Joining a Film Union · Teamsters (Motion Picture Division)
Casting: how to join the Teamsters
Casting directors and their teams find and audition the actors who fill every role, from leads to background. In the West, casting directors are covered by Teamsters Local 399, and the associate and assistant path runs through casting offices.
Good to know
Another surprise: casting directors and their associates are Teamsters (Locals 399 and 817), and have been since 2006, not the Casting Society. The CSA is an honorary professional society, not your union, so the real path runs through casting offices, associate up, while the Teamsters cover the contract.
Roles in this craft
The jobs that make up this craft, each with its own page on pay, the day-to-day, and how to break in.
How to join, step by step
Know your union
- Casting directors and associates are Teamsters (Locals 399 and 817), not the Casting Society.
- The CSA is an honorary society, not your bargaining union.
Come up through a casting office
- Casting assistant, then associate, inside a working casting office is the path: no CDL, no set-day grind.
- You learn breakdowns, sessions, and the relationships casting runs on.
Work covered casting
- Covered casting on signatory film and TV is what counts toward joining.
- Non-union and commercial casting builds the resume and contacts.
Join through the local
- Enough covered work lets you join Local 399 or 817.
- Keep your casting credits and deal memos.
What you’ll need
- Casting-office experience: assistant or associate credits (no CDL, this is an office craft)
- Fluency with breakdowns, session running, and self-tape workflows
- Relationships with agents, managers, and casting directors
- Covered casting credits on signatory film/TV
Find your local
Teamsters (Motion Picture Division) membership runs through a local for your market. Look up the one that covers where you work on the union’s site.