First ... they answered the phone! I know that seems odd to say but these days everything is automated and if you dont click one of the options they give you, the automated system hangs up on you. I was asking for an impossible last minute thing and they reached out to me to let me know they were unable to help me but sent me referrals and very considerate. thank u! read more

Back in 2005-2007 it was fairly easy to get assignments with Central by just calling in, and it was a blast on some of the sets, but at that time, we had a fully employed economy and maximum entertainment production in Los Angeles. Today, it's very time consuming and difficult to get assignments. You have many new people signing on every week, many more people unemployed seeking work, yet diminishing production in Los Angeles! Here is what happened: [Excerpted from a report out today from Richard Bloom, one of our local elected representatives who is trying to stem the loss of entertainment jobs:] "Financial incentives offered by other states and countries, have lured film and television production away from California. For example, between 2008 and 2009, feature filming days declined by 30 percent. And while 1-hour basic cable television shows have increased 48 percent from 2005 to 2012, California's market share of these productions dropped 48 percent. During this same period, California's market share for network show production declined a staggering 58 percent. It is not surprising that the precipitous drop in film and television production has coincided with the aggressive, predatory practices by states such as Louisiana, Georgia and New York and countries such as Canada and Britain. Since creating tax credit and rebate programs, film and television production spending in Louisiana topped $700 million, an 800 percent increase since the state began its tax credit program. Georgia reported $880 million in film and television production spending, a 600 percent increase since their tax incentive program was created. Georgia also reported that the state's film industry created $3.1 billion in economic activity and 5,000 directly-related jobs. In 2012, New York reported a record number of television productions. While California's own film tax credit program, created in 2009, has proven effective by recouping a fraction of the runaway production losses of the last decade, our program is still far too insufficient to compete against the other incentive packages. We have still lost 90,000 middle class jobs and $3 billion in wages. Many of our local small businesses that rely on a healthy local entertainment industry have been deeply impacted. Our workforce now finds they must follow those productions across the country in order to make a living. This means sacrificing time with their families or giving up on California and moving. However, in many cases, people are now just unemployed. " I am sure that if all these productions returned to Los Angeles, that CC would be more than happy to staff them and increase the amount of assignments to everyone. read more

What's up with Central Casting lately? My daughter worked a job 2 days in the first week in February and wasn't paid. She filed her paperwork properly. They are unreachable by telephone and I have been trying almost daily since 3/1 - they keep saying that due to "technical difficulties" they can't give me an explanation or take a message. It has been over 6 weeks. This is ridiculous. read more

You wanna know what's really funny? I've been doing extra work for like 6 months. I've signned up with Jeff Olan and Sandi Alessi. I have no callin' service either. I was a bit reluctant to join Central castin' but I thought I'd give it a whirl. Cause it's true...... A good majority of the jobs are all through them....... Weeds. Californication. Entourage. Parks and Recs. Fee: Pretty standard. It's about 25 bucks to sign up. But it's out all the way in FREAKIN BURBANK. I life in West LA so it's far for me. Though, if you're in Hollywood it's a bit closer. It's a one time fee. No renewal or yearly fees. So that's cool. But you're basically payin' to get your picture in the data base that's it. Make sure you have two forms of ID......... LIKE DRIVERS LICENSE/social Security Card/ Passport/ Birth Certificate. Your Community college ID card doesn't count. You're gonna have to fill out a I-9 form for employment. If you don't have two SEPARATE FORMS. You will be asked to come back. TRUST. You don't want to do that shit. Look at the times for when registration for non-union is. It's very SPECIFIC and on very SPECIFIC times. If you can't follow directions. You might want to choose a different profession. HAHA. Cause seriously. That is all it is. Orientation: When you sign up that day you'll notice you're one of 981293019039210 in line to sign up. Trust that everyone will be from out of state, the mid-west, and they are hopeful for tryin' to Calling: It's rough kids. I'm not gonna lie. But what did you expect? you're competing with THOUSANDS of people who want the same job as you. If you don't feel like continually callin' then just stop. There have been times where I have 2 phones in my hand back to back and I'm callin' non-stop for roles........ It's the nature of the business. It's not the most organized..... However, What can you do? I know a lot of dedicated people who call and call and call *First five: If by some stroke of hand you do get through the line one of the agents will ask you for your First 5........ That means your first five of your social. If you want to try some of the other ones such as Jeff Olan and Sandi Alessi try you're luck.... I've found more luck with Jeff Olan as opposed to Sandi Alessi. *A lot of people get a callin' service: Extras, Book Talent etc etc. Though, I don't want to shelf out 60 Bones a month for something I could do myself. THough, if you're lazy and unmotivated or just don't have two phones...... Just do it the old fashion way. It's not too bad. Though, you need patience. Trust. Shit ain't easy. But is it ever? But it's definitely rewardin'....... Never forget the time that I did get to work on my favorite show Entourage. read more

