MEDB is not a job placement service, we are strictly a data base that potential employers (casting directors and production companies) can use. Just like dating services can't guarantee you will find your soul mate, we cannot guarantee you steady work.

Beware of anyone that charges a lot of money and "guarantees" that you will work. This is a red flag that the service is a scam.

A parent or guardian may register a minor under the age of 15. Minors over the age of 15 may register with parent’s permission. All minors will be required to have a work permit, which can be obtained through the Department of Education (www.ode.state.oh.us)

Four simple things:

• 1. Positive attitude and excellent work ethic.

• 2. Reliable transportation. Many sets will not be accessible via public transportation so if you rely on it, this may not be the job for you.

• 3. You must have a reliable Internet access at all times and check your email regularly. Job offers may come at any time and you must be punctual with your response.

• 4. Proper Identification. You will be required to fill out an I-9 form on each production. To successfully complete this paperwork, you must provide:

  
  

  • (a) A state-issued ID AND a second form of acceptable ID which can include a Social Security card (you must have the actual card) or a certified copy of a birth certificate.

  • (b) OR A valid passport (if you have a passport, you are not required to furnish additional ID).

  • (c) A full list of acceptable IDs may be found at www.uscis.gov

A credit card is not required for registration. You may also register via Paypal, certified check or money order. We do not accept personal checks. Checks may be made payable to our parent company, Back To One LLC. All checks should be mailed to:

P.O. Box 750591

Dayton OH 45475

Please provide your email address and phone number with your check. Once your payment is received you will be notified via email that your account is activated and then you may set up your profile.

The entertainment industry has unique work hours. Call times (the time you need to report to set) can be very early in the morning or late into the evening, depending on the shoot. You should always expect to work at least a 10 to 12-hour day. Sometimes your work day will be significantly less than that, but you can never count on it.

Always bring the proper identification that was mentioned earlier. You should also bring something that will keep you entertained (books, magazines, cards, etc.) There can be a lot of down time between shots (you will hear the phrase "hurry up and wait" a lot on set) so be prepared.

Never bring anything valuable to set. It is unlikely to get stolen or damaged but better to be safe than sorry. No one on set will be responsible for your items. If you are playing a caveman, you can leave your brand new Rolex at home that day. Just use common sense. Also bringing a folding chair is not a bad idea, just in case there isn’t a comfortable place for you to sit.

Once you have been booked for a job, you will receive a call time (time to show up for work) from your extras casting director. Keep in mind that you will be driving to a location that you are not familiar with. Give yourself extra time to get to the set or stage. You should always arrive on set at least 15-20 minutes prior to your call time. If you are told to park in a location from which you will be shuttled to set, arrive half an hour prior to call. Call times indicate what time you are expected to arrive on set, not the time at which you are in the parking lot waiting for a shuttle.

Sometimes you will be asked to bring your own wardrobe. Make sure you bring everything you will need for the day. Wardrobe should be clean, folded and put in either a suitcase or garment bag. Clothes that are wrinkled and tossed into a gym bag are unacceptable. You are expected to look professional at all times. If modern clothes are called for, bring at least two changes of clothing in addition to what you are wearing. Bring you wardrobe onto set with you. Having clothes in your car is no help to either the wardrobe department or yourself.

Bring reading materials for when you are in the holding area (a "bull pen" for extras).

There will be a designated parking area for the film crew. On days when a lot of extras are expected, there may be a separate parking lot designated for you. When in doubt, ask. There usually is a security officer in the parking lot, tell them you are an extra and ask them where to park.

When you arrive on set, immediately check in with the AD (Assistant Director) or extras casting director. You will be given ample opportunity to eat and most breakfast is set up for the crew who arrived before you.

Look for an extras check-in area. If you are unsure ask a member of the production staff (you will notice them as they are carrying a walkie-talkie, a silver clip board, and look like they are doing five things at once) where extras check-in is located. Note that most ADs listen to their walkie-talkies through a headset so if you are attempting to speak to them they may be listening to instructions through the radio. Wait your turn.

At check-in you will fill out a form called a "voucher". In most circumstances, you will be given a non-union voucher. If it is not specified on the voucher or if you are not told, ask if you are a general extra (to fill out a scene) of if you have been cast for something specific ("guy who juggles" or "kid with scooter").

Next you will be told to check in with the wardrobe department to either approve the wardrobe that you brought or to be issued a costume. This is when knowing if you were cast for something specific comes in handy. When you walk up to the wardrobe trailer or holding area, inform them of the role in which you were cast ("I am supposed to be a police officer.") They will fit you and then take your voucher as collateral to get their police uniform back from you at the end of the day.

Only after you’ve checked in with production staff and wardrobe should you get something to eat. Note that many times there are specific areas for extras to eat which may be different from where the cast and crew eat. Also there may be a delineation between union and non-union extras eating areas. Don’t assume, just ask someone. If you are wearing your wardrobe, take special caution to not spill food on your shirt. If possible remove anything you can just to be safe.

