Stand-In Central recently interviewed Kat Murello on this very topic, and we’re excited that Kat and SAG have opened a dialogue on this topic very important to us.

In her letter to the editor, Kat writes:

There are times I watch the list of names at the end of a film and see a mention of every single person all the way down to a single-day intern production assistant receiving a credit, while the stand-ins remain unacknowledged. Is there a legitimate reason for this and is there anything that can be done to give credit where all credit is due?

The editor replies, “[S]creen credit for any performer is always a matter of individual bargaining.  The Guild has attempted to negotiate better provisions regarding screen credits but the Producers are very resistant to additional obligations when it comes to this matter.”

Links to Kat Murello’s Letter

• Click here to read the letter on page 4 of the Fall 2011 issue of Screen Actor Magazine.
• Click here to view the digital version of the Fall 2011 issue of Screen Actor Magazine.
• Click here to download a PDF of the Fall 2011 issue of Screen Actor Magazine.

If you’re a stand-in interested in receiving credit for the commitment you make in working on a television or film project, we encourage you to keep the dialogue current by contacting the Screen Actors Guild.

Letters to the Editor
Screen Actor Magazine
5757 Wilshire Boulevard, 7th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Fax: (323) 549-6500
Email: screenactor@sag.org

Furthermore, if you have experience in procuring credit for yourself as a stand-in in the end credits of a project, please comment below or write Stand-In Central.

We welcome your comments on this topic below.

Last week, in the first installment of the first two-part interview of the Stand-In Central Interview Series, Kat Murello talked about her experiences standing in on awards shows, game shows, and runway shows, and offered advice should you find yourself booked on one of these unusual projects.  Make sure you give it a read.

In this week’s installment, Kat Murello makes a case for getting stand-ins credited in the closing credits of projects they work on, a case I can really get behind.

- The Editor

Kat Murello, Stand-In and Television Host

SIC: How often have you been credited as a stand-in in the end credits of a project?

KM: I have been the film set or series stand-in on at least 20 projects, and unfortunately I’ve only received a mention in the closing credits a handful of times.

SIC: That is not a lot of credit given how much you work as a stand-in. How do you feel about crediting stand-ins in the end credits?

KM: I am not going to pretend it doesn’t bother me that my work as a stand-in is left unmentioned when every other person on a project–from the top of the ranks down to the single-day intern–is acknowledged. As a set stand-in, you are there everyday at first call and remain until wrap just like everyone else. You are working hard and putting in your time to bring the project to fruition, too. There is no logical reason to be left out.

SIC: If someone were to tell you that stand-ins weren’t worthy of film or TV credits, what might you say in response?

KM: I don’t think I have ever heard anyone say that the role of a stand-in isn’t deserving of a credit. I think the problem lies in that there is no department to list the stand-ins with, so they are just kind of left out. If a department were determined, I am sure it would become rote to credit the stand-ins along with everyone else. We work very closely with the camera department–perhaps we should be grouped with them.

SIC: Do you think all stand-ins should receive credits on all projects they do?

KM: I think that stand-ins deserve the same recognition as everyone else who is putting 15 hours a day in on a project. Our job is to help make sure that all departments are accommodated when the camera rolls: that camera is lined up properly, that lighting is at the right levels, that the scenes’ steps make sense to the director.  All of this so that first team can step on set and simply perform. Our job is pivotal to many other jobs going correctly.

SIC: What strategies do you recommend for getting credit as a stand-in on a project?

KM: Having your name listed on the front of the callsheet rather than being listed as “SI #2″ is a good step toward getting credit on projects.

I have found that being listed on the back of the callsheet along with the rest of the crew has also been helpful.  Additionally, I have had positive experiences with talking directly to the AD team about the issue.

I have to say HBO is very good about crediting their stand-ins. When you watch their programming, usually you will see the stand-ins listed with everyone else on the crew in the closing credits. I recently worked on a series for HBO and am very hopeful that our stand-in team will be listed in the credits.

(L to R) Sarah Ann Ward, Kat Murello, Lytle Harper, and Erica Leigh Boseski, the stand-ins for HBO's television series Girls

SIC: What are you doing to bring more attention to the issue of stand-ins getting credit for their work?

KM: Actually, I have written a letter to the SAG quarterly to get a dialogue started on this issue. Also, I have made an attempt to become part of the SAG committees here in New York.

Since this is the way I make my living, the same way a dolly grip and a key PA do, this is an important issue for me, and I am doing what I can to bring this issue to the attention of the union to get a permanent rule in place about credits. My grandmother will never see the work I do, so it would be nice to have something valid at the end of the projects I am working on to show her, so that she can see what I am a part of.

SIC: What do you ultimately want to see done for stand-ins in terms of credits? When do you think you will know your work is done?

KM: Ultimately I want stand-ins to be part of the scroll at the end of every movie and television series. And I will know my work is done when my grandmother calls me and says she saw that I worked on a movie she just watched because she saw my name scrolling by with everyone else’s.

SIC: Kat, thank you for taking the time to share your opinions and fight for stand-ins.

KM: You’re welcome!

Kat Murello is a television rehearsal stand-in pursuing a career in television hosting.  Her interview blog, The Ravenous Kitten (http://www.ravenouskitten.com), features interviews with up-and-coming artists of all types: comedians, singers, photographers, filmmakers, et al.

