Continuing a new feature of Stand-In Central, we’re wanting to hear your opinion on topics related to the job of the stand-in.
Here is our second debate topic. Post your opinion in the comments section below, and reply to others’ opinions as they’re added.
We will moderate these comments so should your comment not post immediately, we hope to have it live in a few hours. (Kindly keep the discussion civil, respectful, and mature.)
– The Editor
Most stand-ins go without credit for their work. This reality is hard to understand given the central focus many stand-ins have in a production, and given that oftentimes stand-ins work more than some day-playing crew members who receive credit for their work.
For some people who stand in, it’s no big deal that they go without credit at the end of a TV show or film. For other people whose careers are as a stand-in, recognition with credit for the work and time invested on a production is highly appreciated, especially for the purpose of professional résumé-building.
The names of crew members often appear in a document known as a crew list, yet stand-ins — who are classified as crew members — are rarely included in that list. It would seem that in general stand-ins do not receive credit largely because they are usually cast by background casting, meaning they do not make it on this crew list but work amongst the many other uncredited workers on a production.
Other reasons stand-ins do not receive credit may be because they do not fall into a conventional production department, so when credit is given, stand-ins do not appear on any list of department members submitted for credit.
Of course, producers may choose not to award credit given that awarding credit is a power that producers have, but it seems that it’s more likely stand-in names aren’t submitted to producers when awarding credit rather than producers’ disparaging stand-ins’ contributions.
Of the credits I’ve seen awarded to stand-ins, their placement in the end credits is irregular. Stand-ins have been listed below cast members, below production assistants, or even separately. Stand-ins could be seen as bunched with another department or even seen as their own department.
In light of the above: Where do you think the best place is in the end credits of a TV show or film to award credit for stand-ins?
We’d like to hear you debate where best to place credits for stand-ins. Post your comments below and check back to continue the discussion.
I just came upon your site and felt the need to comment in this section for a few specific reasons. I started as a stand-in on a very popular tv hit series in which the job was actually created for me by some lovely people in production. So essentially production put not only me to work, but the casting company who regularly booked stand-in’s and atmosphere. Since then, I have done so much stand-in work, you’d think I’d have a mile-long resume somewhere posted on a so-called “accredited” site like IMDB. Not so. And there are so many reasons as to why not.
As the author of this article had mentioned, being added to the crew list on a film is a large part of that. But the crew list is not just dictated so much by being in tight with someone who can get you on that list, but the producers and studios’ desires for the run-time of the credits themselves. That’s why so darn many crew persons’ names never show up anywhere in films or on IMDB. Because in many cases, if the studio included everyone those credits would take another hour to roll.
However, to get added to that list, it’s always wise to talk with the 1st A.D. or even a producer themselves or a UPM. You cannot force those connections on a production, they just happen. Besides, it always pays to be personable and likeable to everyone on a production. You never know when that P.A. of today is tomorrow’s WGA golden child. In television, of course, getting a stand-in credit will never happen because a 30 minute or 60 minute show with appropriate commercial breaks leaves very little time for any credits whatsoever. So there are actually many people behind the scenes in both tv and film who get snubbed.
And speaking of IMDB, that site has really kind of lost credibility over the years, if they ever truly had it to begin with. They tend to base their database off of incomplete skins turned into them by production or the final crew list. If someone working on the film or tv show wants to add their credit thereafter, it’s a crap shoot. Because they somehow perceive if the add didn’t come from production, it must not be legit. I personally am missing credits, even as a working actress. I have offered to turn into them a copy of my contracts, but they won’t change or add my billing. But I guess I hardly feel badly about it when I learned a few years back that they weren’t even giving credit to showrunners, if you can imagine that. Plus, my contention is: How much credibility can be given to a site who will list reality tv appearances or cameos or even red carpet appearances as a legitimate “credit”, but not all the hard working men and women who do crew work of all capacities? I’ve even know people who have made student-quality short films and listed themselves as producers and now have a long list of producer credits on basically home videos. So you have to ask yourself how precious that is to you to have you work be known publically when the work performed is behind the scenes. It may be a slap in the face to a small extent. Personally, I don’t really much care about my stand-in credits, as I consider myself an actress first and foremost and would rather have agents and casting directors focus upon that. Perhaps in the future, there will be ways to have producers automatically add those credits to the DVD’s credit roll and to websites automatically through the demands of the union contracts. But the contracts have zero provisions for stand-in billing, so it’s up to you to find the person in production who wants to add your name to the final crew list. Because even now, our contracts are waivering around in limbo once more, so I won’t hold my breath!
Nice little blog site on this very unique job, though!
Carina, thank you so much for your extensive comments on this topic of interest to many stand-ins.
I agree with Carina about IMDb having lost credibility over the years. It’s unfortunate that a person cannot have more control over their page and what they are credited for. Thank you for your comment, Carina. And thank you for this article, Ben.
Ben & Sara,
Very good thoughts from both of you. As of late, I have been doing more and more stand-in work for day players. It’s nice because it provides me flexibility but I wouldn’t mind per dieming on a tv show again myself. But it’s hiatus. There are movies out their needing stand-ins. The truth about our job is that while it does require skill and acting chops, it’s very touch-and-go, like so many other day player jobs out there. I know of set painters who are constantly day playing and yet you will see their names in so very few production lists. As with anything in this industry, having connections helps immensely for all cast & crew both in obtaining the work and in getting proper credit for their work.
Sara, regarding your comments on IMDB …. the way that I look at it is this: They won’t list any commercials or theatre credits you’ve accumulated through the years. Theirs is a database that seems to exist solely upon the producer/production adding the credit. If I wanted to make up 25 production names of content that I produced (even if they were all fictitious), the sad truth is that IMDB would accept those credits. That’s why there are an infinite number of individuals on that site making themselves out to be something that they are not. Like I said earlier, the average joe could list a home movie and give themselves a producer credit. So the take away from it all is that if anyone puts that much esteem into that website, they haven’t done their homework. This includes agents and casting directors. The bottom line is that if someone wants your resume, you can email it to them or direct them to your own site. We all know to list on our acting resumes for commercials “List upon request”. Of course that’s partly so that no one will be biased or view past productions as conflict of interest. But also because generally speaking, if we were to list them all, the list would be inundating. My suggestion is to have listed on your own website the very best jobs and actresses/actors that you’ve stood-in for and add “et. al.”. My assumption is that you came here to pursue the acting and to be known for that. When you become rich and famous, you know some super sleuth will be out there digging around to find out all the stand-in work you’ve done and then suddenly it will magically appear on IMDB!