Craigslist Film/TV Section

Craigslist is a general classifieds platform that has been a part of the internet landscape since 1995, and its Gigs and Talent sections have long served as an informal space where casting calls for film, television, and other entertainment projects occasionally appear alongside every other type of classified listing. Craigslist is not designed for casting, has no casting-specific features, and provides no verification or quality control over who posts or what they post. Despite these limitations, Craigslist has historically been a place where some legitimate indie filmmakers, student directors, and small production companies post casting calls because it is free and reaches a broad local audience. However, the platform's complete lack of moderation, verification, and safety features makes it one of the riskiest places for actors to discover opportunities. The entertainment industry's casting community has largely moved to dedicated platforms, and professional casting directors almost never use Craigslist. Including Craigslist in this resource guide is important primarily to help actors understand the risks and make informed decisions.

The fundamental problem with Craigslist as a casting resource is the complete absence of verification or vetting. Anyone can post a casting call on Craigslist with no proof of identity, no production company verification, and no oversight from platform moderators. This creates an environment where legitimate indie casting calls exist alongside fraudulent postings, scams, and potentially dangerous situations. The history of Craigslist casting sections includes numerous documented cases of fake casting calls used to lure actors into unsafe situations, from financial scams demanding upfront payments to more serious safety concerns. The legitimate indie filmmakers who do occasionally post on Craigslist are vastly outnumbered by questionable listings, making the signal-to-noise ratio extremely poor. For actors, the risk-reward calculus of Craigslist casting is unfavorable — the small chance of finding a legitimate opportunity does not justify the significant risks involved, especially when legitimate free alternatives like Project Casting, Haalp, and Casting Call Hub exist.

If you choose to browse Craigslist for casting calls despite the risks, the process involves navigating to your local market's Craigslist page and searching within the Gigs section (specifically the Talent Gigs or Creative Gigs categories). There is no profile system, talent directory, or submission management — you simply read the posting and follow whatever contact instructions are provided, which typically involve emailing photos and information to an email address. There is no way to verify the identity of the poster, the legitimacy of the production, or the safety of the situation without doing your own independent research. The listings are organized chronologically with minimal categorization, making it difficult to filter for relevant opportunities. New postings appear regularly in major markets but the volume of acting-specific listings is low compared to dedicated casting platforms. The platform provides no tools for tracking your responses, managing your submissions, or communicating securely with casting contacts.

The experience of using Craigslist for casting differs fundamentally from using a dedicated casting platform because there are no professional safeguards, industry standards, or community oversight in place. Legitimate indie casting posts on Craigslist are typically brief, include specific project details (project title, character descriptions, shooting dates, location, and compensation), and provide a professional email address or website for submissions. Red flags include vague project descriptions, requests for full-body or suggestive photos, offers that seem too good to be true, any request for payment or financial information, private residence audition locations, and communications that feel unprofessional or pressuring. If you encounter a Craigslist casting call, research the production company name, the director's name, and any other verifiable details before responding. A legitimate production will have some online footprint — a website, social media presence, or credits on IMDb. If you cannot verify the production's legitimacy through independent research, do not respond.

The people who browse Craigslist casting sections range from curious beginners who do not yet know about dedicated casting platforms to experienced local actors who check it as one of many sources for indie opportunities. The poster side includes a small number of legitimate independent filmmakers who use Craigslist because it is free and local, alongside a larger number of illegitimate or questionable listings. Professional casting directors, established production companies, and reputable agents do not use Craigslist — if a posting claims to represent a major production, studio, or agency, it is almost certainly fraudulent. The platform attracts people at the most vulnerable stage of their acting journey — newcomers who are eager for any opportunity and who may not yet have the experience to distinguish legitimate castings from scams. More experienced actors who browse Craigslist for casting do so with skepticism and caution, treating it as one of many places to check rather than a trusted resource.

Craigslist is completely free to browse and respond to listings, and there should never be any cost to you in connection with a legitimate casting opportunity found on Craigslist or anywhere else. WARNING: Any Craigslist casting post that asks you to pay money for any reason — registration fees, headshot costs, audition fees, portfolio development, agency placement fees — is a scam without exception. Legitimate casting calls never charge actors money, period. Similarly, any post that requires you to sign up for a paid external service, purchase specific products, or provide financial information is fraudulent. The free nature of Craigslist is the only reason it has any utility as a casting resource — it costs nothing to check, which is the only thing that justifies the time spent filtering through low-quality listings. But the absence of any fee structure also means there are no barriers to posting fraudulent or dangerous listings.

ActorsJunction strongly recommends using dedicated casting platforms instead of Craigslist for discovering performance opportunities. If you do choose to browse Craigslist, exercise extreme caution and follow every safety protocol discussed in this guide. Never pay to audition, never provide financial information, never go to a private residence for an audition alone, and always verify the production independently before responding. New actors should avoid Craigslist entirely until they have enough industry experience to reliably identify scams and unsafe situations. Experienced actors who browse Craigslist should treat every listing with skepticism until verified through independent research. The legitimate free casting resources listed elsewhere in this guide — Project Casting, Casting Call Hub, Haalp, and others — provide far safer alternatives for discovering indie and micro-budget opportunities. If a casting opportunity seems too good to be true, it is.

If you browse Craigslist for casting despite the warnings, never respond to a post from your personal email — create a separate email address used exclusively for casting responses that does not include your real name. Never include your home address, phone number, or other personal identifying information in your initial response to a Craigslist casting post. Research every production company, director, and casting professional named in a listing through Google, IMDb, and social media before responding — legitimate professionals will have verifiable online presences. Never audition alone at a private residence — only attend auditions at professional offices, studios, or public locations, and always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return. If a legitimate opportunity does come through Craigslist, transition the communication to a professional context as quickly as possible — ask for the production company website, verify the crew on IMDb, and insist on meeting at a professional location. Trust your instincts — if anything about a listing or subsequent communication feels wrong, unprofessional, or pressuring, walk away immediately.