I am so proud that several of the actors I have shot recently have signed with high level managers and agents…
Andy Kelso: The Gage Group
Lela Edgar: Media Artists
Noa Kain: Kass and Stokes Management
Khalil Kain: Innovative Artists
Kimberly Atkinson: KSR
Noah Hunt: Industry Entertainment
Also, many of the actors I have shot have been auditioning for pilots and going straight to producers this season, congratulations!!
I think it’s really important that actors do their homework when it comes to getting their headshots. The best headshots happen when the actor is really prepared. Watch the shows that you want to be on, watch the shows that you love and the actors that are playing your parts on those shows. See how they are dressed. Ask questions like:
What is their class? How are they implying their character through their wardrobe? What colors look best on tv?
You can ask the same questions about commercials too. Look at the products that the actors your age are selling on tv.
It’s also helpful to look at the breakdowns for roles that you have auditioned for or think you should have auditioned for. How was that character described? What about the description fits you?
You can say so much with a headshot, make sure that you think about how you market yourself. If you want one of your head shot looks to be an upscale Senator’s wife or the CEO of a company, then you should look expensive. On the flip side, if you want to look blue-collar, then you would not wear that same outfit.
Ok, so we talk all the time about how the headshot you should print is not necessarily the photo your mom is going to want to frame and put on the wall. We all want to choose the one that we look the “prettiest” in, and that is not always the most interesting choice. Have you ever played that game with friends where you will look at someone sitting at the mall or at a restaurant and try to come up with a story for that persons life?
It goes something like this:
Girl 1:
I bet she was a high school cheerleader and she married the quarterback of the football team and had 2 kids and he left her for some lovely young thing…
Guy 1:
No way. She settled but now she is starting her own business. She is tough and willful…
Well, that’s what your headshots should do. They should tell a story. Of course it isn’t your acting story, it’s a full life story. A casting director should see the picture and want to know more about you. That is where “looks” come in. If you have the photo of the ex-cheerleader who is starting her own business, then another “look” can be a smart. savvy business woman or a devoted mom? These are all ideas that clothing and attitude can hint toward.
When you are choosing which photo to use, choose the one that tells the best and most interesting life story.
I am instantly attracted to actors who’s eyes are alive and sparkling. The thing I always tell my clients during the shoot is KEEP YOUR BRAIN BUSY! Don’t let your mind go blank. I don’t care if you are thinking about what you are making for dinner, going over lines in your head or simply observing the camera and what we are doing in that moment, but you should have a thought in your head at all times during the shoot. A busy brain makes your eyes come alive. There is nothing worse that a vacant looking actor. It seems like an easy concept, but you’d be amazed how many actors are glazed over in their photos.
This is the new and improved website, feel free to click around and contact me if you have any questions. I am new at this blog thing and I will try to use it to answer questions and give any insight that I can.