This should be equally informative for artists as well as
others. Judging from the headlines a lot of people are currently in between
jobs and I’m sure would benefit from some extra work.
Background Work:
One interesting and fun gig is actually working as
background aka extras for movies and TV. Any time your favorite characters are
in a restaurant, bar, concert, on the street the people around them are extras.
Often they will need people of all ages and all ethnicities for this type of
work because different sets demand different things. You don’t have to be a
great actor to do this because it involves doing everyday things, so don’t be
intimidated. Usually background work DOES require you to be on a set for long
hours so you can bring a book along or your laptop and get some work done. It’s
great because you are getting paid to study and catch up on work. You should
not commit to doing this on a day that you have anything else planned. The
amount of time they will need you for is completely unpredictable so make sure
you do background work on a day that you are completely free.
A few agencies that cast background in are:
Central Casting- http://www.centralcasting.org/
Sylvia Fay- http://www.sylviafaycasting.com/
Grant Wilfey -http://www.gwcnyc.com/
Promotions - Another
fun job is doing promotions. These jobs are often listed in the events section
of craigslist and may include passing out samples of a product as a brand
ambassador, working a tradeshow, street team work and hosting events. A few
companies that hire for promotions are:
http://www.redlightmarketinggroup.com/
http://www.integer.com/
http://interferenceinc.com/
A few other ideas for flexible work while you are job
hunting that you can look into are: catering, tutoring, substitute teaching,
translating, and getting work through a temp agency. The information above
varies depending on where you live but you can find work locally by looking up
companies that provide staff for that work in your area.