Network
- Extra People
- Sally King Casting
- MSF (Military Film Services) Casting
- Mixed Bag Management
- Slick Casting
- Ink Casting
Extras Agencies in London
London is a great location to find paid work with a television or feature film production. It’s the centre of the industry in the UK. Whether you’re an actor struggling with the casting process of winning a speaking role, or you just enjoy the experience of being on a film set, you’ve got an excellent range of extras agencies in London to choose from.
The Casting Collective
The Casting Collective. Most of the work is in London and the surrounding area, but they do also hold regional clients on their books. They also have an “urgent casting calls” page, which lists special requirements or regional locations that require additional applicants for on a temporary basis.
Mad Dog 2020 casting
Mad Dog 2020 Casting. Most of their clients are available to work in London and the South East because that is where the bulk of the Film and TV extra workload is, but they also have offices in Cardiff and Manchester.
Ray Knight Casting
Ray Knight Casting is connected to Central Casting. Work is concentrated in London and the surrounding area. They have the occasional meet and greet events and frequently advertise specific looks that they need. They welcome emailed applications at any time; you might have a ‘look’ that is in demand. Their urgent castings page is used to recruit specific looks for key projects.
Universal Extras
Universal Extras recruits extras from all across the UK including Scotland, but most of the work occurs in and around the London area. If you are a full-time student, you do not pay the annual representation fee.
Guys and Dolls Casting
Guys and Dolls Casting accepts applications from anyone living in London and the South East.
Niche Castings
Niche Castings represent ethnic minority actors and extras.
Extras Agencies In Manchester
Mint Casting Agency
The Mint Casting Agency meets every potential supporting artiste before offering them a place on their books. It’s a sole representation agency, so you can’t be registered with another agency too. Photographic and website charges are clearly displayed on their website.
Euro Kids & Adults (EKA)
Euro Kids & Adults (EKA) is based in Manchester. EKA recruits extras from all areas of the North West and Midlands.
Lakeside Castings
Lakeside Castings are located in the Lake District with work sought across northern England.
Mad Dog 2020 Casting
Most Mad Dog 2020 clients work in London and the South East because that is where the bulk of the Film and TV extra industry is. But they also have offices in Cardiff and Manchester.
TV & Film Extras Agencies In The Midlands
Celex Casting
Celex Casting is a well established large casting agency in the Midlands. They supply extras to the many major TV series which are filmed in Birmingham and the surrounding area.
Euro Kids & Adults (EKA)
Euro Kids & Adults (EKA) is based in Manchester. But EKA recruits supporting artists from all areas of the North West and Midlands.
TV & Film Extras Agencies In North East England
North East England attracts a number of long running television series and a regular supply of feature film second units.
NE1 4TV
NE4 1TV is an unusual extras agency because you do not pay to join or be listed. You only pay commission for work obtained through them. Also, you do not go through an application process. You compile your own profile online and immediately go live. Although most of their work happens in the North East of England, they sometimes shout out on social media for people located in other parts of the UK.
JPM Extras
Janet Plater is a well-established actors’ agency which runs a separate extras division called JPM Extras. Most of their work is in the North East of England.
Extras Agencies In Scotland
The area in and around Glasgow is home to much of the Scottish television production industry. But feature films often seek background performers across the country in film locations of dramatic natural beauty.
Rentacrowd Extras Agency
Rentacrowd Extras Agency is run by Alana Herron. Mainly based in Scotland, the extra work covers some film but more TV and commercials.
Real People
Real People represent over 2,000 adults and children for a range of industry work, including background artists, in Scotland. Real People is also a reputable modelling agency.
TV & Film Extras Agencies In Wales
You’re probably aware that Doctor Who is filmed in Wales, and the country’s stunning landscapes make a great backdrop to many television drama and feature film scenes. But public investment encouraged a lot of filming in Wales which is great news for local background performers.
Andrea Casting
Andrea Casting is based in Wales and represents clients for a variety of work including supporting artists for TV series.
Mad Dog 2020 Casting
One of the three Mad Dog 2020 Casting offices is in Wales. However, the bulk of their work is in the London area for background artists living there.
Extras Agencies in Northern Ireland
Filming for Game of Thrones has ended. But film extras in Northern Ireland have a steady supply of commercials, television comedy, drama and feature film productions needing their services.
