Prospects, Challenges and Hurdles for Background Acting During the COVID Pandemic

COVID-19 has upended most aspects of our personal and professional lives. New safety protocols have changed how members work, eat and interact with others on the set. From the temperature checks to the health questionnaires and mandatory COVID testing, so much is different. Add to that the mask-wearing, frequent hand-washing/sanitizing, social distancing at all times (unless working in front of the camera), boxed meals, individual pods rather than female and male changing rooms and digital pay vouchers, well it’s become exhausting.
 
For the majority of SAG-AFTRA members pursuing background work, an already-challenging landscape has become a lot more difficult. The absence of in-person contact with casting directors, has resulted in performers now finding it harder to be proactive in their careers. Indeed, some members noted that they are unable to submit themselves for as many projects as they previously could. This is backed up by anecdotal reports indicating casting directors are more likely to reach out to background actors already in their files, as opposed to scouting for new people.
 
Plus, mandatory COVID testing has upended our normal work routine, causing actors to devote more time in order to book and then keep a job. This is because performers sometimes have to test multiple times. The good news is, if you are ultimately booked, wages from testing on a non-workday count toward pension and health. The bad news is that with the increased qualifiers, it is still very difficult for background performers to earn enough to be eligible for their benefits.

In order to control exposure to COVID-19, staffing numbers are down, and some productions insist that stand-ins must agree to perform “double duty” as background. While this is contractually permitted, the previous custom was that these two positions were separate. Thus, without additional compensation, this will likely be a factor for our members in deciding whether to accept the job.
 
While there has been a concern about background cutbacks, it’s still unclear how much of an effect this has had on total union jobs. Fortunately for us, it is the non-union performers who have borne the brunt of the cutbacks, as they are only hired after the union background minimums have been met. 

So, even in this crisis, productions are still employing stand-ins and recurring background. In fact, some performers have found a huge silver lining in this crisis, as core background groups are often carried on payroll for five days a week — even if they aren't working. These longer-term commitments are designed to keep the workplaces safer and, in the process, save actors from having to hustle as hard as they used to searching for a gig.