Sande Alessi Casting

Sande Alessi Casting is one of the most well-established and respected background casting companies in Los Angeles, run by veteran casting director Sande Alessi, who has been working in the industry for over three decades. The company has built its reputation on an ability to cast large-scale background scenes efficiently — think crowd sequences, period pieces requiring dozens of costumed extras, and complex scenes where the background action needs to look authentic and populated. Sande Alessi Casting has provided background talent for a remarkable list of major feature films, television series, and commercial productions over the years. The company is particularly well-known in the industry for handling productions that need specialized or large-volume background talent, settings where precision and reliability are especially critical. As one of the longest-running independent background casting operations in LA, the company carries significant credibility with production companies and assistant directors throughout the industry.

What sets Sande Alessi Casting apart from other background casting companies is its hands-on, personal approach to matching actors with productions. While Central Casting operates at massive scale with automated systems, Sande Alessi Casting relies more heavily on direct knowledge of its registered talent and personal relationships with production teams. The company is especially active on social media, where it posts specific casting calls that often require particular looks, period-appropriate appearances, specific ethnicities, age ranges, or specialized skills. This social media presence has made Sande Alessi Casting one of the most visible and accessible background casting companies for actors in the Los Angeles area. The company's reputation for professionalism and quality has kept it in demand with major studios and production companies despite the competitive landscape of background casting in Hollywood.

Actors can register with Sande Alessi Casting by submitting their information and current photos through the company's website at sandealessicasting.com and by following their active social media accounts, particularly on Facebook and Instagram, where specific casting calls are posted regularly. The submission process typically involves providing current, unedited photos showing your face clearly along with a full-body shot, your height, weight, clothing sizes, hair and eye color, contact information, and any special skills or unique attributes. Unlike Central Casting's more formalized registration process, Sande Alessi Casting tends to operate more on a per-project basis — you may submit generally to be in their database, but the most common path to getting booked is responding to specific casting calls posted on their social media pages. Speed is essential when responding to these calls, as positions often fill within hours of being posted.

When you are booked through Sande Alessi Casting, the experience follows the standard background work workflow — you receive detailed instructions about your call time, set location, wardrobe requirements, and any special instructions for the production. The company is known for providing clear, organized communication to booked talent, which reduces the confusion that sometimes accompanies background work. Sande Alessi Casting handles both SAG-AFTRA and non-union background talent, and the company works on a wide range of productions from major studio features with crowd scenes requiring hundreds of extras to smaller-scale television work requiring precise background placement. One area where the company particularly excels is period productions, where finding background actors who can convincingly portray people from specific historical eras requires careful attention to appearance, and Sande Alessi's team has deep experience in this type of casting.

Sande Alessi Casting attracts background actors from across the spectrum of the LA talent community, but it is particularly valuable for actors with distinctive or specialized looks that match the type of specific calls the company frequently posts. This includes actors with period-appropriate appearances, military bearing, specific ethnic backgrounds, unusual physical characteristics, or specialized skills like horseback riding, ballroom dancing, or martial arts. Both SAG-AFTRA members and non-union performers are cast regularly, and the company values reliability and professionalism above all else. Actors who respond promptly to casting calls, show up on time, follow wardrobe instructions precisely, and conduct themselves professionally on set tend to become preferred talent that the company calls on repeatedly. The company's social media following includes thousands of Los Angeles-based actors, many of whom monitor the pages daily for new casting opportunities.

Sande Alessi Casting charges no fees whatsoever to actors — there is no registration cost, no subscription, no membership fee, and no premium tier. The company operates on the standard background casting business model, earning its revenue from the production side. Background actors are paid by the production company at standard rates, with SAG-AFTRA members earning approximately $208 minimum for an 8-hour day and non-union performers earning between $120 and $182 per day as of 2025. Bumps and adjustments for wardrobe, vehicles, special business, overtime, and other circumstances apply according to standard industry practices. The free nature of the service means there is no financial risk to registering and monitoring the company's casting calls, making it a pure upside opportunity for any Los Angeles-based background actor.

Los Angeles background actors should absolutely follow and register with Sande Alessi Casting as part of their background casting portfolio — it is free, well-respected, and provides access to types of productions and scenes that other casting companies may not handle. The company is particularly recommended for actors with unique or period-appropriate looks, specialized skills, or the ability to participate in large-scale crowd scenes. If you prefer a more structured, automated approach to finding background work, Central Casting should remain your primary registration, with Sande Alessi serving as a valuable supplement. If you are outside the Los Angeles market, this company will not be relevant to your background casting needs — look for the equivalent local background casting companies in your production market instead.

Turn on post notifications for Sande Alessi Casting's social media accounts so you see casting calls the moment they are posted, as the best opportunities fill up fast and even a few hours' delay can mean missing out. When responding to a specific casting call, read the requirements carefully and only submit if you genuinely match what is being requested — submitting for roles you clearly do not fit wastes the casting team's time and can damage your credibility for future calls. Include clear, current, well-lit photos with your submissions that show exactly what you look like today, not glamour shots or heavily filtered images. If you are interested in the specialty and period work that Sande Alessi is known for, invest in building a wardrobe portfolio that includes period-appropriate clothing, as having your own era-specific wardrobe pieces can make you significantly more bookable for these types of calls. Be prepared for physically demanding days when working on large crowd scenes, and always bring layers, comfortable shoes for standing, and personal supplies.