Commercials - Commercials are advertisements shown on television. Most fall under the SAG-AFTRA contract. One almost always needs an agent or a manager to secure commercial appointments, especially if you are in the union. There are non-union commercials that are easier to book yourself. Like other on-camera venues, commercials require some technical training. CLASSES/On Camera

Film - There are many different types of films. A Studio Film is a script that gets packaged and produced within one studio. These are the major studios in Hollywood that usually appear at your local Cineplex. Then there is an Independent Film, which raises its money from many different sources and has a smaller budget than a studio film. These are sometimes quirky or off-beat films that may not appeal to mass audiences but often are critically acclaimed, and win awards on the film festival circuit. A Documentary Film is a non-fiction portrayal of life. Documentaries do not typically use actors except as a re-enactment and for voice-overs and narration. There are short films and animated films as well.

All of these categories are available to talented actors - you just have to be resourceful at finding out production information about casting and what role you may be right for. Bear in mind that films are primarily cast through the work of casting directors, agents and managers, and the leading roles of the Studios Films and many of the other films are reserved for actors of some fame and/or notoriety in order to sell the film. However, if you are cultivating relationships with casting directors through "Meet-and-Greets", you may find a way to be seen without representation if one of your contacts is casting a film.

Industrials - There are live industrials (See LIVE THEATRE), taped industrials for internal corporate use, or for consumer use. They can fall under AEA or SAG/AFTRA contracts, and there are also non-union industrials.

Communication Companies cast most product-related industrials. These companies are hired by other companies - such as Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Canon, Pepsi, Merck, etc. - to create platforms for their new products. For example, Pfizer might hire a communication companies to write a training program to teach their sales representatives about a new prescription drug that they intend to launch and how best to sell it.

The actors in these industrials frequently provide entertainment during an otherwise intensive training program. Communication companies usually hire actors to host these industrials as well; comedians are particularly desirable as hosts. The best way to approach communication companies is to investigate them online and call to see how best to submit yourself. You can also ask other actors who have been involved with these companies if they would submit your headshot and resume. Keep in mind that most of these companies will require a reel. CASTING

Extra Work - Extra Work is when you play one of the parts that have no lines and are generally there for background action. You are just part of the canvas. You can work as an extra in TV, film & commercials. For film you can be Union or Non-Union to work on the set. In extra work for commercials, you must be a member of SAG/AFTRA. The pay is decent, the days are shorter and you have a reasonable chance of being upgraded to a principal part.

There are pros and cons to doing extra work. The pros are that it's a perfect place to witness the inner workings of this business, giving you a sense of how a camera is run and how a scene is shot and how a production company operates. The cons are that the pay is generally very low, and that it is a very thankless job: you may feel that you are being treated as a second class citizen, and you are, because the work is not about you.

People do make a career out of extra work by doing a lot of it, and it provides great union health benefits for those who do.