Anchor Background, (formally Big Fish NW Talent now serving as Principal Talent) is a Pacific Northwest regional agency providing extras, true ‘every man’ & great character faces, experienced & intelligent people. We likely have or can find whatever is needed for our clients’ projects.
We book extras for commercial, film, corporate, internet & television projects.
2 Steps for Registration
Follow the 2 steps below to create profiles in the two online systems we use to book print and extra work; but, PLEASE, do us all a favor and read through this full page of instructions before you begin.
Your profiles will not be approved unless you complete the *minimum info, as noted below.
- Using the guidelines below create your free **AnchorBackground/AgencyPro profile by filling the online form out here.
- Once your AgencyPro profile is approved from step 1, you will be sent an invitation to register in Casting Networks-Anchor Background.
We require all Anchor Background provide and maintain information on complete and current profiles in all systems. You want us to have all of this info because you could be considered for a project based on any number of factors, from waist size to special skills to hair color to your physical address to ‘X’. It is imperative the data you provide in your profiles is very accurate and, again, COMPLETE.
*Your profiles must, at minimum, include
- One headshot & one full body shot. Follow the instructions below, please.
- Your stats: ht, wt, hair, eyes. Be honest/accurate.
- Your clothing sizes. Be honest/accurate. Click here if you don’t know all of your sizes.
- Your special skills. Please check off everything/anything you do well.
- Your contact information.
Key areas of the data you will provide
- Your Age Range. Note, this is not necessarily just the range your actual age fits into. We’re always dealing with a ‘look range’. You can check more than one box; so if, for example, you play younger, check any/all appropriate ranges.
- Your Ethnicity. Again, this is not necessarily your actual ethnicity and you can check more than one box. While you may have many ethnic groups in your lineage, you should only check off ethnicities that you could ‘play’.
- Your stats & clothing sizes. So many projects depend that we match heights, weights and/or some portion of clothing sizes to meet the client’s specs. Be sure yours are accurate. See further via the link above.
- Your Special Skills. Please be sure to check off any/all of your skills, etc. in the Resume section of your profile. You should only check off things that you are familiar enough and capable enough to do well.
- Use the ‘Special Characteristics’ field in AP to indicate you have tattoos, braces, physical limitations, abnormalities, body piercings, etc. You never know what piece of your stats will get you the next opportunity.
- PLEASE be sure you have selected your ‘Cell Company’ in the ‘Contact Information’ link of your AgencyPro profile to receive text messages whenever important notices, like avail checks, audition notices & booking details are sent.
Extras Photography: Please aim for, at minimum, what you see in the sample below. Professional images are not required. Shooting in daylight is best; either in a well-lit indoor space with you facing the light or outdoors with you in the shade. Avoid using flash. We need unobstructed and non-distracted views of you … wearing no hats, no sunglasses, etc. and you should be shot against a lighter colored background that is clean & clear. We need VERY SIMPLE images … nothing fancy … and, only you should be in these images. Please, wear something casual that gives an idea of your figure. AND, smile! If you are using professional images, you must have copyright permission from the photographer.
Photo Samples: Minimum quality accepted, Headshot (head & shoulders) – Full-bodyshot (head to toe). NOTE: what you see here is the minimum quality we will accept for extras. Naturally, the better your photography, the more likely you’ll be selected for opportunities.
Print Models: See more on photography here: Professional images
Resume notes for ANY resume (online or on-paper): Theatrical roles can be listed with the character name; but, when listing a role from a commercial, industrial, feature film or television project you should always list your ‘billing’ vs. the character’s name, like: Star, Co-Star, Series Regular, Guest Star, Spokesperson/Narrator, Lead, Principal, Photo Double, Stand-in, Featured, Extra.
Resume notes for online portfolio entries: On CN’s resume entry page, be sure to click on the green “+ADD new heading” button to add your experience into your resume; using their dropdown list in the order it is presented to input your experience. Skip any headings of the experience portion of the resumes where you don’t have experience. In AP, be sure to scroll down below the experience section to check off your special skills.
If you get us everything we need and we feel there could be an opportunity for you, we will ask you to sign an exclusive Non-Principal Talent-Agency Agreement with Anchor Background.
Got questions? Ask. info@anchorbackground.com