A HEADSHOT FOR ACTORS? THAT'S JUST A PHOTO, RIGHT?

I started pushing marketing yourself as an actor and offering advice way back in 2008 and onwards, when actors would look at me as if I was a little loopy.  “I will learn how to market myself when I have to… right now I am concentrating on my acting skills” was the common response.  Of course today, actors are starting to realise that to get work, they need to have a sellable product and to sell that product you need to know how to market it.  Learn about the Industry I would drum into actors and for those who listened… They are now making a go of it in LA.  Take control of your own career.

Over the last few years due to illness, making a film and getting the all New Perth Film Network together ready to launch in 2014, I have not really been out there giving advice or helping people as I have in the past.  Over the last few months, however, I have been getting more and more frustrated looking at actors headshots and the bad advice I am seeing on facebook and workshops who are not entirely up front with what they are selling.  I am constantly told from actors that they are so confused as to what is the right advice.  Simply all advice you are given is opinion.  You need to work out yourself what works for you and do your own research.  You are going to hear me say that repeatedly through this blog.  

So today I want to give you a little advice and my opinion on Headshots.  One of the most important tools in your marketing toolbox and you need to get this right and I mean RIGHT!

The Perth Film Network will not be running any form of service in the future that involves taking headshots or actually cutting showreels etc.  The Network will be purely a support/information organisation who will provide education and support to Actors and Filmmakers to make them independent in the film world and to learn to make their own choices that will benefit their career. But we will probably help filmmakers learn how to cut showreels (and Actors) and also photographers for Headshot’s as I have done the 5 years of research, so I intend to pass it on.

So….  Headshots and marketing. Who’s responsibility is it?  YOURS and purely yours alone.  It’s  your career.  You are the Manufacturer, Marketer and Executive of your product/business (you). Agents and Managers work for you…  You make the decisions.  To make the right decisions you need to understand the Industry and that means research.  If something doesn’t work out for you, point that finger solely back your way.  The information is out there and you have access to it.

The one thing that I have always told people, and will continue to do so, is that you need to take control of your own career.  YOU need to make the choices and to do that you need to understand who you are and what works best for you.  It is not a one size fits all.  Not all styles of headshots are going to work for everyone.  Why?  Well we are not all the same, we don’t look the same, we don’t have the same colouring or personality.  A headshot is a very personal exercise.  It’s about showing who you are that will make a casting director, director or producer stop and look.  So how do you do that?

WHAT IS A HEADSHOT?

A headshot is a marketing tool, that simple.  It is not about how beautiful or handsome you are, it’s about casting you in a show or film as a character and all characters are not made up models, they come in all shapes, sizes and personalities.  You don’t want to look like everyone else, you want to show your uniqueness, how you really look and most of all it must show your personality.  You are telling a story about you and what types of characters you could possibly play.  If you walk into a room and the casting director says you don’t look like your headshot… then you are pretty much on the back foot already, because the person they want to cast in the photo… doesn’t exist.

WHO ARE YOU?

Sounds like such an easy question doesn’t it?  Well you will be surprised how quickly you stumble on it.  So many actors really don’t know who they are or what makes them stand out from everyone else.  What makes you unique?  I know you may laugh… but it may just be that crooked nose, the mole on your cheek, your scar over your eyebrow.  But you hate those things about you, Right? Photoshop them out you say?  That is the one thing you don’t do.  They are a part of you, they make you who you are visually and you need to embrace them and let them work for you.  We never see ourselves as other do, we always see the negatives…. So you need to learn to celebrate the uniqueness that is you and be confident with who you are, because this is a good thing.  Let your personality shine through your eyes like a hypnotic beacon.  Be free to be you and all the characters you could ever play lie in this photo.  So be the best you are and confident in who you are.

KNOW YOUR TYPE.

Not everyone can be the leading lady or the leading man.  Everyone has a type they just fit into naturally.  You could be the salesman, the lawyer, the bad boy/girl, boy/girl next door, cop, mum/dad etc.

