Breaking into Acting For Dummies. Larry Garrison

You know yourself better than anyone else. Go with your gut when choosing the type of roles you want to portray and how to represent yourself in photos. If your agent is adamant about a certain look, be open to his suggestions.

      

When people look at your head shot, they should be able to identify a characteristic of your unique personality. If different people look at your head shot and come away with different impressions of what type of person you are, your head shot may not be doing its job. (Unless, of course, it’s getting you work.)

      Making the most of your photo session

      After your consultation, the final step is your actual photography session. This session will capture the way you look for others to see for months (or even years) to come, so make sure that you’re as relaxed and comfortable as possible.

Give yourself plenty of time to travel to your photography session, bring all the clothes you plan to wear (and keep them organized so you can find what you want right away), bring any makeup you want to use, and (most importantly) be happy. If you just broke up with your boyfriend or girlfriend, you’ll express those emotions, and they probably won’t help you capture a very good head shot. In these cases, reschedule your photo shoot rather than capture a poor head shot.

      Don’t bring anyone along to your photography session unless it’s a professional makeup artist. You need as few distractions as possible, and a friend (however well-meaning) will likely distract you.

      During your photography session, the photographer may suggest different poses and help you relax by telling jokes, asking you questions, or talking about nothing at all. The point is to capture that split second when your look is absolutely perfect for a head shot, so cooperate with your photographer.

Getting Your Head Shot Ready

      Within an agreed upon time after your head shot photography session, your photographer will provide you with the photos. Study each image carefully and decide which one you want to use for your head shot. Don’t be afraid to ask your agent or manager to recommend the best images.

      After you’ve chosen a particular image and any needed retouch is completed, the next step is to post those head shots to sites that represent you and your work. Chapter 7 identifies the sites we recommend.

      

You can’t use the same name as a famous celebrity, even if your real name happens to be Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts. That’s because no one wants to think that the “real” Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts is appearing in a film when it’s really an unknown actor with the same name. Check with the Screen Actors Guild and Actors’ Equity to see if your real name or stage name is already taken. If so, you may have to change it slightly, such as using your formal name (Thomas Cruise instead of Tom Cruise), an informal version of your name (such as Julie Roberts instead of Julia Roberts), or adding or dropping a middle name or initial (such as Samuel Jackson instead of Samuel L. Jackson).

Publicizing Your Head Shot with a Twist

      Everyone needs a head shot. However, you may also consider using your head shot for postcards and business cards for your personal use in networking:

       Postcards are especially useful as thank-you notes (and don’t forget to include your contact information on these post cards, too!). By displaying a miniature version of your head shot, they also put your name and face in front of a casting director for a second time.

       Printing your head shot on business cards is a great way to promote yourself. Carrying around and handing out business cards is quick and easy — not to mention inexpensive as well.

Avoiding Problems with Head Shots

      Your head shot provides the first impression that most agents and casting directors get of you. Make a great first impression, and you get a chance to make a second impression, which can lead to that all-important callback (or better yet, an actual role in a production). But if you make a poor first impression with your head shot, you may never get a chance to audition for any roles, even if you’re the best actor in the world. Here are a couple points to consider.

      Is that really you?

      The most common complaint among casting directors is meeting actors who don’t look anything like their head shots. Often, the head shot portrays a young, glamorous actor who looks like someone who could play a supermodel or a body builder. Yet when the casting director finally meets that actor in person, in walks a person who looks nothing like the head shot. Refer to the earlier section, “Picking the right look,” for more information.

      Technical problems: You look great but your head shot still stinks

      You may look exactly like your head shot, and your head shot may perfectly reflect your unique personality. Yet your head shot still won’t be perfect if it isn’t free from a variety of technical problems that could make your head shot a liability instead of an asset.

Some common technical problems include head shots that are out of focus, blurry, or too light (or too dark). A head shot needs to portray your face clearly so casting directors can see what type of look you present.

      Make sure that the professional photographer’s samples are in focus with nondescriptive backgrounds and that the photos jump out to you.

Using Film to Represent Your Work

      Casting directors, producers, agents, and managers want to see a representation of your talent. If you have acted in film, television, theater, or any other type of production, use that video clip to show your work. Because auditions are sometimes recorded at home on your phone, it’s in your best interest to send those recordings to casting directors rather than sending nothing at all.

      

Make sure you figure out how to record your audition professionally from your home, if you aren’t called in to a casting director’s office.

      Some actors construct acting pieces and put them on YouTube as examples for work. You can use whatever you have that truly represents your best work to promote yourself.

      

Don’t use anything that looks unprofessional or that would insult anyone in the industry.

      

As you progress as a working actor, you’ll have more professional clips to use as an example of your talent.

Chapter 5

      Creating a Five-Star Acting Resume

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      

Making up your acting resume to look like a star

      

Highlighting the important info