I couldn't believe this was a professional casting company when I moved to the LA area. Sadly, they do cast about 80 % of the background in LA, so do your best to suck it up and "play their game." Would not recommend, treating people like cattle, and screwing up and blaming you. At the end of the day, they are an "at will" employer so they can do what they want. In closing, don't do background in hopes that it will lead to bigger and better, it just leads to more of their sh*tty BG castings :) good luck! Dream big! Do your own thing :) never give up ...but do give up on Central Casting ! read more

This is THE agency that will find an extra the most union and non-union work. Some of the casting agents are friendly and compassionate. However, there are some casting agents that are so busy with work that they forget there is a human being behind the first five numbers of your social security. Extras are required to be at work on time, with the proper clothing, remain silent on set and follow specific rules of the production. Rules can be no cell phones talking or reading books while on set. "Come to set hair and make-up ready." Be very careful with craft service. They provide snacks near holding and or production. Production assistants and craft service personnel will notice if you take a second or third cookie. If you want an extra bottle of water for your ride home, think twice. Depending on the show it can be a reason for not returning. If by chance, you are on location or at a studio and production team member, principal or stand-in reprimands you or politely harasses you for your phone number then, you have to be very careful with your response. All these people have the power to call Central and have you suspended. The extra will not receive any warning regarding negative or positive communication by production to Central. You simply will be suspended with a generic letter. If it happens again, you will receive another generic letter of termination. The best part of being an extra is that you meet many educated people in transition from one job to the next. You also meet production team members that sometimes double as extras when they are not working a show. There are plenty of fun and interesting sets. read more

Although I no longer live in Los Angeles I'm thrilled to have a chance to review Central Casting for the work they assigned me from 2001 to 2006 BY (before yelp) Like all high demand places they provided me with constant professionalism. ... I did encounter a misunderstanding or two in my day with PA's or A.D. asst but was never blacklisted and usually if you do as your told by CC and Productions on jobsites, arrive early not just on time and never walk off a job it's very likely you can get work on a regular basis. I remember BRAD the most and not sure if he's still there......but he was or is AWESOME Consult or review their website (I assume there's one) Best of luck to all aspiring actors I just got booked on Hawaii 5 o in Honolulu last week BTW aloha read more

So far, pretty good! The only thing I would subtract a quarter star for is that I wish we could update photos online, but I do understand why not. Since returning to background after the lonely month of July (aka hiatus), I've had a 'role bump' twice, once engaging directly with a lead in a high profile show! I like that CC is flexible, honest and that your paychecks come on time. Updating is pretty painless and you can actually find parking! read more

I haven't been back in 7years but they still had my file. Apparently Central Casting is pretty popular now. There are LONG lines for each session, folks lineup hours beforehand and might not even make it in. Folks line up at 5am for the 9:30am session. Registration: Mon &, Wed at 9:30am, and 3:30pm Re-registration: Tues & Thurs at 10:30am, 11:30am - Re-registration folks can come during registration in case you decide to come with a friend who want to sign up. READ their website for instructions. - Security guard is super nice and helpful. - Food truck outside - Street Parking (difficult), Burbank Metro Station (nearby with restroom). DON'T park burbank shopping structures, they'll ticket you. This place connects you with fun day by day gigs ("Background Actors"). Had friends call me up years back cause they saw me on the show - House. *Tip: Come expecting Central Casting to be like Black Friday Sale. Bring an umbrella for shade, small chairs or something to sit on, a book to read, food and water, etc. There is a food truck outside. read more