If you are a skinny guy, who is not fit and uncoordinated, then the odds are, you are probably not going to be the leading Action Guy, but you could be the comedy sidekick.  While you may see yourself that way and believe you could play that role, you just don’t fit the stereotype and unfortunately, no matter how hard you fight it, Hollywood/film/TV are stereotypical and it’s something that you have to make work for you.  So your headshot needs to reflect you and the character you could play.  Most Casting Directors have already made up their minds whether you will fit the role or not in the first 5 seconds you walk in the room, even before you start the scene.  Typecasting is a huge part of this industry, learn to use it to your advantage. Once you are famous then you can branch out a little and go against your type.  But getting your foot in the door, is all about understanding your type and being the best you can be at it.
How to find out your type.
Ask people, anyone, who they see you as.  Are you a lawyer, the girl next door, a doctor etc.  We all watch movies, we are the buying public, so your friends, family, workmates etc can all tell you instantly what they can see you playing.  Your personality, the way you walk, your mannerisms, how you look all become factors in how people will typecast you and they will do it without thinking.  Don’t take offense, listen and use it to your advantage.

YOUR HEADSHOT NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE YOU!!!

One of the biggest mistakes I see with actors is they try so hard to look pretty or perfect in their headshots.  They pile on the makeup that usually makes them look a lot older.  Cover things they don’t like with photoshop skin smoothing.  Their photo looks more like a model glamour shot and looks nothing like them. So the no no’s are this:

NO PHOTOSHOP:  Now if you have a big red pimple on your nose or a sore on your face that is not usually there, then absolutely get the photographer to remove it.  But absolutely no skin smoothing or enhancements, this includes the eyes. I see a lot of headshots where the eyes have been overworked.  Any colour adjustment needs to show a natural tone.

NO HEAVY MAKEUP:  The casting director wants to see you as you naturally are.  So makeup needs to be just that, Natural!  No heavy blush, eye shadow or lipstick. Keep to the neutral colours, just enough to give your face colour and a healthy glow.  Don’t try and be older than you are, if you look young embrace that for as long as you can, it’s an asset to be able to play a teenager as an adult.

NO LOUD CLOTHES:  You don’t want anything in this photo to detract from your face, not for a moment.  When you look at a photo you should be immediately drawn straight to the eyes and nothing else.  So if you have clothes with big patterns, extremely bright colours, this will take the attention away from you.  You should have at least two looks and those looks will depend upon your type… Keep shades neutral.

CHOOSING A PHOTOGRAPHER This is very important and you need to do your research. Recommendations are the way to go, but don’t just blindly go on that recommendation or the fact that a casting director or director etc recommended them.  Not all photographers suit all actors and not all photographers know what is required to do headshots.  So it is important first of all that you do know what you need and that your photographer understands what that is.  Don’t blindly trust. Research the photographer you are looking at going with, look at their work and chat to them to be sure that you get on with them and they can give you what you need.  You also want to know what you are getting for your money. Remember they are taking the one photo that can get you work.  You want the right photographer.  Also don’t fall for the “I am too busy to meet or talk with you routine…“ Simply move on to someone else.  Make sure you meet with your photographer beforehand.

There are a few things to be aware of:  It’s important that you are in control of every aspect of your shoot in regards to choice, so you really need to educate yourself.  This is your headshot and your career.  Make sure you get the best headshot for YOU!  One thing to look out for and be wary of is workshops that advertise headshot sessions at a low price and don’t actually tell you who the photographer is or how the photographs will be taken.  In this instance they are not being up front with you and denying you the opportunity to research the photographer.  They will do the sales pitch that their photographer knows what is required and they are an industry professional.  Don’t trust the sales pitch, find out for yourself.

These types of photo sessions are like a production line and individual needs are not always taken into consideration.  You all have the same environment and that may not necessarily suit you.  You must always have the option to research and meet the person who is doing your headshot.  It doesn’t matter who is running the workshop… when I see advertising like this red flags go up for me as these people are not being totally open about what they are selling.

