Casting calls in Arizona are mostly commercials: national brands shoot in Phoenix and Scottsdale all year, while Tucson and Northern Arizona host westerns, features and location work. Union background pays $231 per 8 hours in 2026, Arizona’s minimum wage is $15.15 an hour, and a refundable state film tax credit of 15–20% is drawing more film and TV work.
Arizona's screen work is not what most people picture. The westerns and desert road movies still come, but the day-to-day business in Phoenix is commercials: national brands shooting spots against Arizona light and landscape, week after week. In the 2025–26 fiscal year, Greater Phoenix logged 1,531 shoot days and nearly 6,000 local crew and talent bookings, and commercials made up the majority of the spending.
That makes Arizona a strong market for commercial actors, models, families and real-people casting, with a growing layer of film and television work on top since the state brought back its film tax credit in 2023.
This guide covers where the casting work is in Arizona, what casting calls pay in 2026, who does the casting, what parents need to check before a child works, and how to spot a fake Arizona casting call.
Where the casting work is in Arizona
Phoenix and the Valley
Phoenix is the state's production hub. According to the city's film office, Greater Phoenix productions generated $28.4 million in direct spending in the fiscal year that ended 30 June 2026, an increase of about 18% on the year before. Commercials accounted for 62% of that spending, with campaigns for brands including Nike, Hyundai, Progressive, Carvana, Southwest Airlines and T-Mobile. Arizona-based production companies pulled 44% of the filming permits, which means a lot of this work is cast locally. See casting calls in Phoenix and Phoenix commercial casting.
Tucson and Southern Arizona
Tucson carries Arizona's western heritage. Old Tucson Studios and the Mescal and Gammon's Gulch movie sets near Benson still host westerns, period pieces and music videos, alongside independent features, documentaries and Spanish-language productions that use the border region. See casting calls in Tucson.
Northern Arizona
Flagstaff, Sedona, Page and Monument Valley are mostly location shoots: commercials, car spots and features that come for the landscape. Principal roles on these usually cast out of Phoenix or Los Angeles, with background hired locally.
What do casting calls in Arizona pay?
Union scale, effective 1 July 2026
Productions working under a SAG-AFTRA agreement pay the same minimums in Arizona as anywhere else in the country.
- Background actor: $231 per 8 hours
- Special ability background: $241 per 8 hours
- Stand-in: $270 per 8 hours
- Day performer: $1,283 per day
- Weekly performer: $4,456 per week
Non-union and commercial work
Most Arizona commercial work is non-union, and the rates vary with the brand and the usage. Featured extras and real-people roles on national spots are often paid far more than background on a film, while small local and web projects pay much less. Always check whether a rate includes or adds an agency fee, and what usage you are signing away.
Arizona's minimum wage rose to $15.15 an hour on 1 January 2026, and Flagstaff and Tucson set higher local minimums.
Arizona is a right-to-work state. You can work on a union production here without being required to join SAG-AFTRA.
Arizona's film tax credit
Arizona brought back a film incentive in 2022. The Motion Picture Production Program offers a refundable tax credit of 15% to 20% of qualifying in-state production costs, with extra percentage points for hiring Arizona residents and for using a qualified production facility. Commercials, music videos and reality television can qualify, not just films and series, and the Arizona Commerce Authority can preapprove up to $125 million in credits a year.
A court upheld the program in a 2025 legal challenge, and an appeal was expected. For actors, the practical effect is more feature and series work on top of Arizona's commercial base, and a financial reason for productions to hire locally.
What kinds of roles get cast in Arizona?
Commercials and real-people casting
This is the heart of the Arizona market. Brands cast families, athletes, retirees, outdoor types and everyday people as often as trained actors. A natural on-camera presence and an up-to-date, honest set of photos matter more here than a long résumé. Browse commercial casting calls.
Background and extras
Features and series shooting in Arizona hire background locally, and western and period productions need riders, wranglers and people comfortable in costume in the heat. No agent or experience is required. See extras casting calls.
