The experiences that I relate in this chapter should not reflect on the current staff and management at Prime Casting. Since the time that I had these experiences with Prime Casting, which happened in February and March of 1992, I have learned that Prime Casting has undergone a 100% changeover in personnel. The people with whom I dealt are no longer associated with Prime Casting. This has apparently resulted in positive change. According to a casting director at Prime Casting, they do not advertise in newspapers, accept "front" money, nor recommend photographers. This has been verified by people who have dealt more recently with them. Once I made the decision to give working as an extra a try, the next step was to figure out how to get started. The casting company that had cast my daughter was no longer in business. I started by answering an ad for extras in the Los Angeles Times. The ad had been submitted by Prime Casting. I called the number listed in the Times and made an appointment to be interviewed.
I went to Hollywood, I believe the office was on Hollywood Boulevard, and walked into a small office manned by two men. I discussed what I was looking for with one of the men and he explained to me about being an extra and the do's and don'ts. Finally I gave him a check for $10 and registered with Prime Casting. At that point he asked me how serious I was at pursuing this. He said that I needed an 8" X 11-1/2" photo, commonly referred to as a "head shot" if I was serious. He referred me to a photographer.
I made an appointment with the photographer, and subsequently had the picture for my head shot taken in a professional studio near the casting office. When the proofs came back, I returned to the casting office to select one. We selected a proof, and another studio was recommended to produce about a hundred copies of the head shot. I then ordered the hundred pictures and later picked them up.
I suspect that the photographer, the studio that produced the pictures, and the casting director were involved in a kickback scheme. Although the pictures were excellent and professionally produced, I found out later that I could have spent less than the $185 I spent had I gone elsewhere. Also, as it turned out, 99% of the work I subsequently got were not dependent on a head shot. I really didn't need it, though all professional actors have them.
During my several meetings with the casting director, he occasionally would say to his co-hort something about a luggage commercial at LAX, the Los Angeles International Airport, and how I might fit the requirements for this job. Later, in talking with other extras cast by Prime Casting, I learned that this ruse was pulled on all applicants.
The first, and only, job that I acquired through Prime Casting was for a "Tales from the Crypt" episode. It starred Mimi Rogers and was filmed in a warehouse turned studio in Van Nuys. The call time was 1PM on a weekday, and the job lasted till about 9PM with an hour break for dinner. There were about 15 extras and I was cast as one of three advertising executives. It was new and it was fun as I was seen in some close ups. When the show aired, I taped it of course, but unfortunately I subsequently taped over it accidentally.
Soon after this job, the casting director called and said there might be a role in Las Vegas in which I may be able to get a speaking part. Of course speaking parts result in one being classified as an actor, not an extra. The catch was, I needed to put up some "front money" to get this role. I politely declined and my relationship with Prime Casting faded away like General MacArthur's old soldier.
One good thing that came out of my brief relationship with Prime Casting is that I was provided a list of the other casting companies in the Los Angeles area, including telephone numbers and addresses. This listing became very useful in my obtaining additional work.
The experiences that I relate in this chapter should not reflect on the current staff and management at Prime Casting. Since the time that I had these experiences with Prime Casting, which happened in February and March of 1992, I have learned that Prime Casting has undergone a 100% changeover in personnel. The people with whom I dealt are no longer associated with Prime Casting. This has apparently resulted in positive change. According to a casting director at Prime Casting, they do not advertise in newspapers, accept "front" money, nor recommend photographers. This has been verified by people who have dealt more recently with them.
This page was last updated on September 13, 2003
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