I have probably worked on more than 800 different TV and movie productions within the last 10 years.....however this last year Central Casting has definitely definitely dropped the ball. I worked on Love, Burlesque, Battle LA, Blackish, Masters of sex, Fuller house, NCIS, CSI, Big bang theory, Rizzoli and Isles, Supergirl, American horror story, BH90210, Veep, Grandfathered, just to name a couple. I've been working with professional modeling agency's casting agencies much longer than I've been working with central and I have done professional ads w/everyone from CK to Versace, Obviously the problem is not me since looking at all these horrible Central Casting reviews lately there has been a shift with management which is obvious. Most of their booking agents are extremely great, Lizzet I Wuv u ur grrr8 however when a booking agent does Book you and things go wrong and there are issues with the production, Time and place....instead of them apologizing and saying hey sorry we messed up they don't like a bunch of little brats Who think they're not accountable when they fuck up. Like I said I have been working with them for more than 10 years and during my last encounter with them I show up on set ready to go however security said there has been a change you need to go to another address so I show up at that address they tell me to go somewhere else so after driving around for three hours and Central-Casting never calling me letting me know that there were changes made I finally get to the proper location. One of the production assistants approaches me and says listen you showed up three hours late we don't need you anymore, I tell the guy, not my fault I need to speak with central immediately I can't get a hold of them nobody is responding finally when I do they do tell me that there was an issue with the show that I was booked for. I tell them I know this however I still spent the entire day driving around looking for show that you booked me for. The point is instead of Central Casting taking accountability and saying hey sorry we messed up, they blamed me for not calling them after I was late for my booking time.... like I told Melissa in human resources at Central Casting I called them 20 times however nobody was available to pick up on the emergency line either. Even when you decide to show up at Central Casting and ask to speak to someone in human resources or send an email professionally nobody responds because everybody over there is extremely unprofessional and I feel sorry that it turned into such a shit show over there If there ever is an issue with a production you can send an email to Melissa in human resources which I did many times she won't return my calls or even respond to my emails which shows such a lack of professionalism on Central-Casting's part. I hope their management cleans up their act soon because at the rate they're going with this "he said she said nobody knows what's going on mentality" I'm sure they're going to fuck up a lot of other productions in the future, actually I'm sure they fucked up plenty in the past couple monthsWrite that down Central Casting and get your shit together. You're welcome, Robin V read more

Been with them since I stared back in 2001. I recommend it to everyone who wants to get started in the acting industry.

I worked for them on & off for a couple of years. I was not a kid when I started. The first one was audience for a Chevy Chase film. I registered also at others. It was never a lot of fun. I liked the idea of it. I did fairly well on a few things. The ADs can be rude. I was just an extra after all. It is low paying unless in the union. I got 1 SAG voucher & Aftra. I was a body double for Faye Dunaway 1 day with no voucher. They told me to call. You need to be a stand in. I don't like to see assistants being rude to others either. You need the right clothes. The casting directors can be quite rude. There was one everyone knew was overweight asking for size 2 ladies with attitude. I can't really say about one of the guys. I was so sick of him. I knew he was not Mr. America. I did not bother to call him. He was still on work line. It gets very funny. I really got tired of it later & quit. Also catering can act like they tell you what to do. No water when I quit. Also could not walk out. It is known as the worst one. But it has more work. I am not sorry. Really you can't do it all the time. You need a job. If you are late you will be marked down & 3x fired. It gets very cold at night & early am. Central also had a calling service before they were forced to shut down. Paying people at Xmas was too much for them. They had time off. The other girl went in & told them she needed her check. read more

I worked for Central in the early 90's and had a blast booking Talent on location. Dr Quinn Medicine Woman, Heat, Melrose Place, West Wing, etc.... Working for EP was awesome I has a blast coming up 20 years ago. I learned a lot in the Casting Business was a launching tool for my career now. Just being in the office talking to 200 people a day was the best job one couldn't complain about. Thanks Central. read more

Central Casting - Employment Agencies Near Me - Burbank, California

Living proof that biggest isn't always better. This isn't brain surgery but whoever runs this debacle won't be giving any interviews on how to do it. Right off the bat, call them because of the constant website issues and they'll refer you to tech support when their website says tech support can't help you. Volume apparently is a problem for them, freezing issues, no idea how to make sure that once you've obtained an appointment ? You could very well be unable to fully propagate the information to completely secure the appointment that you've already grabbed. The people on the phones are dismal, nothing but empty excuses, nobody seems to know who's running the show and this answer, I love the most....after asking for a supervisor or management ? "They're going to tell you the same thing" well if that we're the case ? There wouldn't be supervisors or management. Do yourself a favor, find a smaller yet more professional group, and they're out there. If you want to actually feel like your part of the equation ? Part of the industry ? It starts with how you allow the bottom feeders to treat you...Central is the breeding ground the worst the industry offers.... read more

This is the place to go to sign up to be an extra. Multiple jobs available a day. Although, it opens up at 9:10 am, it's good to be there minimum of 5 hours early. MINIMUM. When i went at 1:30 am, I was number 2 in line. The guy in front of me got there at midnight. By 5:30 am, there were over 100 people. Bring a chair, blanket, snacks, headphones, portable charger, and a good book. Around 8:30, someone comes out and explains the process and passes out passes to get inside. While this goes on, they're checking documents. NOTE: they don't accept copies. You absolutely will be turned away. Once inside, you're sitting in four rows and oriented to the company. This lasts about an hour. After this, your headshot and full body shot are taken. Then you're free to go. read more

If you want to be continually txted for years after you're no longer doing this line of work, join central casting. Feel free to take me off your text list like I've asked many times now. read more