Print and modeling
Phoenix and Scottsdale host a steady flow of lifestyle, resort, fitness and fashion shoots. See modeling casting calls in Phoenix.
Specialty and western skills
Horse riding, roping, desert driving, sports and stunt experience are genuinely useful in Arizona. List every skill you could demonstrate on set tomorrow.
Popular casting categories in Arizona
Who casts in Arizona?
Good Faith Casting, based in Scottsdale with an office in Albuquerque, is the best-known casting company in the state and handles commercial, film and background casting across the Southwest. Its founder is often credited with spotting a young Emma Stone at Phoenix's Valley Youth Theatre. Many national commercials shooting in Arizona are cast by Los Angeles offices with local support, so a complete online profile matters as much as local relationships. The Arizona Production Association is also a useful community for actors who want to know what is shooting.
Child performers in Arizona
Rules for child performers vary a lot from state to state, so do not assume the California rules you may have read about apply here. Before your child works, ask the production exactly what paperwork, school arrangements and on-set supervision it provides. On union productions, SAG-AFTRA's rules for minors apply, including limits on hours and on-set teachers.
Whatever the production requires, consider opening a blocked trust account for your child's earnings yourself. Several credit unions that serve performers offer them with no minimum deposit.
How to spot a fake Arizona casting call
You never pay to audition. Not for a registration fee, a mandatory photo shoot, a workshop that promises a callback or travel booked before you have a signed contract.
- Unexpected texts or messages offering you a role you never applied for
- Any request for money, bank details or a Social Security number before a signed booking
- Guaranteed roles or guaranteed representation
- Pressure to decide immediately
Report suspected scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Casting calls in nearby states: California · New Mexico · Utah · Texas · Nevada · Colorado
Official sources: Arizona Commerce Authority: Film and Digital Media · SAG-AFTRA
Find casting calls in Arizona on allcasting
allcasting is a casting marketplace: verified casting professionals post roles and talent applies directly. Applying is free, and nobody on the platform can promise you a role.
- Browse Phoenix and Tucson casting calls, updated daily
- Go straight to commercial casting in Phoenix, the busiest category in the state
- Start with extras work to learn how a professional set runs
- Read how brands cast everyday people in our guide to finding commercial auditions near you
10/15/20269/20/20269/16/20269/14/20269/4/2026How To
Build a Profile Commercial Casting Can Book From
Arizona casting is commercial-first, and commercial casting moves fast: a brand needs a specific type, casting searches profiles, and offers go out within days. Your profile is your audition. Make sure your photos, sizes, skills and availability are current and honest, so you can be booked from a search without a callback.
- 1Shoot Photos That Show Exactly How You Look TodayCommercial casting books from photos. Take a clean headshot and a full-length shot in natural light, with no heavy filters or retouching, and update them whenever your hair or weight changes. Add a short, natural video of you talking to camera if the platform allows it.Pro Tip: Brands cast real people. If you are a parent, an athlete, a nurse or a rancher, say so; it is often the reason you get picked.
- 2Keep Your Availability and Skills CurrentArizona commercial shoots often book days before filming. Keep your availability, location and skills up to date, including riding, sports, driving and any trade or professional background, so casting can book you straight from a search.Pro Tip: Respond to booking requests quickly. On fast commercial turnarounds, the first available person who fits often gets the job.
- 3Read the Rate, the Fee and the UsageBefore you accept, check the day rate, whether an agency fee is added or deducted, and how long and where the commercial will run. Usage is part of what you are being paid for. Never pay to audition, and never send bank details before you have a signed booking.Pro Tip: On a union commercial, SAG-AFTRA rules set the session fee and usage payments. On non-union work, everything is in the booking terms, so read them.
Q&A
Are there real casting calls in Arizona?
How much do extras and commercial actors get paid in Arizona?
Is Arizona a right-to-work state?
Which Arizona cities have the most casting calls?
Does Arizona have a film tax credit?
Who are the main casting companies in Arizona?
Can children work on Arizona productions?
How can I tell if an Arizona casting call is fake?
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