Central Casting

Complete garbage!!! I’ve been working in show business for two years now. I started with central, because that’s where everyone starts. It’s the very bottom of the barrel. If you like being treated like a sub-​human, getting paid like a sub-​human, Central Casting is the casting company for you. Eventually I developed self-​respect and dumped Central Casting for one of the numerous other casting companies available in LA. I used to call into their lines every night, hoping for a job that might pay me $ 62, if I was lucky. It felt like I was a zombie, senseless, crawling and scrambling over other zombie bodies, desperately trying to get a job for the next day. If I had to do it again, I would just avoid central. They will make you hate this business.

The check-​in people are stupid. I had a valid ID and a passport. The passport was expired and they denied me because of that. I would have been ok with that however, my cousin was there and had an expired ID and they let him in. Get your process worked out morons. I wasted 3 hours.
If you decide to go get there no later than 6am or you most likely will not get in. Bring ID that is valid and not expired. They have a sheet on their site that says what they accept. Understand that the people checking you in are in some way mentally deficient and you never know if they will let you in if something is out of place. Even if they allow it with someone else. Bring a chair and a blanket as it can get cold.
For the Burbank location there is a 7 – 11 not far away.

I went to Central Casting to register on Wednesday, 1÷27÷2016. I arrived there at 7:20 a.m. By the time I got to the line, it was blocking the driveway — which bothered the other local businesses next door because they came out and threatened to call the police if we didn’t clear the way. This was odd to many of us because registrations happens 3 days a week and they acted as though this was the first time they’ve seen this…
By the time it was 9:00 a.m. a man came out from Central Casting and handed out slips to about 50 people. He had mentioned that they only let a limited amount of people in to register, which varies anywhere from 50 — 75.
**TIP: He mentioned that the first set of railings located in front of the building is basically the cut off line. You may or may not get in before that — but going beyond that first set of red railing you can almost guarantee that you won’t get in.
I thought that this was important to share to save people the trouble of waiting in such a long line for hours. That information would have definitely helped me decided whether I should stay or go.
It would be great if they could give more information regarding how many people they can register a day to help avoid the long lines.

I had to go 3 times before I made it. The first time I arrived on a Monday around 7:20am and I missed the cut off by only a couple people. Okkk… I went that following Friday, got there at 6:15am, and STILL didn’t make the cut off! Finally went Monday at 5:30am and made it (although there were still 30 something people in front of me).
Here’s the thing — they change the amount of people they take every time. So sometimes they’ll take 70 or so people, on the Friday I went they took less than 50 people.
They say it’s due to production needs. It doesn’t make sense to me that from Monday to Friday productions cut down so much that they took 20 less people than normal (and then the following week took upwards of 70 again), but who knows. Don’t leave it up to their fickleness — just suck it up and show up super early.
From my experience, Monday had the least amount of people show up, Friday had the most. Obviously that was just the week I week and could easily flip flop.
I would suggest showing up crazy early (5:30am/6am) on a Monday to make sure you get in. Yes, it’s ridiculous that you have to get there that early, but it’s better than having to get up super early to go a second (or third) time because you didn’t make it. Plus side of being one of the first people in is you get out first, too. They do a good job of moving the photo line after you fill out the paperwork, but it still takes a while.
A passport (as long as it’s not expired) will do fine as your ID. No need to bring your social security card if you bring your passport.
If you bring your social security card, make sure that it doesn’t have tape or any damage to it. They turned away a guy because he taped his security card when it ripped.
Also, if you bring your birth certificate, make sure it’s from the city/​state and not the hospital. A woman told me she brought her hospital birth certificate (which still had the seal and everything) and they wouldn’t accept it so she had to come back.
Don’t bother printing out the forms and filling them out at home. They give them to you and you have to walk through filling out the forms with everyone, regardless of whether you filled them out already or not. Save your paper and ink and just get them there.
Show up camera ready, but unless you’re the first few people in line, you’ll have time to run to the bathroom to touch up. If you are one of the first few people in line, once you get your seat in the morning, go to the bathroom and touch up if you need to — there won’t be time to do it after you fill out the paperwork and before you get your photo taken.
I found most of the staff was super cranky/​borderline rude when dealing with people outside in line (they’re not great at giving out clear information and answering questions, which honestly just adds to the crankiness of everyone and creates even more questions…), but once inside, almost everyone (with a couple of exceptions) was nice. Cy (I think that was his name) led our orientation and he was actually really awesome! If only everyone who worked there would have his good attitude.
I’ve been trying to submit on my own every day all week using FB (their SAG-​AFTRA ladies phone number didn’t seem to be working) and haven’t gotten anything — stuff fills up fast. I’m probably going to start using a service.
Hopefully this will all be worth it!

