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Inside The Extras Dept.

Getting the Perfect Photo.

13 November 2017

We look at thousands of photos everyday and we know what makes a good one and what makes one bad.  Your photo is the first thing we see when scrolling through our database. Some stand out and look professional, others not so much.  We see the people who have read through the requirements we list for the photos and follow it to a T, and we also see the people who have selected an old photo of them on a night out.  Which would you choose??

Here are our top tips for the perfect photo:

  • DO look natural. While many people upload photos of themselves on special occasions decked to the nines or looking cool as all heck in fancy dress, the best photos for us are ones where you look like yourself. This way we can visualise you in a plethora of roles – you don’t want to limit yourself. Ensure you wear your hair down and that we can see your face clearly.
  • DON’T take a selfie! We hate selfies as profile pictures! While you may look fabulous and we may be able to see you clearly, we often send your photos to directors or other members of production and a selfie ultimately looks unprofessional. So please remember, you need a camera AND a buddy.
  • DO stand in front of a blank, neutral coloured wall (not too dark). We only want to see you and while Angkor Wat is beautiful, we don’t want to see it in your profile photo.
  • DO ensure your photo is taken from the waist up. No full length photos or head shots please. A waist-up photo allows us to see you the most clearly.  Make sure you are filling the frame.
  • DON’T upload high fashion modelling shots. While these look gorgeous, it’s difficult for us to tell what you look like every day and will not get you the most work.
  • DO make sure it's in focus and you are looking directly at the camera, no black and white photos please!
  • DO keep your photo up to date. New beard? New photo. New hair colour? New photo. New face tattoo? Altogether now folks: new photo.

Need an example?  Here's Gerald & Anna, two very experienced extras, demonstrating what you can achieve easily at home.

You only need to change your profile picture if you’ve altered your look. There is no way for us to sort our database by most recently uploaded photos, so things like hair cuts, shaves, new visible piercings or tattoos are really the only reasons you should be changing your picture. Whatever the reason, however, we do encourage people to keep their photo consistant. 

Your profile photos are your first impression with a production, so please keep this in mind. Shirtless photos, silly poses or holding alcoholic drinks may mean that we feel less inclined to add you to a cast list.

Each availability check your receive will also request a selfie. This selfie should be taken specifically for the purpose of responding to the check. Scrolling through your camera roll to find a selfie where you look your best might seem like a good idea, but it might not be an accurate representation of you how you currently look. Making sure to capture your entire head/hair) you should always take a selfie right then and there before responding to a check.

We are busy casting for numerous productions at the moment and should you fit the brief for a role that we are casting we'll be sure to contact you to check your availability.

Looking forward to reviewing all the updated profiles.

The Extras Dept.