Hello I just wanted to say how I love how Central Casting communicates with the background with its text messaging and website details... before I would constantly have to search for jobs or constantly call in. And when I ever have a question they are there for me! I'm looking forward to the reservation update method starting later this month. CC thank you for the work and looking forward to continue to receive great jobs! Best, Raymond Palomino read more

This is THE legit casting agency for background actors like me. I've been in the biz for many years on the east coast and only joined Central recently since I moved to LA. The day I registered, there were about 300 people registering and the nice folks at CC handled all the BS and dumbness with kindness and aplomb. Fee is just $25 (onetime fee) but be sure you bring cash. Also, if you are smart, you will get the paperwork on-line at their website and fill it out in advance. Special hint: get there early and - when you stand around - stand alongside the windows leading to the street and as close to the two desks at the far end as you can. Why? Because, the two lines form there and they form quickly. Highly recommended. Great staff. Lary Crews read more

Central Casting - Central Casting Headquarters - Employment Agencies Near Me - Burbank, California

I had to attempt this twice and learned quickly how it works. If you show up past 6 a.m. possibly 5:30 a.m. you may as well go home. I showed up 5:15 and was about fifteenth in line. If you can get a spot up the ramp you should have no problem getting in for the class. The room held about 48 people, and people get in line early. First person got their 2 a.m. I was turned away the first time by arriving too late. The number of people they accept seems to change each day, but they won't announce how many they take until the day of when they give out the cards. It is imperative you have two forms of ID and follow the list of available options that is in the packet of information. You will be turned away without it. I saw multiple people turned away. Once inside it takes about 1/2-2 hours if you are in the first two rows and probably closer to 2/3-3 if last two rows. It's very easy to do without the instruction but that's 95 percent of it. Honestly once you get inside you are fine; it's just an ordeal to get to that point. read more

Central Casting - The line gets very long. You have to get there super early. Bring a chair or blanket and pillow. - Employment Agencies Near Me - Burbank, California

the extras they hire are so freaking annoying. i mean jeez you're not even a main actor. you're a nobody relax. they need to set a rule where background should not overdo what they're freakin hired to do. these nobodies have never even taken acting classes before. background doesn't teach you anything at all about acting techniques. so many of these m0rons go thinking somehow the director will spot them. bunch of idi0ts. you're a nobody relax. and stop telling others they don't know anything. you don't know anything. you're a nobody. anyone can do this crap because it requires no skills whatsoever. they should teach a damn background class to keep these nobodies humble. they need to stop thinking they're better than everyone when they're a bunch of nobodies. and last gig i did, some m0ron kept talking during the entire set, talking how he was this and that. you're a freaking nobody relax!!!!! these backgrounds don't even know anything. go take a freaking class and learn something. background is not acting. then another dumb@ss tells extras not to talk. you're not the freaking director. teach your extras to stop bragging about nothing. youre a nobody. and stop telling others what to do. you're a nobody. you're not the director relax. go take acting classes before you claim anything. you have no acting class experience. you're in background read more

Glad I got the opportunity to enroll and make it into the company. If you follow procedure you can be hired as well. Dude who runs the front is strict but on point good business man with the street mentality. Get there as early as you can and do your follow up work to stay relevant. read more

Arrived at 5:45a Friday this time. Sure enough there were people there, but instead of being #74 like the first time, ended up #32. Yay! One week later-today- booked and appeared in my first extra in a high profile commercial through Uncut and their client! Worth the wait. Update: 9.12: Bring either your a) current passport or b) driver's license and social security card Show up AT LEAST 3 hours early. 9/8: averaging a day booking every two days. On last booking worked 13 hours: 8 hrs standard NU, 4 hrs overtime, 1 hr double time. You can make more work as you put more time into your profile. Is it possible to work 3-4 days/week? *Tune in next time!* read more

Before the madness, this was a great resource for actors of all types. I was able to be on some really cool shows because of CC. It was quite competitive to find work but you shouldn't let that stop you from trying. read more

* Cattle calls only during morning rush hour * No way to contact the office to get more information or clarification * Getting up at 5 am to make a 2 hour drive during morning rush (45 min mid day) * 20 min to find parking * 20 min to walk back to the location * After 33 years in the business having an approx 33 year old valley girl explain to you what a "background or "extra" is and the difference between that and a "stand-in" * Same valley girl dispensing (incorrect) legal advice on the sidewalk, presumably without a license * Discriminatory hiring practices * Not even being permitted to use the restroom after a 2 hour pointless commute and 1/2 day off work * Being turned away at the door due to insufficient information on the website, calendar or follow-up email, and being treated in a manner complete void of basic human #respect, dignity or decency.... priceless....?? #centralcasting #sagaftra read more

I love the jobs I have worked on and am thankful to the CD at Central Casting for giving me a shot. They have been good to me and I like working in the business. Fun gigs! read more

