Ben Hauck (your tireless editor and author of this post) started Stand-In Central all the way back in 2010 with an idea.

He realized that many people who booked work as a stand-in on a television show or a film secretly accepted the job having no idea what was expected of them when they showed up to work the next day.

Sure, by its name, the job of the stand-in sounds pretty clear and fairly simple: “Just stand there.”

Lo and behold, stand-in work is a LOT more than just standing there!

Stand-In Central was born to fill the need of those googling for information on what a stand-in is, what a stand-in does, and what to do to nail the job of a stand-in.

As it turns out, there is a lot involved in being an effective and professional stand-in. Before Stand-In Central, there was no resource out there that covered the job in any detail.

Over time, we built up so much information about stand-in work, we published a popular ebook about it: The Stand-In Handbook!

Stand-in work can be quite lucrative if you keep at it, and it can even help you qualify for health insurance and pension credits — even faster than you might were you to work as a background actor.

That’s one reason why it’s important to learn how to be an effective stand-in, because when you are, you find that productions want to keep hiring you, because you save them time and money. And being hired often means more money for you, more health insurance, more pension credits … and more awesome experiences in TV and film.

Stand-In Central is not just an information site about standing in. It’s also become an advocacy site for stand-ins.

As it turns out, stand-ins are often overlooked not just in the credits of many a TV show or film, but also when it comes to on-the-job protections. Many times stand-ins fall through the cracks.

Stand-In Central has made it a mission to sound the alarm about stand-ins and the cracks through which they fall, so there is at least one person out there online documenting their stories, to help protect stand-ins and get the union and productions paying attention to stand-ins’ unique needs.

All in all, Stand-In Central wants to support stand-ins and their work.

So, if you have an idea of a topic you’d like us to cover on Stand-In Central, or if you have a thought on how Stand-In Central can be better, let us know.

Drop us a line or leave a comment. Many times we take the questions we receive and spin them into one of our weekly blog posts on standing in.

We’re in a new year (2021), in a new world (amid the coronavirus pandemic). Perhaps you have new questions about stand-in work in TV and film. If so, please ask us.

Best of luck and best of health in as you navigate stand-in work in the new year!

Have an idea how Stand-In Central can be better? Let us know in the comments below!