Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to the FAQ area. Browse the topics below and click on a question to find an answer. If you have read the topics but still cannot find the answer you need, please use our contact form.
Answers
Registering
How do I join your Agency?
Answer: You can start your application today by creating a Profile online on our website. Follow the step by step online process to register as an EXTRA.
Are your books open?
Answer: You can register on our website at any time to begin your application.
What does it cost to join Uni-versalEXTRAS?
Answer: Full-time students can get a Listing on our Casting Database for free. Non-students must pay a Listing Fee of £25.00 +VAT for 2 years, or £30.00 +VAT for 4 years.
What experience do I need to have?
Answer: Although you do not need to have any specific experience to register as an EXTRA, you do need to be hard-working and reliable. You must also have good availability and flexibility when it comes to work.
Is there an age limit to join Uni-versalEXTRAS?
Answer: You must be at least 16½ years of age or older to join our Agency. There is no upper age limit.
Can I register by post or in person?
Answer: No. All EXTRAS must register online on our website. There are many benefits to using an online system, for example it means you can maintain and edit your profile information with us at any time, 24 hours a day.
How do I complete my registration?
Answer:
If you are a Non-Student with two approved photos (how can i be sure?) and you have completed all of your profile fields on your Profile Edit page, then you are now ready to call our Activation Team to organise a Listing.
If you’re a full-time Student with two approved photos (how can i be sure?) and you have completed all of your profile fields on your Profile Edit page then please wait for our Activation Team to review your application.
How do I pay for the Listing?
Answer: Payments for Non-Student Listings are taken via credit or debit card over the phone. Payment can only be made once you have completed all your Profile sections and both of your photos have been approved by our Activation Team. If both these statements are true, please call our Activation Team on 0845 0090 344 (Monday - Friday, 9.30am - 5pm).
How do I know when my profile has been activated?
Answer: You can check the status of your profile at any time by going to your My Profile tab. If you look at the grey box above your ‘Profile % Complete’ bar, you can see your current status, i.e. Pending Approval.
I never received my validation email – can I resend it to myself?
Answer: Yes. Click here to go to the sign in page and scroll down until you see the ‘Re-send Validation Email’ section. You can then type your email address into the selection box and resend your validation email to you. If you still don’t receive the validation email, please check your ‘Junk mail’ folder.
Photos
How do I know when my photos are approved?
Answer: You can check the status of all of your photos by visiting your My Photos page when you log in. The status is listed underneath each photo. You will also receive an email every time your photo is moderated.
Why do you keep rejecting my photos?
Answer: Your photo is the most important thing when it comes to securing work as an EXTRA, which is why they have to be just right. Whenever one of your photos is ‘rejected’ you will receive an automated email letting you know the reason why. Please refer to the ‘photo help’ on your My Photos page, retake the photo and upload it.
If you continue to have issues, please attach the photo in question with your query, your name and email address to enquiry@universalextras.co.uk. A member of our Admin Team will be happy to help.
What 'Photo Type' should I select?
Answer: All 'Standard Head & Shoulders' and 'Standard Full Body' photos must be in the basic format as specified in our Welcome Pack. Once your Profile is fully approved, you will then have the option to select from a number of additional Photo Types, from 'Police Uniforms' to 'Swimwear / Underwear'. If you upload a photo of you in one of these styles or uniforms, the photo must still fit the basic photo criteria, i.e. taken with a digital camera of you in front of a plain background and looking into the camera. All photos are moderated by Uni-versalEXTRAS and our decision is final.
If you upload a photo of you in a costume you must own the costume.
Can I upload photos of me in costumes I don't own?
Answer: No, you must own the costume you are wearing if you upload a photo of you in a specific outfit. This is because casters using our casting database will assume that you own the costume that you are wearing. Photos of you on set where what you are wearing has been provided by a costume department are not suitable and will be removed.
Why won't my photo upload?
Answer: Please make sure that you are attempting to upload an image file in a .JPEG format.
Why doesn't the photo upload tool work for me?
Answer: Our photo upload tool is not supported by all mobile phone and tablet devices. It is also not supported by some older versions of web browsers. Make sure that you are attempting to upload your photos using a computer on the latest version of a modern browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer.
Students
I have just graduated – can I still be an EXTRA and am I still classed as a Student?
Answer: You can still be an EXTRA but you are not now classed as a Student because only those in full-time education are eligible to use a Student Profile. Please log in to your Profile and check that all of your information is up to date, i.e. your email address, phone numbers, details and photos. You can then call our Activation Team on 0845 0090 344 to get transferred to a Non-Student account.
Non-students pay a listing fee of £25.00 +VAT for 2 years, or £30.00 +VAT for 4 years.
Can I register as a Student if I am studying part-time?
Answer: No. To register as a Student you must be a full-time Student.
I am taking a gap year - am I classed as a Student or a Non-Student?
Answer: Uni-versalEXTRAS regulations state that you must register as a Non-Student because you are not studying full-time.
My Student profile is due to expire but I will now be starting a new course – what do I do?
Answer: Please go to your My Documents page and upload a copy of your course entry letter or new student card (select ‘Student Card’ from the upload options). Please note that your proof of eligibility must clearly state your new course end date. You can then email enquiry@universalextras.co.uk to notify our Activation Team.