So I was looking for a business on Yelp today and Central Casting came up in the same category. I'll be honest, I haven't done extra work in many years but I did do it to make extra cash when I was an actor. From what I'm seeing, they pretty much do things the same way they did when I registered and I know it sucks. However, once the registration process is done, you really don't have to deal with them that much after that. Get a calling service. For those of you hanging out on the hotlines trying to get work, you're just wasting your life away. I know a calling service is an expense but even if you only book a few days a month, a calling service is well worth it. For all of you that are bitching and moaning about Central Casting let's just see what extra work would be like if they weren't around...took you about 2 seconds to realize that you would be shit out of luck, didn't it? How would you get background jobs without them? They supply you with the resources to be cast and paid all in one shot. If you don't work, they also submit your information for unemployment for you. If you had to get work on your own you wouldn't even know where to start. I do understand why they may be rude at times. It's because actors ask and do the same dumb things every day. The people that are bitching, don't follow the rules. Those are the same people that show up late to a job, they call and bug Central needlessly, and they don't act professional on set. I love the person that says if a director doesn't like you they call Central and get you blacklisted. I find this funny. WHY would a director NOT LIKE YOU? Could it perhaps be that you are being a fool on set? You're talking when they tell you to be quiet, you take your phone onto set when they tell you not to, worse yet, your ringer is on, you leave and don't tell them where you're going, you don't do what you're told, etc? The list goes on and on. Any crew member can be a douchebag if pushed to the limit. Just don't irritate them and you'll be fine. However, they don't have the time to call Central to complain unless you are crazy and out of line. So you have to be REALLY annoying to be blacklisted. I admit, working on a film, whether it be doing background work, working as a principal or even as crew, is a bit like being in the military. Keep your mouth shut, and do your job. That's it. If you have a problem with authority or being told what to do even if it seems stupid then being in the entertainment industry is not for you. I also admit, that some of the rules make you feel like a child but they have to have rules for the crazy people out there who drive the crew insane. A lot of the bitching on here is about registration. So perhaps Central can take a look at these Yelp reviews and come up with a better system of registering people? I don't know why they have an office at all, they could do everything online. read more

Jimmy is a real jacka** let me tell you that much man made me drive to the studios and they didnt even check me in and made drive an hour and no gas compensation or for being there for the 3 hours extras management is a way better this proves central casting is real shi* stain read more

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME. Yeah, went through the whole circus of doing my measurements and inputting ALL my data, then it gets to the "pick a registration date" part and their website no longer works. You cannot get ahold of anyone in the office to alert them or ask for assistance even using their in-house phone menu (which is voiced by a girl with WAY too perky a voice). Was hoping to try out background work, but apparently CC doesn't give enough of a fuck to help new people through the hire process. Too many people already, I suppose. Thanks giving me a headache with your in-house phone menu AND for being such a shitty employment agency Central Casting! read more

I will start off this review by sayng the regerstraion process and signing up is really easy and aweseome and the people who hold the orentation are actually funny and fun to listen too. Now central casting as a business. I worked for central casting for a full year and got plenty of work, commercials, TV shows, Movies everything a BG worker good ask for. My last job that i worked for them was a disney show that i was booked on for one day. Mind you i showed up ontime and did everything asked of me and was even asked by the producer if i was avaliable to come back a week later for another scene. About 2 days later i called the work line to apply for a job and was told by the casting director she could not find my profile. So i called the main office and asked them if everything was ok with my account and was told that i was TERMINATED.Never got a email or call, just terminated . I asked why?? This made no sense, i was never late or tardy and i had never talked to anyone disrespectfully and always brought 3 or 4 outfit changes so this made no sense to me. They would not give me a reason and would never tell me why. After a full year of employment and working 50+ jobs on time with no compmlaints they TERMINATED me and would not tell me why or who, they just replyed to me that they have the right to termanite anybody without reason. I was really hurt i really enjoyed working for them and i took my job very serious. I worked my but off for them for a year and at the end of the day They just fired me and told me to never come back. There are plenty of other agencies that are way more secure and actally care about there employess. Other then being fired for absouletly nothing they are a good company. If you enjoy being fired for showing up ontime and working hard this is the company for you. read more

They don't let you bring your children in for updates and say wait outside then want to take no responsibility for not telling parents or having on their website and play pass the ball and make us wait out side literally a no respect for people who have no ethics, who can not communicate and have horrible customer service literally their dashboards does not updates from state to state and treating human being horrible when they make money off of us is pathetic . Worst casting company and we all have Choices so happy we found out now how they treat kids and parents . read more

