If I’m auditioning for the role of a husband, I wear a polo shirt, and casting directors think, “Nice – some woman tolerates this guy.” And I think, “I’d get married in real life, but I like sex too much.”Let’s put a bow on this bitch:
Get in your grill. These days, most headshots are submitted to casting directors electronically. The good news: you’ll save money not needing so many hard copies. The bad news: you’re now reduced to a mere thumbnail on a page full of your competitors, which means it’s important to feature a close-up of your face, as opposed to a ¾ body shot, which was all the rage back in the hard copy days. Oh, and the horribly shitty news: the number of competitors on that page can be up to 17,000 for each role. But that’s a different blog entry for a different day, and remember – the theme of this whole shebang is to get your butt out to LA, where the competition certainly hasn’t discouraged me. 16,900 of those headshots will be lifeless ones that won’t jump off the screen like yours, of actors who won’t have marketed themselves as effectively as you. I got your back.
Just like Tron. Only different. The best advice I ever received from a casting director regarding headshots is that they really should “glow.” She couldn’t quite put it into words, but she showed me a screen full of thumbnail-sized headshots, and as she scrolled down, some of them just jumped off the page, while others faded back. It was maybe the color, lighting, closeness of the shot or a combination of all three. Do that. You’re not coming all the way out here to be anyone’s background.
Shoot them, replenish bank account, repeat. The expiration date on headshots is about two years. By then that Tommy Bahama shirt you wore will be out of style (let’s face it – it was never in style), you’ll have an even better idea which roles you play well and a fresh set of headshots is a great reason to send them/market yourself to casting directors. Also, you may have a new agent at this point who wants you to get ones facilitated by them. By the way, your agent will insist on choosing your wardrobe for the shoot, and that’s exactly what you’re going to let them do. Trust me when I say that if you comply with your agent’s every wish, you will enjoy a honeymoon phase that’ll have you auditioning your ass off.
That’s all I’ve got for now. Lengthy? Yes, but if you aren’t detail-oriented with your headshots, just go ahead and print them on two-ply. Do it right, and when you receive your first set, grab a Sharpee and autograph one for me. I promise I’ll try and think about maybe not hocking it on eBay when your career blows up.
