Artists FAQs

Please make sure you are using your artist ID as your username this will be a number given to you when you first applied to register.

If your password isn’t working please use the reset password link this will send an email to the address you registered with, please check your spam and trash as our emails are often sent to these.

If you are experiencing issues with the Two Factor Authentication log in on the desktop site, it is highly likely that the problem is with your browser. It will be that the browser you are using is saving incorrect passwords, which is the reason you are being brought back to the first page.

Please follow the steps below and it should resolve the problem:

Load up your web browser (Google Chrome, Internet Explorer etc) Below the exit browser button (usually an ‘X’ in the top right or left hand corner), select the three dots placed side by side, or one above another.

Toward the bottom of the drop down you will see the option “Settings”. Then scroll down and select “Advanced” if your one Chrome & “Advanced Settings” if you are on Internet Explorer.

You’ll then need to select “Manage Passwords”. On Chrome this is located under “Passwords and Forms” & on Internet Explorer this is located under “Privacy and Services”. If you’re on Chrome, it is simply the matter of finding the password linked to the Mad Dog Casting website and then select the three dots located to the right hand side of the password and then select “Remove”. If you’re on Internet Explorer, all you need to do is select the “X” located to the right hand side of the password you are removing.

If you login again, after trying these steps, you should be able to access your profile. NOTE: Be sure not to save the password again, otherwise this problem will reoccur.

Please use the reset password link on the homepage, this will be sent to the email address you registered with us, please check your spam and junk files. Once you have logged in you can change your password for a more memorable one.

Your username is in fact your artist ID that was issued at the time of application for registration.

You will have to contact the office if this is the case, be ready to answer a number of security questions.

The only way you can let us know your availability is to update your online calendar. Please DO NOT CALL THE OFFICE to tell us this.

Green = available
Red = unavailable

Please call or email the Project Manager in charge of this job as soon as possible to update them of any changes in your availability.

You cannot set any dates past the end of your registration period. Once you have received and followed the re-registration instructions you will be able to update your availabilities for another year

This is a seasonal business with the first part of the year normally being quiet. We have no control over the briefs coming in, nor do we have the final say in who is selected 95% of the time.

Remember that most of the time we do not make the decision on selection, production does. The nature of the business is such that you will be rejected with no explanation, if this is a problem you may decide this is not for you! Please don’t call as this will not increase your chances of getting work, this takes our time away from securing more jobs!

Make sure your calendar is up to date and that you have filled in as much of your profile as possible including your skills and languages, and ethnic origin and ethnic look as this will give you more chance of showing up in searches. Please do not over claim as this can cause problems for us and you! In terms of photos if you own uniform(s), or evening wear, or you have a dog or car you may want to upload photos so that if we are searching for these things we can see these straight away

The only time we can offer new photos is through the re-registration process. When you are invited to re-register you will be asked if your look has changed. From here follow the instructions to request a new photo. We will then be in touch with regard to booking a slot to have these taken.

We require our own Mad Dog photos for your profile as this uniformity helps to speed up selections by productions when we send them look books. In turn, this helps us get back to you sooner with booking confirmations/releases. You are welcome to upload other images to your gallery. These may be used by Mad Dog if we believe they increase your chances of being selected. They will only be used for this purpose and will not be used to replace the Mad Dog profile picture.We can only change your Mad Dog photograph if you have significantly changed and we agree that this will increase your chances of being chosen. You can increase your chances by providing an up to date selfie which you can upload through the app.  We will moderate these images and only use those that are deemed suitable. Unless invited for photo updates and it is not deemed necessary, there is a £50 charge for new Mad Dog photos.

Both the Mad Dog 2020 app and the website allow you to update your measurements. Alternatively, our Artist Support team will be happy to change your measurements if you let them know via the app chat or by email at info@maddog2020casting.com Please upload a recent photo to your profile gallery if any of your measurements have significantly changed.