I got there at 630 on 1÷20÷16 but missed getting in by 2 people. Got there at 350 today 1÷22÷16 and there was still 10 people in front of me. The guy that hands out the tickets even tells people to get there btw 4 and 5. So all the posts saying u can stroll up after 7 and get in aren’t accurate. Does anyone have any good stories about getting work from here?

I used to come in every 6 to 8 months to update my photo and update my file. This used to be very easy. You would go to the side window grab a form, get in the photo line any day of the week. Now with policy changes to keep your file updated you will need to plan to take the day off. You can only come in on Tuesday and Thursday and you have to sit through the entire registration process. Its about a 4 to 5 hour experience. I no longer regularly update now I just do the once every two years as required.

Fine, my tip is getting long so I’mma write a review. Purely informational.
For new registration, you should arrive two hours ahead of time. Example: for Non-​Union folks, since the door opens for you at 9:30am (Mon, Wed, Fri), you should be planted at their door at 7:30am. Reason being, it’s street parking only so if you don’t wanna park a mile away to stand at the back of the line n then be turned away, come super early. Bring a folded lounge chair n picnic, it’s a good idea.
Note: there’s less of a line for photo updates n reregistration so no need to come super early for those. I believe they take place on Thursdays. Call 818−562−2755 to double check.
When the door opens, they check your two forms of IDs n social security card before they even let you in the door. Don’t neglect to bring those, I’ve seen people turned away very promptly for not having their original social security card on them.
After you get in, take a seat to reserve your space before hitting up the restroom. All that waiting n you’ll need to go, I know.
If you don’t have your forms printed out n completed, no worries. They pass them out first thing during orientation for those who need and you can fill em out in your seat.
Orientation starts on time and they tell you everything you need to know about their work ethics, criteria for their background actors n about their workshops with guest speakers n such.
You fill out the forms n they call the rows in sensible sequence (basically, peeps at front of the line go first) to turn in the completed registration forms in one line. They are nice enough to help you out at the front if you’ve questions about the forms. Then, you will get in another line for photos. MAKE SURE YOU LOOK GOOD, very important. Look your best, be it preppy or punk or classy… You can even bring a couple different looks to change. They gotta be completely different looks to be worth it, since there’s no changing rooms. Once you get your first pic snapped, you gotta head to the restroom to change before cutting back in line to get your second, third pics taken. Don’t be shy, it’s actually worth doing to display diff looks n get cast more often for diff roles.
After your photo (s), gather your things n EXIT. You’re outta there.
The peeps here (casting directors n office workers) are generally very patient n nice in person. Once you deal with them over the phone calling in for a gig, it’s a different story. That’s when you find that a few of them suck deep ass, obnoxious like that Jessica dingbat. That’s why it’s a good idea to get a calling service like Joey’s List to help you avoid all that. Nothing wrong with doing it yourself if you’ve A) thick skin and B) persistence. Cuz you’ll be hearing the busy signal (n hitting redial) A LOT.
But you know. Ya do it for the possibly golden, possibly groundbreaking unprecedented opportunities, not for the minimum wage. I hope.