Also be careful of fashion photographers etc.  They have a certain style that will not work for a Headshot, if you have a photographer that you like in this area, make sure that he can take natural and engaging photos also.  Just because a photographer may be famous/well known, doesn’t mean they can take good headshots.

Having the right photographer is crucial… Take your time to find one that works for you.

LIGHTING AND BACKGROUNDS – STUDIO OR NATURAL?

It actually doesn’t matter which you choose they are both accepted.  How it is lit though is important and simply it needs to look natural… No dramatic or creative lighting… We just want to see you as you naturally are.


There are things to consider though.  Your skin type and hair colour for example can play a big part in your decision on where you shoot your headshots.  I saw a headshot recently on facebook where a lady was very pale, her makeup was pale and she had blonde hair.  She chose a white background.  Can you guess what happened?  Yep… She blended into the background.  Take the time to work out what will work the best.  Remember you need to be the centre of attention so any backgrounds etc need to be out of focus if in a natural setting, otherwise it will detract from you.

BLACK AND WHITE  VS COLOUR
Okay here’s the thing, yes, once upon a time, a long time ago, industry standard headshots were black and white.  Long time ago we had black and white Films and Television… So that made sense.  That was A LONG TIME AGO….Today we have High Definition colour and guess what? You are in colour. Fancy that… So black and white photos are not the go.
Yes, I know.  In Perth a lot of agents/casting directors still request black and white shots and that is fine.  It is easy to convert colour photo to black and white.
Make sure ALL your headshots are shot in colour!!

TURN UP AS AN ACTOR AND NOT A MANIKIN
I see headshots so often that have absolutely no soul.  There is NOTHING going on in the eyes they may as well be a manikin in a store window. 
I know that having a still photo taken can feel so fake.  I personally hate having my photo taken and when someone asks me to pose…Hell no.  Yes I fight it.  But I also know that if I come in with my acting game then this would be a different scenario all together.
A still camera is just the same as a video camera…it just takes a moment in time and you can still do all your acting skills, even move, whatever it takes to get that natural and real photo that just says HI this is me…  It is up to the photographer to capture that and in some instances you may need to take the lead.

There are some wonderfully talented photographers out there who really know how to direct and talk to their clients to get those great shots, I am lucky to know a few of them, but then there are others who have their set poses and ways of doing things that may not work for you.  You don’t want to be posed.  You want to be different, you want to be you, you want to be REAL!
Remember it is your photo session, be the master of it.

LOOK AT THE CAMERA.. Look straight down the lens of the camera, not off into the horizon or at your feet or in the air or even at the photographer.  We want to engage with you, see your eyes. Can’t do that if you are looking somewhere else.

BE AT YOUR BEST

Rest the night before, don’t come straight off a shoot or a party where you are hung over/tired.  If you are not feeling the best due to illness, postpone the shoot until you are well again.

WHAT SIZE SHOULD MY FINISHED PRINTS BE?

As all photos are digital these days, photographers will usually supply the chosen High Resolution photos on CD so you can get them printed. All your prints should be 8 x 10 and be printed at high quality.  Most agents prefer a border and also some agents prefer to print them themselves.  So I recommend that you check with your agent.  If you don’t have an agent.  If you choose a border, make sure that the writing is standard text and the border is not too thick.  You don’t want anything taking attention away from your face.

TO FINISH OFF.
So this information is not based on any particular standard.  It is not LA Standard, Australian Standard…or anything, but it applies to all.  It’s about working out what will sell you!  There are guidelines, but ultimately it’s about what makes you stand out and gets attention.  Look at it as if you were casting for a film.  What would you cast your friends in, then stand back and be honest with yourself and work out what you would cast yourself in?  Understand how the process works, understand how the Industry works and then work out how you can make that work for you.
Most importantly of all HAVE FUN with your headshots… I mean REALLY!  Oh what magic will come forth.

So which of the photos in this blog speak to you?  Who would you cast and in what?

Happy Researching. 

Debbie.