At Mad Dog 2020 we take data security very seriously which is why we have introded two-factor authentication for all online accounts. In addition to the current login using your Artists ID and password you will be asked to select either EMAIL or TEXT as a method to be sent a unique code to the registered email or mobile phone number we hold for you. This code will be requested in order to give you access to your account. Each time you login you will be provided with a different unique code.

You may already have seen that we use reCaptcha, as part of our security measures, and you may also be asked a question or asked to tick a box to verify that you are a human and not a robot. Introducing two-factor authentication is part of a series of upgrades we are making to improve your experience and protect your data. The protection of data is of paramount importance to us.

There are two ways artists can access their accounts, online or via the Mad Dog 2020 app “Mad Dog 2020 Extras” which gives 24 hour access to enquiries, check ins, your account and our messaging system for communication  with us from your mobile device (mobile phone or tablet). We recommend you switch from online access to the Mad Dog 2020 Extras app (available for free on iOS and Android).

If you are experiencing issues with the Two Factor Authentication log in on the desktop site, it is highly likely that the problem is with your browser. It will be that the browser you are using is saving incorrect passwords, which is the reason you are being brought back to the first page.

Please follow the steps below and it should resolve the problem:

• Load up your web browser (Google Chrome, Internet Explorer etc)
• Below the exit browser button (usually an ‘X’ in the top right or left hand corner), select the three dots placed side by side, or one above another. Toward the bottom of the drop down you will see the option “Settings”. Then scroll down and select “Advanced” if your one Chrome & “Advanced Settings” if you are on Internet Explorer.
• You’ll then need to select “Manage Passwords”. On Chrome this is located under “Passwords and Forms” & on Internet Explorer this is located under “Privacy and Services”. If you’re on Chrome, it is simply the matter of finding the password linked to the Mad Dog Casting website and then select the three dots located to the right hand side of the password and then select “Remove”. If you’re on Internet Explorer, all you need to do is select the “X” located to the right hand side of the password you are removing.
• If you login again, after trying these steps, you should be able to access your profile.
• NOTE: Be sure not to save the password again, otherwise this problem will reoccur.

It is not a vital requirement to have a certificate to work as an SA, however some productions do require them. Check out our DBS FAQs here: https://maddog2020casting.com/en/news/faqs-dbs-certificates-2/

Our office hours are Monday – Friday 9:30 AM – 7:30 PM. Artist Support is available during these hours, and all voicemails and messages received outside of these hours will be answered promptly. If you need urgent assistance outside of office hours, please contact the Project Manager directly via email. 

The production companies we work with make all booking decisions. However, if your profile is fully complete and kept up to date this could increase your job opportunities. Ensure you keep all information on your profile from haircuts to tattoos, weight loss and significant physical changes up to date. Please upload a new photo to your gallery every month so that we have the most up to date photos of you – these can be professional or selfies.

Check out our photo do’s and don’ts guide here: https://maddog2020casting.com/en/news/take-the-best-selfies-for-your-profile/

Our artists are now able to register for more than one regional book. This will help maximise your chances of getting more work. Before accepting any job, please make sure that you can travel to all the locations provided. There will be no reimbursement for travel expenses unless otherwise specified.

Download the free Mad Dog 2020 Extras app where you will be able to access App Chat – a free instant messaging service which enables you to contact our Artist Support team on the go! Whether you are on set and can’t use your phone, or simply don’t wish to call, this is the easiest way to contact us. You will receive notifications when you receive a response and you are welcome to ask us anything!

You are also welcome to call or email info@maddog2020casting.com if you wish. Office hours are 09:30-18:00 messages received outside of these times will be dealt with next working day.

Download the free Mad Dog 2020 Extras app from the Google Play or App Store and fill out an application to register your interest in becoming a supporting artist, here: https://maddog2020casting.com/en/becomeartist/

Yes – the information on your profile is only viewable by yourself and our Mad Dog 2020 Casting team, it is not accessible to third parties. Bear in mind that when you put yourself forward for a production, you are consenting to (some) photos, body measurements and your name being shared with that production. Only if booked will your contact details be shared with them.