For more opinion on giving credits to stand-ins, read “Editorial: Giving Credits to Stand-Ins” from the Stand-In Central Tips & Tricks Blog.

Soon after publication of this entry to Stand-In Central’s Tips & Tricks Blog, the Internet Movie Database redesigned its website. While the look of the IMDb has changed, the general information below should still help you toward adding your stand-in credit to the website.

http://www.imdb.com

From time to time, you may find your job as a stand-in worth noting.  The Internet Movie Database is a website where you may be able to add a credit for your work as a stand-in on a TV show or film.  Here we’ll go over how to add your stand-in credit to the behemoth website known as “The IMDb.”

In general, it is fairly easy to submit a stand-in credit to the IMDb.  We’re going to outline steps for adding a TV credit since for adding a TV credit, there are a few more details you need to know than for a film credit.

In order to add a stand-in TV credit, it’s helpful to have the following information available:

• Your IMDb login (register for free if you don’t have a login)
• The name of your project
• The season number of the TV production you stood in on
• The episode number of the TV production you stood in on
• The professional name of the actor for whom you stood in

We’re going to assume that you’ve already registered for your free IMDb account.  If you haven’t, first register then read on.
 

Steps for Adding
an IMDb Stand-In Credit

1. Log in to your Internet Movie Database account.

In the upper righthand corner of the IMDb website, you’ll find a Login link.  Click it and log in.

2. Do a search for your project from the IMDb search box.

After you’ve logged in, use the search box at the top of the IMDb page to type in the project on which you stood in.  Here we’re going to search for the 2009-2010 TV show Mercy.

You may have to search through a few different entries before finding your exact project.  When you find your project, click on it to bring up its page.

3. Click on the season in which you worked.

Mercy is currently in its first season, so here we’ll click on “1″ in the Seasons section.

4. Scroll to and click on the episode on which you worked.

Usually you will need to scroll down the episode list for a season in order to find your episode.  If you worked on an episode, say, yesterday, your episode may not be listed on the IMDb yet.  In general, IMDb episodes in a current season are posted within a few weeks of production, so check back in a week or so to see if your episode is posted.

(If you’re trying to post a credit in a prior season, you may have some trouble getting the credit accepted.  Check the IMDb Help section on “Adding data” for guidance.)

If your episode is posted, click on the title of the episode.

5. Click the Update button at the bottom of the Episode page.

Scroll to the bottom of the episode page and you will find a yellowish Update button.  Click on it to go to the page from which you’ll start your credit submission.

6. Add 1 credit to Other Crew.

On the IMDb, the job of stand-in is counted as Other Crew.

On the Update page, in the first section titled “Cast and Crew,” scroll to the bottom of the section and find “Other Crew.”  From the dropdown box for Other Crew, select “Add 1 credit.”

Once you’ve selected “Add 1 credit,” scroll to the very bottom of the page and click the Continue button.

7. Fill out the form with your Name, your Occupation, and “stand-in” in the ”or” box.

When filling out this form, there are some things you need to know.  First, when entering your name in the Name section, enter your professional name in the form of Last Name, First Name.

In the Occupation section, from the dropdown box that reads “Choose,” select the last option which reads “Other (use box below).”

In the “or” box (that is, “the box below”), use the little icon next to the “or” box to scroll to select the job of “stand-in” from the list of other jobs.

Alternately, you can enter the following in lowercase and with the hyphen:

stand-in

The little icon next to the “or” box lists a number of different forms of the job of stand-in.  On this episode of Mercy, I was a utility stand-in, standing in for a number of different principal actors over several days.  By clicking on the little icon and using the alphabet buttons, you find that the IMDb has a classification under U for “utility stand-in.”  Select what’s the most appropriate classification for your job or simply type it in the “or” box in lowercase.

Also, if I stood in for a particular actor, say, for an entire episode, write “stand-in” then add a colon and add the actor’s professional name:

stand-in: John Doe

If you don’t follow this guidance, your credit may be rejected by the IMDb, so heed the advice!

In moving forward, let’s submit as a utility stand-in.  Click Continue to move to the next page.

8. Finish your submission.

Once you’ve clicked Continue, the IMDb we take a quick look over your submission and make recommendations for your submission.  If things are good, you will see a green box reflecting your proposed update.  If you see a different color, maybe you’ve formatted something in a way the IMDb doesn’t like, or maybe it’s confused which person actually worked on the episode given a number of actors with the same professional name in the database.  Address these issues the best that you can and follow its instructions for correcting your submission.

Once you’re fine with your submission, click Finish.

9. Submit your submission.

While it may seem a bit counterintuitive, after you’ve clicked Finish on your submission, you still need to submit your submission.  After you’ve clicked Finish, you’ll be taken to a page telling you to click Submit.  Click either of the two Submit buttons and you’re done for now.

After you’ve submitted, you’ll get a Thank You page, and an email from IMDb Support will go to the email address they have on file.  This will include an update receipt number should you need to reference your submission in the future.

Updates to the IMDb are not immediate.  In fact, it may take several weeks before your submission is accepted.  You will not be notified whether your submission has been accepted or rejected, so you will want to check back in a week or two to see the progress of your submission.  Check the IMDb Help section for guidance on when to submit again if it appears they are rejecting your submission.

There you have it!  If you found this entry to the Stand-In Central Tips & Tricks Blog helpful, post a comment below!