For the year and a half I've worked for Central Casting, it was fine in the beginning, then it progressively got weirder as the year went on. On the positive side, I've had great experiences with a couple casting directors, like Ashley, Stacey, Josh, the two Jessica's, Dan and Jimmy to name a few. They've all been nice to me. I even worked a couple shows where the crew have been nothing but nice and I was a pleasure to work with, which is a very nice compliment to a background performer. Drums rolls to the absolute negatives of Central, I once got suspended for 30 freaking days for just asking for a SAG voucher. Plus, I've talked to some casting directors that have been not very nice, like Guy, Mariann (she's very disrespectful, rude, snobby and stuck up) and Lisette. Heck, Lisette didn't book me on something for no apparent reason at all, plus, Guy couldn't get my first freaking five of my social security number and thought my phone was damaged. I mean, what a jerk. Plus, why do they need your social security number, anyway? That's a question I like answered. Also, regarding Mariann, she asked if I ever played a student on a show before and I told her yes, on "The Good Place," and guess what the snot said, "oh, that was a long time ago, I'll pass on you, thank you, bye." What a jerk! Just a snobby little snot head. Also, on another note, I have worked on a few shows that the production didn't know what in the world they know what was going on. So, there you go. My thoughts on Central Casting. If you're serious about your acting career, I'd say this place is a definite skip. I cannot recommend Central to any aspiring actress/actor. Central Casting is truly the Amy's Baking Company of casting agencies. read more

I came early, and was first in the door! The people are really sweet, and walk you through everything. About 2 hours was all it took from start to finish! They explained what we need to do to get work! They take their own photos so be ready as there are no retakes, but they do allow you to come back another day, and take more photos! I obtained my first job after a week on a new series on Hulu, and it was really fun! I got paid the next week! Central is a really good way to get your foot in the door! read more

My review is regarding the customer service. I called in to ask a few questions and the man who answered was SO CURT and SO RUDE. In the middle of my question cuts me off and puts me on hold mid sentence coldly. When he returned I could tell he could really care less about what I was asking and just wanted to rush me off the phone. When I was asking my third question he cut me off AGAIN saying " anything else I can help you with." I mean, this question was SO not genuine and SO forced , obviously he wasn't even listening cause I was in the middle of asking a question. Horrible service, -10 stars if I could. Two thumbs way down to whoever answered that phone today. You guys seriously need to hire better people instead of ones who are so negative and people- hating........ Not to mention registering with this place is a NIGHTMARE. You have to BE there by about 5:30 AM to be guaranteed a spot. Since I drove from El Segundo I had to beat traffic and head over at 4 am. It's just ridiculous they don't have a better system. Why not just do APPOINTMENTS? The people in front of me didn't have the right documentation. They waited 4 hours with me in the cold fog and in the end Central Casting turned them down. Why not offer them a free front-of-the line voucher for next time? I thought that was so mean. Feels like one big cattle call and these people literally do not give a CRAP about you. They have no humanity and have been sucked dry of every and all emotions. I haven't booked anything and when I asked the guy what I'm doing wrong he just rudely said " it's a numbers game, I have no other advice for you." Karma is going to come back and get each and everyone of these horrendous people. read more

Central is the big, fat, overfed mother of casting in Los Angeles. They will treat you like a number, sometimes like a human being, and they will act like they care when you're signing up because you keep them in business by being on their roster. They have been around the longest, which is why they are so popular. They are good at what they do. Where I take issue with them is their "firing" of people whom they don't like. Also... They were completely unaccountable in the years before 2010 with their "cash only" registration fees. Some wise actors filed a case with the city of Los Angeles against them, because clearly the owners were able to pocket large amounts (if not all of that cash) without reporting any of it to the I.R.S. This fact shows complete lack of accountability on the part of the owners and management, none of whom should ever be trusted, in my opinion. Ever. Sadly for many actors, they found themselves out of work because of hearsay and favoritism. For example, a director on set could simply not like someone because of the way they look or maybe for something they said, and they could report to Central Casting that this person should be "blacklisted", in which case, they won't be working again. Another actor could make friends with one of the casting directors at Central and give them gifts so they book more work for that actor. I have heard that it's not allowed, and that it's happened. A friend of mine was questioned as to whether or not he was sleeping on set (in fact, he was sitting up with his eyes closed) and he was suspended one month for sleeping. I had a small pocket knife with me on set, and a really stupid and fearful assistant director called it a "weapon" and reported me to Central. (A pocket knife that small is really just a tool, just like that stupid assistant director is a tool.) Just so it's clear, most of the casting directors (the people who answer the phones to help you book the work are 5 star in my opinion) and I think they should be applauded. I would give them 2 stars because they do book a lot of work, however, I'm more focused on making money of my own so I can run a better casting service someday and completely buy Central out of the business. Who's with me? read more