Got my first job with central, from Celia, who was very nice and professional. Thank you for submitting me. I worked 12 hours on set, long day, learned alot about my new career. Thank You

Actors– show up around 6:00 for a guaranteed entry to registration. We showed up at 8:40 and capacity had already been met. Some people had been there since 4:00 a.m. We will definitely try again. :) Parking is a little tough, but coking early should make it easier. Print out and complete all paperwork from the website. Bring your ID’s and you should be good!

Hey «bouncer» sitting out front on your phone. You are not God. There is no reason for you to snap at someone for just coming up to the door to ask a question… central please educate your employees oh how to interact with people without being so rude for absolutely no reason.

They don’t let you charge your phone here. Thought that was odd since there are plenty of outlets.
The wait was long, I feel like people coming for a photo update should have a separate time to come in rather than have to sit through re-​registration.
Come at least an hour early and hopefully you’ll get in.
Was ok overall, I guess.

took my money then refused to book me. i was «blackballed» because I refused to send an expensive xmas present to a casting director (i’m pretty sure she’s still there grifting).of course, they didn’t tell me that I was blackballed, just kept taking my money & not booking me. I have SO many horror stories but the best is how central casting has a guy who stands in front of the prison handing out flyers (that’s how I met a freshly released killer & a man who tried to drug/​rape a woman on set). good times?

This place is amazing. Thank you! Love/​Peace! Its fun working with you guys. Being Happy is what matters. Possitive Energy And Having Fun! THANK YOU ALL! I look forward to working with you again.

I came here on October 7, at 7:41am. I was able to find a spot on the street. There was already a long line of people waiting. I didn’t think I would have a chance of making it in based on the reviews that I have read. Around 9:00, someone from Central Casting came out and started distributing out slips. He only had a limited amount of slips to hand out, I think it was about 50 – 60. He then handed out number slips, 8 of them just in case the people in the front forgot their proper identification forms. I was the last person to get the slip and luckily there was enough people that forgot to bring two identifications forms (DL and SS, Passport will be enough identification and can be used for both the DL and SS).
I heard that people started waiting in line at about 4am. I think that’s outrageous if you ask me. You will be able to make it in if you can arrive by 7am.
They start letting people in at 9:30am. Once inside, they will pass out the paperwork in case you forget to print them out or don’t want to waste ink. The orientation and slideshow will last about 1 – 1.5 hours. After that, they will take your paperwork that you filled out and take a headshot. It’s not a professional headshot, they just need it for your profile. This is done in order of who came in first. So for me, I ended up waiting for about 4.5 hours. I was the last person to leave at 2pm since I was the last person to get the slip. Luckily, I was able to make it in and didn’t have to come back again.

I’ve been with Central off and on since 2012, it’s a big company with a lot of ups and downs, but its the perfect place for a beginner to start.
It has a good system for putting out listings and castings. I know the company has been around for a long time which is probably why they are so organized.

Havent been back in 7years but they still had my file. Apparently well known now, long lines for each session, ppl lineup hours beforehand and might not even make it in, with folks lining up at 5am for 930am session.
Re-​registration is a different date. Registration 930a, 330p are mondays and Wednesdays. Re-​registration folks can come during registration in case you decide to come with a friend that wanted to sign up.
Street parking is difficult, but theres the burbank metro station with free parking and restroom across the tracks. This place connects you with fun day by day gigs. Had friends call me up years back cause they saw me on House.
Security guard is super nice and helpful.

So finally today i decided to come and register after months of planning to come. The staff are very nice and very helpful.
For me the hardest part was having to wait in line for 4 hours. You want to get there early as possible. I got there at 5:30am and there was already 10 people in line. by 6:30 the line was getting bigger. There was prob around 45 people in line. A staff member came out at 9AM and gave the first 50 people a ticket, by 9:30am we started walking in. After that everything is pretty simple. You go thru the forms and then you take your head shot. I was out around 12:30PM

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 ½ 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 ½ 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.

I’ve been with Central Casting about 7 months and find them to be professional courteous and excellent at putting me to work in top shows
God Bless Central Casting !!!

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 Unilocal)
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