Filming Issues, Booking Problems & Cancellations

As the famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns once said – “the best-laid plans of mice and men often go astray”. We understand that no matter how well you have checked your availability for taking part in a role, things may still come up that will affect your filming. This article explains what you need to do in such a situation.

The Basics 

Life is full of surprises. When you are planning work in advance, the last thing you need is a sudden issue, but sometimes they are unavoidable.

Why do I need to check in with Uni-versal Extras if I have an issue?

As an agency, Uni-versal Extras act as a middleman between you and the production.

When we pencil you, our Casting Team has taken your word that you are fully available for that role. It is at that point that we send the production your details so that they can decide whether to book you.

When we pencil you for a role, we will always give you a date when we expect to hear results by. This is not because we want to make you wait; the date is based on the guidance from the production as to when they expect the notify us of their decision. Big TV shows or feature films can have hundreds of extras on set every day in various different roles – it’s normally a very busy schedule – which is why you don’t always hear immediately whether you have been successful or not.

If something happens whilst you are pencilled that will affect your availability on the dates needed, we need to let the production know, which is why it is so important that you notify us straight away.

How do I notify Uni-versal Extras?

You should always call us, either on our Office Line (0345 0090 344) during office hours, or on our 24-hour emergency number. We do not accept texts or emails as acceptable because they can easily be missed, sometimes they don’t arrive (i.e. if they fail spam filters) and there is no way for you to know that we are aware. If you call and are unable to get through, please continue to call until you speak to a member of the team.

Remember we treat pencils as seriously as we treat bookings, so if something does come up, let us know as soon as possible so we can resolve it together. 

What happens if I don’t tell you?

If the production decide to book you and you refuse the booking, it may result in you being removed from our casting database. This would not be professional behaviour and we would have to work with the production to replace you, remember production hand pick every supporting artist, no one is just ‘a face in the crowd’. Not only does pulling out of work waste our time, it also affects all the members on our service who are keen and eager to secure work.

What if I can’t tell you?

Our emergency contact number (07903747452) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are unable to get through, please call again until you are able to speak to our ‘on call’ team member. 

We also understand the nature of some issues are not pleasant to discuss with your place of work but as with any place of work our productions will want to know why you are not able to attend the filming