I registered for Central Casting last week and I finally have time to sit down and write a review. First off get there early, I got there at 7am and by 7:45 the line was almost down the street and they only take the first 50 people or so. If you do come that early, it's a good idea to bring a folding chair. Remember they don't open until 9:30 am. Once inside they give you a pass to come and sit down, they had a restroom, thank God! Also vending machines. They give you a 3 hour presentation, give or take but it could be a little bit shorter. It's very informative and interesting on how to be an extra. But first you go over the technical things so you will get paid. It was like a job orientation but a job that you know will be really exciting. It's a lot of papers to fill out so better if you print them from the website and fill them out before coming in. But if you don't have access to a printer they provide them for you. If you don't know your measurements, they will give you measuring tape and tell you how to do it. Then Take your photo, make sure you bring your government issued ID and social/birth certificate. The Staff was very friendly and funny, since I know they say the same speeches over and over throughout the week, every week. You will also have to take a quiz on heat exhaustion that you need to get 70% but you can take it over if you don't get that the first round. That's on your on time after you leave but try and take it before you start working. There is a hotline that you call one for women and one for men non-union extras. Some new things show up each week but a lot of stuff are a bit old. I find most new work is on their Facebook page. It's a wonderful experience and I'm sure you will have fun. Hope this review helps! Enjoy. read more

I've been working with Central Casting for about eight months now. Some of these reviews are filled with so much misinformation that I decided to write one myself and clear a few things up. First, Central no longer charges a registration fee nor do they charge for additional photos. But they will only take additional photos if they feel the photos represent a different look and will help you. The registration process has been changed and is by appointment only. There is no longer a cattle call and they give you a great orientation explaining what to expect next. I registered prior to this change, but I still had no problem. As to the review by Imperial, who rants about how she was treated by Lisette at Central, although Lisette is known to be very blunt with people, I totally agree with Lisette in the situation described. First of all, if my booking service made a mistake and sent me to a place farther than I wished to go, I would be a professional and just DO THE JOB and remind them not to make that mistake again. If that isn't possible, then Lisette was right: one should have called the line immediately to get the details for the job and let Central know there was an issue. NO, it is NOT professional to wait hours and hours. Just so people reading this understand, after you are booked on a job, you are given a number to call later on in the day / early evening that gives you all of the details for the job: wardrobe specifics, (what to wear, what NOT to wear), location specifics, directions, job specifics etc.) I would never wait until late to listen to this. A professional who takes one's job seriously (no matter what the pay) would not do this. Many of the comments left here are industry-wide comments and have nothing to do with Central Casting. The standard non-union wage is $64 for 8 hours. You get time and a half after 10 hours, double time after 12 hours. And some meal penalties and other bumps here and there. No, those kind of wages are not good, but that is what non-union pays. Those wages are NOT unique to Central. Someone else mentioned that Central expects you to get to the set early. YES, they do, and YES, you should. As we all know, LOTS of things can happen to make you late. Number one: TRAFFIC! Getting lost, and on and on. Not only that, it can take time to actually park your car and make it to the set or base camp for location. If you're going to a studio, it can take a while to get through the front gate and walk through the lot. YEAH you allow time! If you hold up a production, you are costing EVERYONE big money. That is not tolerated. Central is right in making a big deal out of this. Any casting agency will. Being on time is a MUST in this industry! Another reviewer mentioned something about where craft services were placed. This has ZIP to do with Central and everything to do with the production company and a whole lot of other things I won't even get into. And yes, it is difficult to get through on the phone lines. Hello? There are thousands of people looking for work. If you want to do this, you have to be ready to call hundreds of times to get through. MANY times, I have been lucky to get through quickly. And yes, casting directors make the calls short. Either they can use you or not. They need to get their shows cast and move on to the next call. If you take your job seriously, act like a professional, and understand how things work, you can have a good experience at Central Casting. One other thing which is very important to understand anywhere in this industry. We are ALL unique products. How you are booked may depend on what you wore for your photo and how your hair looked. The casting directors will tell you themselves that it is a very subjective process. But when you are turned down, just say thank you and politely end the conversation. read more

Beware the Scientologists! They were waiting outside handing out flyers pretending to be associated with Central Casting. Their line was, "there's a meeting session after registration". They were very eye catching probably intentionally to make you think they're successful because of their good looks. It's deceptive advertising and they're preying on decent people unscrupulously. Get there early because there's always going to be a lot of people trying to get in. It took 3.5 - 4 hours to go over all the paperwork and photos. Make sure you bring valid current ID. I recommend using your passport if you have it. read more

