Auditions in Los Angeles: Where to Find Casting Calls and How to Get Seen

Where are Los Angeles casting calls posted?

Every project starts with a breakdown, the description of the roles. According to the Breakdown Services FAQ, the casting director decides where a project is posted: agents and managers see it on Breakdown Express and actors see it on Actors Access, and some projects go to both. The company says it posts union and non-union projects. The consequence is simple: you will never see every role yourself, which is one reason representation matters.

These are the platforms to know:

A subscription pays for a platform’s service, never for an audition. Prices and plans change, so check each site before you pay and compare them in Actors Access vs. Backstage vs. Casting Networks.

How does a submission work?

Once your profile is ready, the routine is the same on every platform:

1. Finish your materials: headshots, a one-page resume and a reel or a short intro video (see how to prepare your audition materials).
2. Read each breakdown closely: role, shoot dates, location, union status and pay.
3. Submit only for roles you could realistically play, based on your age range, look and skills.
4. Keep a simple log of what you sent and when.
5. Answer invitations fast. Read the audition instructions twice and deliver on time.

Expect silence on many submissions. Consistency matters more than any single one.

Will you audition by self-tape or in person?

Often you will start with a self-tape recorded at home, so it pays to master the setup (see how to record a self-tape). Union productions have rules for self-tapes. SAG-AFTRA’s TV and theatrical contracts include protections such as limits on the pages you can be asked to perform, a minimum time to submit and no requirement to memorize, according to the union’s self-tape contract bulletin. Members approved a new TV/theatrical agreement in June 2026 that runs through June 30, 2030, so check the 2026 contracts page for the current terms.

If a tape works, the next step may be a callback in front of the director and producers. Theater works differently, as the theater section below explains.

Do you need an agent in Los Angeles?

You can begin without one, but an agent can submit you for roles that never reach the public platforms. Our guide on how to get a talent agent has the step-by-step plan. California adds rules that protect you:

• License: anyone who procures work for artists needs a talent agency license from the Labor Commissioner, and the license number has to appear in the agency’s advertisements (Labor Commissioner). Check any agency in the License and Registration Search.
• Fees: under Labor Code section 1700.40, a talent agency cannot collect a registration fee, which section 1700.2 defines to include charges for listing you or for photographs and other reproductions of you. It also cannot refer you to services such as photography, demo reels or acting school in which it has a financial interest (Laws Relating to Talent Agencies).
• Advance fees: the law prohibits advance-fee talent representation services, which the Labor Commissioner’s summary defines to include charging a fee to procure or attempt to procure an audition or a talent agent.
• Union members: SAG-AFTRA members can work only with agencies the union has franchised, and the union publishes a Franchised Agents List.

How does SAG-AFTRA fit in?

SAG-AFTRA is the union for performers in film, TV and radio. Its Los Angeles Local covers Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and northern Orange County. You can start without joining, and Breakdown Services posts both union and non-union projects.

Joining has trade-offs. Under Global Rule One, members generally may not work for employers that have not signed a SAG-AFTRA agreement. Read how to join SAG-AFTRA and union vs. non-union acting before you decide.

Can you work as a background actor in Los Angeles?

Yes. Central Casting, which calls itself the leading background casting company in the United States, requires applicants in California to complete training before they are eligible to work, according to its support page. Background work teaches you how a set runs, but it is not a shortcut to speaking roles. Our guide on how to become a background actor covers sign-up, vouchers and what to expect on set.

How do student and independent films help?

They are where many beginners earn their first on-camera credits and the footage for a reel. They are cast on the same platforms, so filter your searches by project type. SAG-AFTRA has low-budget agreements for student films, short films and micro-budget projects. Before you say yes:

• Ask whether the project is covered by a SAG-AFTRA agreement. If you are a member, accept only work that is.
• Get the shoot dates, your pay or deferment terms and the meals in writing, and ask for a copy of the finished footage.
• Never pay to be in a film, and leave if anything feels wrong (see how to spot a fake casting call).

Whether work on a student or low-budget agreement counts toward union membership is a question for SAG-AFTRA, so ask before you count on it.

What about theater in Los Angeles?

Theater lets agents and casting directors see you work live. Actors’ Equity, the stage actors’ union, has Audition Centers in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, and it says all required Equity auditions have been held in person since January 2, 2023 (Equity). For small theaters, Equity has a Los Angeles 99-Seat Agreement that covers theaters of 99 seats or fewer in Los Angeles County, with salaries based on minimum wage. Theaters also post their own calls, so follow the ones near you and audition for the shows you would love to be in.

Where can you train in Los Angeles?

Training is optional, but it gives you scene study, practice on camera and a community. Two schools whose sites we checked: the Stella Adler Academy of Acting & Theatre in Hollywood lists a two-year conservatory, part-time classes and workshops. It says no experience is required. The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute lists Los Angeles programs from a 12-week program to a two-year conservatory, plus class audits, at its West Hollywood campus.

Tip: Audit a class before you commit, ask who teaches it and walk away from any school or workshop that promises you an agent or a role.

What does a realistic first 90 days look like?

Budget a few hours every week: time to read breakdowns and submit, time to record self-tapes when invitations arrive and one class or workshop session.

Keep going after day 90: auditioning is a habit you build.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to live in Los Angeles to get auditions there?

You can begin from anywhere, because many auditions start as self-tapes and you can create your profiles online. Breakdown Services, though, releases projects to agents, managers and actors in specific regions, and you need legal authorization to work in the United States (our guide for the United States covers work authorization). Move when you have materials, momentum and a plan.

Do I need an agent to get auditions in Los Angeles?

You can start without one, because you can submit yourself on the platforms above. Breakdown Services says some projects go only to agents and managers, so representation opens roles you cannot see yourself.

Is it legal to pay a casting director or a workshop to audition?

California’s Talent Scam Prevention Act makes it a misdemeanor for talent workshops to charge for an audition, and in 2017 the Los Angeles City Attorney charged five casting workshop businesses under it (CBS Los Angeles). Training is allowed but regulated: the Labor Commissioner says talent services need contracts with a 10-day cancellation period and a $50,000 bond. If anyone asks you to pay to be seen, walk away.

Is Los Angeles still worth it while production is down?

Competition for each role is real, with 12.7% fewer shoot days than a year earlier. FilmLA also reports that scripted TV drama rose 55.1% from the first quarter, and the state’s tax credit runs through 2030. If cost worries you, build credits first in another hub: see our guides to auditions in New York and auditions in Atlanta.

How much does it cost to start?

Prices change often, so check each site’s current plans. Budget for headshots, platform subscriptions, classes and, if you move, living costs. Free starting points include an Actors Access profile, a free Casting Networks account and student films.

Reviewed in October 2026.