Let’s face it: Stand-ins get fired from productions from time to time, even the best stand-ins.  A television or film set can be a hectic place, especially when stress takes over the directing team.  Tempers can flare, and stand-ins may sometimes end up the casualties of a directing team struggling to support their crew.

Many reasons stand-ins are fired are avoidable, and some reasons are probably unavoidable.  Below is a shortlist of common reasons stand-ins get fired.

Being Late

You can lose your job as a stand-in when you show up late to work.  As a stand-in, the saying goes that “on time is late”; you want to make sure you collect color cover before your calltime, because usually you need to be on set right at your calltime.  Productions often need stand-ins immediately at crew call or only a few minutes after, meaning there is no room for lateness when you’re a stand-in.

If you’re late to a stand-in gig, instead of being told “you’re fired,” you might find that a background actor was upgraded to stand in in your place.  You might also find you won’t be needed or you’re dismissed without pay.

Being Nowhere to Be Found

When production calls for second team and you are AWOL, this does not look good for you as a stand-in.  Production needs you to be on set right when they call for you, and if no one can find you when they call for second team, your absence can jeopardize your future work as a stand-in.

When you need to step away to the bathroom or attend to something personal, make sure to communicate to the background P.A. or the 2nd 2nd A.D.  They are responsible over you.  When you are excused, the presumption is that you will be back momentarily.  Rarely on set can you take any kind of long break, especially without notifying  these members of production.

If you are continually absent when production calls for you, it should be no surprise to find that your stand-in job is in jeopardy.  Sometimes an A.D. will step in for a stand-in who can’t be found.  Other times another stand-in will step in for an absentee stand-in.   This does not look good for you if you find an A.D. or stand-in in your place after being away, and it could be a sign that your days are numbered as a stand-in on the production.

Talking to First Team

Talking to first-team actors is a tricky subject.  Certainly some first-team actors are friendly and will chat with you, or even engage you in conversation.  However, some actors do not appreciate the unnecessary attention, especially when they are trying to concentrate.  If you find that you make first team uncomfortable because you try to chat them up, you might find you’re no longer asked back.

Keep your conversation with first team courteous, professional, and to a minimum when you are standing in.  Being a stand-in does not mean you are first team’s “buddy.”  Later on down the line you may find you can be a bit more personable with an actor or an actor may initiate more personal conversation with you, but keep in mind that your job could be on the line if you end up interfering with the actor’s work by talking too much to first team.

Not Knowing How to Stand In

Fortunately a website like Stand-In Central is available to educate people on how to stand in on a TV or film set.  However, not all stand-ins are familiar with the routine when they take a gig, and their ignorance of the job may lead to their getting fired.

Stand-ins who don’t know much about the job tend to make some of the above mistakes.  But more specifically, stand-ins without any training may not be able to follow simple instructions from the camera crew, the DP, or the assistant directors.  Not knowing what a mark is, not knowing what it means to “Go to your 1,” being unfamiliar with terms like “second team,” not knowing the importance of a stand-in, etc., can quickly show through when you start a stand-in gig, and if a production needs experienced stand-ins, you might find yourself removed from set or not asked back.

Communicate with Casting After Being Let Go

Truth be told, not always do stand-ins know whether they’ve been fired.  You might not be asked back to a production, a fact which might imply you’ve been fired, but a fact which also might mean you simply are not needed or they went with another stand-in.  Firings of stand-ins are almost never hostile arguments.  Instead, they tend to come in the form of phonecalls never received about returning work.

If you believe you were fired or let go from a stand-in gig, check with the background casting director within a couple days of the gig for any job feedback.  Definitely do this sparingly; don’t call casting the day after every stand-in gig you do.  Instead, if you expected to be on a gig for a while but suddenly aren’t asked back, get some information from casting on what happened so that you know whether you can do anything about it when you stand in in the future.

Likely if you have a good reputation with casting, “getting fired” won’t limit your future stand-in opportunities (unless the reason was egregious, perhaps).  Casting knows that stand-ins are fired sometimes for seemingly ridiculous or picky reasons, and they often have enough experience with a particular production to know its temperament.  That experience can put your “firing” in perspective.

Conclusion

Getting fired from stand-in job is not the worst thing in the world, but it’s also not the best.  If you watch out for some of the common reasons stand-ins get fired when you’re working, you will greatly reduce your chances from being fired yourself.

Do you know of other common reasons stand-ins are fired?  Do you have advice for stand-ins who lose their stand-in job?  Have you been fired and want to share?  Feel free to contribute your perspective below.