The best Background Casting Company! It is amazing to get booked by a lot of TV Shows and Movies. The food is amazing too. To register you must be there before 6am to have a guaranteed spot. I went three times, one at 7am and 8am, and the third time at 5:30am which finally I was let in. The only thing is you have to call to get booked and the lines are usually busy. So get ready to make a lot of calls throughout the day. The reward is worth it though. Update: I believe you must register online now. Check the Central Casting Website. read more

This review is going to basically cover my whole experience with lining up, filling in forms, & taking headshots. So I got here on a Friday around 6:30am and there were already around 30 people in line. So I suggest getting in line no later than 6:45 if you want to make sure you get the voucher to register. Luckily I got a voucher, as this is my first time trying to register. They do have a limited amount of vouchers. It just varies day to day. I brought a fold up chair because they didn't pass out the vouchers until 9am. If you actually plan to register and wait, I would bring something to read or things you need to study for because you'll be waiting for a while. Also if you get cold easily, maybe bring a light sweater. They passed the vouchers at 9am and at this time I needed to use the restroom, but there weren't any that were close unless you're willing to walk to the metro. You should probably use the restroom before lining up. They let us in around 9:20 and as you walk in make sure you have the voucher, an ID, & either your passport or social security card ready to show the people at the door. Once you're inside, save your seat BEFORE you use the restroom because where you sit will most likely determine how long you're going to wait again. They also have vending machines. If you haven't brought your paperwork, it's fine, they will supply everything from the packet to pens. Someone will be walking through the whole packet step by step, so I suggest you don't print it yourself. Once the paperwork process is complete. They take you line by line to finally register. They start from the first row and work their way to the 4th (last) row. I was in the 3rd row and by this time it was 12:30 and my row was next to be called to register. At 12:45, they took my row and we lined up again to get everyone registered. It will take around 5 minutes or so, per person, because they want to make sure you have all the paperwork completed and the right information in the right spots. And they also get some measurements if you don't know your information already such as waist and hips, arm length etc. After registering, there may be a line to take photos. People bring different outfits with them because after taking your first shot, you have the chance to go to the restroom and change to get back in the photo headshot line to take more photos and the process just continues for however many outfits you brought along with you. Once you get your headshots taken you're done and ready to leave. Re-registration is in 3 years, but you don't go through this exact process again. I was finished with everything by 1:10, so I suggest that you make sure you have a day set aside for registering! Hope this helps!:) read more

The smartest thing you've done is to come here to find out what the deal is with CC! That's what I did. Mainly I wanted to find out a good time to arrive. I didn't want to stand in the sun for over 2 hours, so I chose the morning session. Before I talk about arrival time, just do yourself a favor and make sure you bring proper ID. A guy standing behind me was turned away after standing in line for over 2 hours because his Kentucky driver's license had expired. Also, read what I wrote at the end about filling out the forms. A few people here say to arrive at 7am. I actually pulled up in my car at 6:25am and there were 6 or 7 people already standing by the door! Maybe they were dropped off by a friend or came via public transportation, otherwise who in their right mind would get in line a full 3 hours before opening! The first person in line brought a folding chair, so who knows how long she was there! CC is basically parallel to the freeway, along a clean, safe street. If you get there early, you simply park on the street, and you can park in such a way where you can remain in your warm car while watching the line as it grows. I got in line at 6:45am, when the head count had reached 20 or so. The sun had started to rise and the air was cold. I was layered pretty good with a hoodie and a jacket on top of that. Around 9:15am a staffer came out with a bull horn and started giving instructions. So that means I stood in line for 2 1/2 hours before anything happened! I brought a book to read but I ended talking to a couple of guys standing behind me. I think striking up a conversation with other folks is the best way to kill that much time. Be friendly and social, I say. FYI, only a few people brought chairs. More and more people kept arriving. There were probably 150 people in line by 9:30 to fill 50 spots! So this has implications for the afternoon session. My guess is that those people who didn't get in for the morning session were really disappointed, and so they decided to tough it out and wait until the afternoon one. But how many people did that? Maybe 30. I don't know. But those people arrived around 9am, which means they ended up waiting in line for 5 1/2 hours! Once you get in, the process is pretty straightforward. I would definitely have your forms filled out PROPERLY before you arrive. That way, you can pay attention to the slide show. The date you write down on the forms must be the day you are at CC, and it must be the same date on every form, AND you must follow the format of MM/DD/YYYY (example, 03/01/2015). Similarly, you must spell your full name the same way every time you write it down. If it is Bill J. Jones, then stick with Bill J. Jones every time. The I-9 form must be perfect! They do take a picture of you (from the chest up). If you don't feel you had a good expression on your face or if you feel nervous, ask if they can do it again. That's the only mistake I made. I walked away thinking, I should've asked for a retake. Dammit! After all, the casting directors are going to see that photo of you. Make sure you feel good about it. Good luck. read more