The Extras Dept.
The Extras Dept. used to be known as Extras NI. Established in 2005, the agency has seen its background talent work on thousands of paid jobs, including Game of Thrones and Line of Duty.
Applicants must live in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.
Extras Agencies On We Got POP
A number of reputable extras agencies have signed up with the We Got POP platform. We Got POP has been streamlining procedures for production and casting professionals.
The agencies include:
- Two 10 Casting
- Greenlight Casting
- Catnap Casting
- The Casting Network
- Extra People
- Sally King Casting
- MSF (Military Film Services) Casting
- Mixed Bag Management
- Slick Casting
- Ink Casting
What Is The We Got POP Platform?
A London based film technology firm runs the We Got POP platform. It streamlines the information available to and used by extras, agencies, casting professionals, and production companies. It is no longer necessary to process huge quantities of paper for the submissions, attendance and payments of Film and TV extras on set.
Pinewood Studios and a consortium of angel investors provided the growth capital for the We Got POP platform in 2016. As a result, it now operates in the UK and the US.
The extras agencies signed up to use the platform do so to allocate work to their own represented extras and to source extras for one-off pieces of work. It provides a streamlined system for availability, casting and payment events.
How Do I Join We Got POP?
You must apply to join the platform. You may do this via the We Got POP application form on an extras agency website, or directly on the We Got POP website.
It is important to wait patiently. If your looks and location suggest it will be difficult to find your work, then you will not hear anything more.
If your application is considered further, you may be invited to a registration day where you will be professionally measured and photographed. Once your application has been approved, all the registered agencies can consider you for job submissions.
You don’t pay to join the platform; unless you have applied via an extras agency who levies their own joining or management charges.
We Got POP and the extras agency will both receive a commission for the work you obtained. It will be automatically deducted when you are paid. Therefore it can make a dent in the amount you receive. However, the commission payments are eligible expenses for tax purposes
Movie Extras Casting
Read our article becoming a film and TV Extra in the UK to understand how to find television and movie extra jobs. This is a profession, so you must understand and follow the process like an industry professional.
You need to register with a good extras agency near to where you live. Production companies almost always allocate their paid work for background performers to at least one casting agency, often several. With early starts, late finishes, wardrobe calls and potentially difficult locations, each supporting artiste should live no more than an hour and a half away from the film set.
When a suitable background role arises, your agent checks if you have good availability for the filming schedule. Then they submit your profile to the extras casting director appointed by the production company. The extras casting team looks through the photos and chooses the background artists. The producer pays the bill.
Film and TV work for supporting artists is sporadic and insecure, even if you are registered with the UK’s best extras agencies. After all expenses and commissions, you’ll sometimes be lucky to receive the minimum wage.
This article contains a list of great extras agencies which have a solid reputation for obtaining work for their TV and film extras. It is not a complete listing of all reputable extras agencies out there but gives you a place to start.
Extras vs actors
If you are hoping to become an actor, rather than a background artist, you’ll need a talent agency helping performers find paid work in speaking roles. When searching for an acting agency, start with Acting Agencies in London.
Extras Agents For Kids
Please note that paid and unpaid work for young actors and extras is strictly regulated across the UK.
The rules apply to all youngsters up to the last Friday of June following their 16th birthday. They need both a Child Performance Licence from their local council, and a specified Licensed Chaperone.
Because of this, most agencies recruiting background artists only accept adults. Many stipulate over 18s only.
If you are looking for television or movie extra work for talented children, please refer to our Reputable UK Child Extras Agencies page.
Best Extras Agencies In The UK
Whew! We hope we’ve given you plenty of choice to start your journey as a supporting artist. The lists we have given you above are not exhaustive. Maybe you will find some of them are a good fit for you and you obtain plenty of work through them. Perhaps you’ll discover excellent agencies for TV and film background artists in your local area who fit the bill but aren’t listed here.
Just remember that it is easy to pay a joining up fee to an agency and then receive no availability checks. The more selective their assessment procedure, the better the chance you’re needed by the industry.
By checking the recent track record of an extras agency, and by assessing the selective process, you should be able to judge whether it is worth the joining fee or not. But if you decide to pay, do so in the knowledge there’s no guarantee of any paid work.