This means that you have not yet been fully registered with us. Due to COVID, we have not been able to host any in-house registration. Any upcoming registration dates will be announced on our social media platforms.

In the meantime, please keep your profile up to date with recent pictures and measurements so we can get in touch with you if something comes up that we feel you are a suitable candidate for.

Please upload a variety of well-lit, colour photos to your profile gallery. Don’t forget to check out our selfie guide, showing our photo do’s and don’ts and remember that not all photos need to be professional headshots as productions like to see selfies too.  Check out the photo categories in the gallery and upload photos to correspond with them. For example: Facing front, facing left, facing right, facing back.

Visit our selfie guide: https://maddog2020casting.com/en/news/take-the-best-selfies-for-your-profile/

Here are the steps you need to take:

1 – Visit your profile on the app/website

2 – Click on GALLERY

3 – Go to the ‘Selfie’ section

4 – Click on the PLUS sign

5 – Click on ‘Take a new photo’ or ‘Add photo from gallery’

6 – Select photo

7 – Save

Alternatively you can email your photo to info@maddog2020casting.com and we will change it for you. Please note: Selfies can only be uploaded once every 24 hours 

Please either update your measurements on your profile or contact our Artist Support team via info@maddog2020casting.com or the app chat. If your measurements have changed significantly please remember to upload a recent photo to your profile gallery.

If you have been asked to provide a self-tape by a Project Manager they will provide you with an email address to forward this to. If you are unsure please contact Artist Support who can confirm this information, but always ensure you send your tape before the deadline.  When sending your self-tape you can use https://wetransfer.com/ to shrink and send your video.

You can also provide us with the link to your showreel on the first page of your profile. This must be a URL link.

If you have been sent an availability check and then responded that you are available the Project Manager will be in touch as soon as they have further information for you. This is typically the day before the initial date stated in the enquiry, however this can vary.  We will always inform you whether you have been booked or released as soon as we have this information from production.

If you are no longer available for a project you have put yourself forward for please get in touch as soon as possible via AppChat, email or phone. Our Artist support team will be able to change your availability via our system and remove you from a pencil. If you have been booked and you can no longer hold the booking for any reason you must contact the Project Manager directly, as soon as possible.

When you are booked onto a production you will then receive your check-in details the evening before the shoot, fitting or test takes places. The check-in will contain your call time, the exact location of the shoot, any costume, travel, or safety information. You’ll also be provided with details of your on-set contact for the day of the shoot in case you get lost. Please confirm your check-in as soon as possible.

if you haven’t heard from us yet, this is probably because we are waiting to receive the details from production. If you are concerned about not yet receiving our check-in details please contact the Project Manager via email

A chit is your salary voucher detailing the breakdown of your payment. For some productions you will be sent a chit via email, within 7 days of you attending, which you must verify. However, other productions may ask you to sign a physical copy whilst onset. Please note that the chit email may go into your junk folder so keep an eye on this. Commercials do not issue chits.

If you do not get a chit from a Film or TV production, ask the ADs on-set and if it’s not resolved on-set, inform us straight away. On Film & TV, this is proof that you worked and payments can ONLY be made, if production and you have a signed copy. Upon receiving a signed chit, we are able to invoice production.

On commercial productions this is different (a chit isn’t issued) however it is advisable to keep a record of the hours you worked and if excessive overtime is incurred, or if you think you have been featured, rather than simply a background artist, contact the Project Manager the day after the shoot.

If you believe any information on your chit to be incorrect, please ensure that you reply directly to the chit email you received, detailing what you believe to be incorrect. Our accounts team will then deal with your query as soon as possible.

We often get all the shoot details (call time, exact location) very late on the evening before the shoot, we endeavour to get them as soon as possible but it isn’t always possible. However if you haven’t heard before 5pm the night before please text the project manager/assistant dealing with the job.

Please report the accident immediately to the AD responsible for you on this particular shoot. An accident report should be completed and signed by the AD, you may be asked to sign it to. Contact your Mad Dog 2020 Project Manager to let them know what has happened as soon as possible.