After having breakfast, go to the extras holding area and wait for instructions from the ADs.

When you are placed in a scene remember that you will have to repeat it many, many times and each take must be exactly the same unless otherwise directed. Take note of exactly what you are doing and when you are doing it. Productions are not always going to shoot a scene from beginning to end. There will be times when you will need know where you are in your action (sometimes called business) in a specific part of the scene.

When you break for lunch, extras eat last. Make sure that all the cast and crew have been through the lunch line before you even approach the catering truck. You will be told when you can get into line for the meal.

At the end of the day or when you are excused by the AD's, find the person that checked you in and they will sign you out. This is when you will fill out your I9 and must provide the proper identification outlined in this FAQ. If you do not fill out this paperwork appropriately, you may not get paid. Production will keep one copy of the voucher and give you the other for your records.

There is no SAG juristiction in most of Ohio, Kentucky and parts of Indiana. SAG only has juristiction within 150 miles of its nearest office. The closest offices to these states are in Chicago and Detroit.

There are ways you can get into SAG while working in these states. If you work on a union set and receive a union voucher, you can accumulate three vouchers and join the union. Additionally, if you are assigned a speaking part by the director (something you just blurt out does not qualify), you will be given a "Taft Hartley" contract and will become SAG-eligible. You are not required to join the union at this time. If you accept another union speaking role, you will then be required to join. Joining the Union can be a double-edged sword. It can ensure better pay and make you eligible for health insurance and pension plans (if you make a certain amount of money each year) however membership also limits what films you can work on. It is in your best interest to remain SAG-eligible for as long as possible without joining and to only join the union when you have been cast in a role that requires it. Joining fees are significant and membership does not guarantee work.

In most cases you will receive a catered or boxed lunch that might differ from what the cast and crew are eating. It's advisable that you bring a sandwich just in case. If you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, you should bring your own lunch.

You may accompany your child to the location and will have a place to stay while they are working on set. Productions will ensure that a minor is never unaccompanied. A production assistant or assistant director will escort your child to and from set.

You will most likely not be able to go on set with your child. If your child is shy or is uncomfortable with strangers, it will lead to a problem on set. If your child’s behavior causes a delay in shooting, you will likely be dismissed and/or not be called again. Any delay in production causes significant expense. Everyone on set, including minors, is expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner. If your child is the cause of production delay due to behavioral problems, your MWDB account may be suspended.

Your child must be enthusiastic and comfortable with wanting to pursue acting jobs. A parent’s desire for their child to become a performer, without the child’s own interest, is not conducive to a successful career. Parents are expected to comply with the rules of set etiquette to the same extent as any other member of the cast or crew. Failure to do so may cost your child future work. Your child’s physical and emotional wellbeing is of highest priority.

Laws controlling the amount of time a minor may work, the number of hours spent being schooled and the amount of rest and relaxation time must be enforced at all times. If a shoot takes place during the child’s school year, the production is required to provide an on-set teacher to ensure that the child is completing required course work. Outside of a child’s school year, a welfare worker or staff member (as required by law) will be assigned to your child to ensure that the production is compliant with all applicable laws. Even with parent’s permission, a production may not violate applicable child labor laws (e.g. a parent may not waive the number of hours a child is permitted to work).

If you will not be on set with your child, make sure that the production has received written notice of any medical conditions or medications your child may be taking. A medical treatment authorization signed by you will also be required.

If you are harassed or threatened by a cast or crew member, immediately report it to the AD or a member of the production staff. MWDB has a zero tolerance policy for this behavior and would advise that you withdraw from production in this event.

There may be members of the cast or crew whose values, beliefs or lifestyles are contrary to your own. If this will make you uncomfortable, agitated or confrontational, this kind of work may not be right for you. You have been hired to do a job and professionalism is required.

Productions need all kinds of cars. Mainly they are looking for cars that would fit a specific time period, but modern cars are also frequently needed (my 1997 Green Honda civic has worked in such films as MOD SQUAD and SCREAM 3 and I never stepped on set).

In your profile you should list the car you would most likely take to set in case there is what is know in the industry as a "car call". This means that they specifically need your type of car (sometimes without you in it). In one of the four photos you can have on your profile feel free to post a picture of your car.

If you have a classic car, definitely register it on the site. Production companies will not go to the expense of bringing a car from Hollywood if they are able to find it locally.

You may list your pet in one of your profile pics if you like, but most animals on sets are highly trained for the specific behavior that is needed for the shot. However, there may be a call for people with a specific breed of pet so it never hurts to let the casting director know what you have.

No. If you are told by an agency that you must go to a specific photographer or use a certain acting coach, they are likely getting a kickback. Being required to use specific vendors should be a red flag that something is not right and you will likely spend money and never get any work out of it. Midwest Extras Database does not receive a commission from its advertisers and registrants are not required to use the services of any specific vendor.

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