Why Adverts are Awesome

Posted by Rebecca - 07 May 2021
Being cast in commercials and adverts hosts a wide range of benefits! From buyout fees to frequency of work

After a year of uncertainty for major productions, there’s been one element that has remained, and that’s commercials! Whilst the film and TV industry are well on the road to normality, we thought we’d reflect on what it means to be a supporting artiste in commercials, and why there’s no sign of the advertising industry slowing down!

Here’s why Commercials are just as exciting as Blockbusters!

Have you ever stopped to notice the number of adverts you consume in a day? It’s estimated that the average person sees around 6,000 ads in just one day. It’s easy to understand why; they’re absolutely everywhere!

In recent years, there has been a drastic increase in streaming and digital media consumption, most of which are free to the consumer. Adverts fund the streaming and digital content industries – especially the explosive growth of video content, which is why commercials are so in demand! From digital bumpers before YouTube videos to mini-stories on streaming platforms, not to mention the more traditional TV commercial breaks; the need for more and more professional video content continues to grow!

We’ve cast for many, many commercials in our time. We’ve also had some very odd requests. From marching bands to fishermen to trumpet-playing dancers, we’ve done it all! Being an extra on a commercial may not sound as ‘glam’ as being an extra on a feature film, but there are some huge benefits of working as a supporting artiste on an advertisement. For example, adverts are a constant! There’s always going to be a need for advertisements and therefore a need for supporting artistes on set.

Being an extra in an advertisement could also result in a significant buyout fee. A buyout fee is provided to you if you are in a featured role and shown on-screen in the final, published advertisement. The buyout fee is in addition to your daily filming fees and can be quite lucrative. Adverts tend to be reused over the years too. That’s why it’s important to keep your bank and contact details up-to-date. For instance, if you’re featured within a rerun, your buyout fee may renew for the next year as well, meaning we’ll need to contact you.

Being a featured extra on a commercial may not be at the top of your list of dream productions to work on, but it’s certainly financially worthwhile and is an amazing experience to add to your profile!

Why not have a look to see what casting opportunities we currently have for commercial extra work?

We’ve worked on lots of advertisements in our time for some of the world’s biggest brands, and we always seem to be advertising and casting for extra roles in commercials. To receive the latest role opportunities for either film, TV or commercial work, make sure to download the UVE Artiste app to get notifications sent straight to your phone!