Please report the incident immediately to the AD responsible for you on this particular shoot. Ideally you need to try and get something in writing confirming what has happened and signed by an AD. Similarly let your Mad Dog 2020 contact know as soon as possible.

Make sure the AD is aware of this and it is reflected on your chit (should this be a chitted job). Ideally let your Project Manager know what happened.

Examples include an extra long shoot with no food or drink supplied. Although shoots are not necessarily the most comfortable situations there are guidelines around how supporting artists are treated. Query it politely with an AD and if you feel there is still a problem let your Mad Dog 2020 contact know if there is a problem. We are here to represent you.

Mad Dog 2020 is fortunate enough to be able to call on many fantastic, loyal and hardworking supporting artists, some having been with us from the start, so this may be more useful for those just getting in to the industry. Hopefully, this can provide insight, context and understanding in to an issue that effects the casting process significantly.

Whether we are casting for 1,000 battlefield soldiers, 10 ladies in waiting or a dog walker, the client process doesn’t differ. We diligently make our selections from our diverse book to put forward, according to the brief and await the client’s choice(s) – often going through assistant directors, producers and the Director. As previously discussed on the Mad Dog 2020 blog, whether it be a major feature film, TV series or commercial, projects are carefully planned according to a creative vision that is detailed and precise. Every face matters and once a client has selected those that have been put forward as available, it is expected all round that that is the face that will show up on set.

Of course, there are circumstances of which cannot be helped or avoided but to help everyone involved, we’ve put together a few pointers as a guide:

• If you have put yourself forward for a job, you will automatically be pencilled for it until we have heard back from the client. Often it is the night before the shoot when the final confirmation comes through. It is your responsibility to keep track of your pencilled dates and bookings.
• If you are on a pencil, you can accept other offers of work. However, if you do get booked on to something else on the date or dates you are pencilled for, you must let us know by calling the office or sending a message via the app.
• Check all the details first – locations being too far away, travel costs not being covered etc are not excuses to not go to set. If these are deal breakers for you and such details are not explicitly set out upfront, do not put yourself forward.
• Don’t ignore your booking confirmation /check in. If you can’t go to set, let us know, ignoring correspondence only makes things more difficult. The quicker we can replace you, the better. It also helps your fellow supporting artists, as we cannot send out releases until bookings are confirmed.
• Treat it as any other job – as with any other profession, you wouldn’t expect to keep your job if you didn’t turn up without a good reason. Reputation is everything and we are not inclined to put artists forward if we don’t think we can rely on them.
• Drop outs cause a lot of extra work for our Project Managers and Productions and can damage reputation, both with our clients and our reliable artists. This costs reliable artists time and opportunities as well as productions time and money.
• Drop outs also delay releases, meaning artists who consistently hold pencils do not get timely releases due to very late working to cover drop outs.

We remove people from our books who drop out without timely, valid and plausible reasons. We are reasonable people and know that things do happen that make it genuinely not possible to avoid a late drop out. We will not strike anyone out without a valid reason. Reliability is key in all jobs and is expected of all Mad Dog 2020 artists.

Please refer to the enquiry you have been sent to view the specific rate of pay for that job. Please note that the rate stated in the enquiry is still subject to the book fee and commission. If you have further questions regarding pay rates please visit the payment page on our website:   https://maddog2020casting.com/en/becomeartist/pay-rates/

Please allow 6-8 weeks from the shoot date as a guide. Please be aware that with some jobs we do encounter complications with regards to swift payment, so please bear with us. If you have any queries regarding payment please ensure you discuss this with the Project Manager or Artist Support before accepting a job.

A book fee is a one-off payment that is deducted from your first job of each calendar year in the January – December period. This is not required upfront and is automatically deducted.  To read more about book fees please head to our website and pay rates page: https://maddog2020casting.com/en/becomeartist/pay-rates/

Supporting Artists will now see the annual book fee deducted, (if they have worked), after 365 days from their last book fee payment.