Please note that all subscriptions are at Uni-versalEXTRAS discretion and we reserve the right to refuse renewal without explanation.
Non-Students
Why do I have to call you to organise my Listing?
Answer: Non-Students must pay a Listing fee to be listed in our Casting Database. For security reasons, Uni-versalEXTRAS will not call you to take card payments over the phone – we will always ask you to call us on 0845 0090 344. By calling this number you will always know that you are speaking to a member of staff working for Uni-versalEXTRAS Ltd.
How do I renew my Listing?
Answer: Call our Activation Team on 0845 0090 344.
General
How do I access and apply for jobs?
Answer: Log in to your profile and visit the Jobs Board to view the current opportunities we have listed. Only fully activated EXTRAS are able to see the full details for each posting and apply.
Please make sure that you read the full description on any posting to ensure that you fit the criteria and are available before you click the 'apply for job' button.
Is all your work paid?
Answer: Yes, all work through Uni-versalEXTRAS is paid. For further details on pay schemes and agreements, please visit the Money page.
Are travel expenses paid?
Answer: This depends on the type of production. But, you will be contacted by a member of the Uni-versalEXTRAS Casting Team before accepting the job and told if travel expenses are being paid.
I know my 'email address' and 'password' are correct but I am unable to log into my profile?
Answer: Please note that with our new website, you use your 'email address' to log in, not your old username. If you still have trouble accessing the website, please click here and scroll down to access our 'forgotten my password' feature.
Where can I find your Terms and Conditions?
Answer: To view our Terms and Conditions click here.
Where can I find the latest version of your Welcome Pack?
Answer: For the latest version of our Welcome Pack, click here.
Will Uni-versalEXTRAS act as a reference for me?
Answer: As an Agency we are unable to provide personal character references for our EXTRAS. Uni-versalEXTRAS can only confirm whether an individual is part of the Agency or not.
Where do I upload my show reel or audio clips?
Answer: Unfortunately we do not currently allow EXTRAS to upload show reels or audio clips, unless requested by a member of the Casting Team.
Why have I stopped receiving your daily emails?
Answer: We no longer send daily job emails, but our Jobs Board is updated daily for you to view and apply for jobs.
Technical
Why won't parts of your website work for me?
Answer: This website is not supported by all mobile phone and tablet devices. It is not supported by some older versions of web browsers. For the best experience make sure that you have the latest version of your browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer installed.
What is the best web browser to use?
Answer: We recommend using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Safari for the best experience.
I am not receiving the emails I am supposed to from you?
Answer: Please check that they have not been redirected into your ‘Junk Mail’ folder. It would also be a good idea to add us to your email address book or ‘safe list’ to ensure that you receive future emails.
Accounts
When and how will I get paid?
Answer: Payment usually takes between 4 to 6 weeks from the date that you do the work, depending on when we receive the funds from production. Please be aware that these are industry guidelines and payment may occasionally take more or less than the above stated period. Once the funds are received by Uni-versalEXTRAS, it will take a maximum of 10 working days for the payment to be processed and made to you.
All payments are made by BACS (Bankers Automated Clearing Service) to a UK bank account. We are unable to make payments by cheque or to a non-UK bank account. To avoid any delay in receiving your payment, please make sure that all your account details including your National Insurance number are always up to date on the Payment Details page of your Profile.
What is your agency commission?
Answer: A standard agency commission of 16% will be deducted from everything that you earn with us.
How will I know when I've been paid?
Answer: Once a payment has been transferred into your account, a remittance slip will be viewable on the My Documents page of your Profile. Remittance slips show the name of the production that a payment is for, the date(s) worked, the gross amount, any deductions made and the total amount paid to you. Please be aware that the funds may only clear as late as 17:30 hours on the date stated at the bottom of your remittance slip.
What deductions will be made from my payment?
Answer: The only deduction made from the gross amount on your chit will be the agency commission as stated in our Terms and Conditions. When working as an Extra the Inland Revenue view your employment status as self-employed and you are therefore responsible for paying your own Income Tax. Also, from 6th April 2014, the Employer will not be required to deduct Class 1 National Insurance contributions from any payments made to you. Payments will be made to you gross of tax and Class 1 National Insurance contributions and you must declare these earnings as part of your normal self-employed Self-Assessment return. If you require further information please contact your local TAX office.
Are EXTRAS classed as self-employed?
Answer: Yes, the Inland Revenue view your employment status as self-employed.
Professional Extras Agency
To register as a Uni-versal 'EXTRA', please follow the simple online registration process.
Once approved you will gain access to exclusive members only content.
Our Recent Productions
The Children Act
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Christopher Robin
London, Kent
Wonderful on Tap
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For the Love of Scotland
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SpareRoom - House Share
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Mission: Impossible - Fallout
London, Warner Bros Studios
The Last Witness
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McDonald's - We're With You
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Harlots Season 2
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Terminal
Multiple UK Locations
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Shepperton Studios
HARIBO Supermix - Rock Band
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HSBC - Life Cycle
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The Terrible Tale of Henrietta Tate
Camberwell Studios
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Pinewood Studios
The 12th Man
Scotland
The Etruscan Smile
Scotland
Old Boys
Sussex
King Lear
Kent
Keith Lemon: Coming in America
Berkshire