Amateur actors perform in theatre and film productions, usually for little or no pay. Although amateur actors are mostly hired as extras, cost-efficient productions (such as so-called “tele-novelas”) also occasionally build their entire cast of lay actors. Apart from financial reasons, amateur actors are also occasionally preferred over well-known professionals for the purpose of increasing the realistic impact of a film. Particularly productions aiming for documentary character (“scripted-reality” formats) tend toward the hiring of amateurs. Amateur actors are contracted through specific agencies, occasionally however they are hired on location directly, which is typically the case in milieu studies.