For example:
If a book fee was deduced in April 2021, the next book fee is due in April 2022. If you do not work in that month, it will be deducted from the next job you do in 2022.

Yes – a 15% commission is deducted from each job you do with us. To read more about pay rates the production companies use please visit the payment section of our website: https://maddog2020casting.com/en/becomeartist/pay-rates/

Legally we have to deduct VAT on the commission we take, when you engage a carpenter or plumber in business you have to pay them VAT on the service they provide it’s the same with us.

You can now either use the Mad Dog 2020 app or the website to update your payment information. The steps are as follows:
1 – Visit profile

2 – Click on PAYMENTS

3 – Click on ‘Edit payment details

4 – Enter your profile password

5 – Update payments

6 – Save 

We provide this information for you for each job you work on as part of our service. You must log in to your profile and look under your accounts section, to display your payslip click on the underlined deposit date and a pdf displaying your payslip will appear. From here you can email, save and print your payslip.

Mad Dog 2020 are your agent not your employer.

You are self employed, as per your contract with Mad Dog 2020.

You are self employed for the work you do at Mad Dog 2020 so we are unable to issue either of these.

To do this log in to your personal profile, and you are able to change them yourself.

Click on payment then edit and you will be able to change the details here. This makes them authorised for usage.

Other deductions at present are any NI deducted by production. We cannot put these in the NI deductions column as WE haven’t made these deductions production have. (This is usually common with film production). They are viewable by clicking on the deposit date on your online remittance, and bringing up your online payslip.

You need to seek advice from the office you are claiming benefit through, we cannot advise you on this.

We will check to make sure any adjustments made are in keeping with the FAA pact rates or rate agreement under-which the production operates (you will always be informed of the rates on any job enquiry). Occasionally on set when signing people out overtime rates can sometimes be accidentally added up wrong. These will be checked when the chits reach the production accountant and adjusted accordingly.

If you do not get a chit from a Film or TV production, ask the ADs on-set and if it is not resolved on-set, inform us straight away. On Film & TV this is the proof you worked and payment can ONLY be made, if production, you and us, have a copy.

On Commercial productions this is different (a chit isn’t issued) however it is advisable to keep a record of the hours you worked and if excessive overtime is incurred, or if you think you have been featured, rather than simply a background artist contact the project manager the day after the shoot.

Before you ring the office please log in to your online personal profile, and check your remittance as often people forget things like book fees and NI deductions.

If you do not have a bank account we will not be able to register you.

No, the app is completely free to download and use.

Yes, you can log in to your profile on any device you wish.

Simply head to the app menu, click ‘settings’ and switch the notifications tab to ‘on’ within the app. Procedure to turn notifications off is the same. Please make sure you’ve got notifications turned on on your phone also (Settings > Notifications > Mad Dog 2020 Extras > Allow Notifications > Enable all alerts.) On downloading the app, your device may ask permission to ‘enable push notifications’, please ensure you enable this.

The app is available in your device’s app store – search ‘Mad Dog 2020 Extras’, you will also find direct links on our website.

No, if you have saved your login details, clicking on to the app will immediately take you through to your profile.

Yes, you can download the app on multiple devices.

Yes, you can access your payments, bookings, enquiries, settings, pictures, measurements, skills etc.

Yes, this options is available at the bottom of the welcome page, simply click the link and complete the short process to sign up with us.

The app is 28.4MB. Tips for making space on your device:

• Delete any apps you don’t use regularly
• Delete inactive chats on apps like Whatsapp and texts
• Delete photos
• Delete emails
• Reduce the amount of music downloaded to the device

If you have downloaded the app, you shall receive all communications via it but you may occasionally receive texts for urgent messages.

If the enquiry no longer shows up on the app, it means the enquiry has closed and is no longer accepting responses.

If you are not able to use the app, you can change your notification preferences via the desktop site by heading to the ‘my details’ drop down and clicking on to the ‘notification preferences’ page. You need to delete the app from all devices in order to do this.