This week: Headshots; to have a border or not?
(Sunday, April 26, 2009)
To border or not to border... that is the question.
 This past week a reader sent me a question about the latest picture and resume trends. He had been hearing many conflicting opinions (shocking in our industry) about whether a headshot should have a border or be full bleed (i.e. no border). Every five or so years the “in” headshot format alters. Who the hell determines this? I have no fucking clue. The start and persistence of some trends is as mysterious as Donald Trump’s reddish-blonde mop.
As to who cares about the headshot trends? Actors and photographers. Who doesn’t care as much? The people who don’t hire photographers but hire actors.
So the question... to border or not to border? It doesn’t matter. What matters is that the headshot looks like you each and every time you step in front of an auditor for the life of that headshot. Not a glamor shot. An honest picture of your puss.
More headshot quandaries:
Matte finish or Sears Picture Studio glossy? Matte finish.
Horizontal or vertical? Just like sexual positions it doesn’t really matter much as long as both are done well.
In ACTING: Make It Your Business I have a full chapter on head shots plus good headshot examples (like the ones below):
and Freak File mishaps (similar to these below... Note: don’t let this happen to you):
So what have we learned this week? The current headshot trend for borders or not is; it doesn’t much. Matte finish is preferred plus your headshot and sex in any position is ok as long as all are done well.
For more on picture and resume formatting, examples of quality headshots, how to find a headshot photographer, to make-up or not make-up for a photo shoot and much more check out ACTING: Make It Your Business – How to Avoid Mistakes and Achieve Success as a Working Actor.
If you think this is a shameless self-promotional plug it’s not. My job on my career journey is to help and guide actors with and towards work so they can have a more successful career journey.
Besos,
Paul
Paul Russell Casting
SDC Director | Author, ACTING: Make It Your Business
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This week: Acting Job Opportunities Lost and Won - Getting work via your backpack, shoulder bag and/or back pocket...
(Sunday, April 19, 2009)
This past Christmas I and my partner (the talent agency owner) were on a plane heading to my parent’s Florida home. Because of booking the flight at last minute I was sitting next to a jock-type who was watching football on the Jet Blue in-flight TV while my partner was sitting one row behind watching, as is his custom, The Girls Next Door (Oh good God... he’ll never be CNN material).
When we got off the flight my other half and I began speaking about a work issue at his agency as we walked through the quiet, yet swank, Sarasota terminal. While at the rental car desk, behind us came a voice.
“Excuse me; I heard you were an agent?” There’s no escape even in Death’s sunny waiting room.
We turned ‘round and it was the football-watching, jock-type who I had been sitting next to for the past two hours. He was a New York based actor visiting his snowbird Sarasota parents as well.
He ignored me, not knowing what I do for cha-ching, and focused on my other half. He was polite, introduced his smiling folks... to my partner. Again, I was ignored. Which is O.K. I’m basically shy (yes, believe it) and love my anonymity. But I’m also a bit of a devil and love to play with human behavior. So after he presented to my partner his business card with his picture and turned to leave I couldn’t help but be mischievous and casually mentioned, “You know you were sitting for the last thousand miles next to a director and casting director.” Ping! I suddenly gained his attention, a parental introduction and of course deemed worthy of his business card.
Opportunist? Yes. Wrong? Yes and no.
This actor knew that here was an opportunity to introduce himself to gate keepers (agents and casting directors are nothing more than glorified employment agencies and human resources). He was right to begin a conversation. Where did he go wrong?
He would have been smarter had he had his picture and resume with him. A business card with a picture may work for funeral directors and car salesman (you always want a trust-worthy face handling your car and dead) but it has little relevance to agents, directors, casting directors, producers, and writers, anyone who provides work opportunities. It doesn’t help us getting to know the actor as an actor.
I’m surprised how many actors do not carry with them, at all times, some form of their picture and resume. That’s your business card! You never know who the hell you’ll run into and where. Just this past week I was walking in my suburbia neighborhood on my way to Whole Foods for my morning muffin and yogurt when someone called out “Paul Russell!”. It was an actor who had read my book. He went to offer me his contact info but came up empty. Now you may argue, “Well Paul, I can get the person’s contact info and e-mail or I can hard copy them my resume.” Good luck in getting a personal e-mail. Double the good luck chances that the e-mail will be opened or that you’ll be recalled.
Now caution note here about running into someone who can help advance your work goals: Talent reps., directors, writers, producers, choreographers, stage managers are the same as you when on the street or at a Starbucks. We're people. People, possibly like you, who enjoy privacy and anonymity. If you get into a conversation with an industry person who you think can help you in the future in obtaining work, be extremely tactful, polite and respectful of space. And treat us not as objects of use to you but as someone to get to know as a person. Don’t forget that we’re all people, not opportunities. That is so often forgotten. And when we’re treated as a doormat, it’s a big turn-off. I know talent reps who have been accosted by actors as the agents were shopping for underwear, getting their Sunday morning coffee, or sweating in a sauna.
If the person you run into asks for your picture and resume, of course give it to them. Don’t ambush. That happened to Alan Alda once in a hospital by a nurse who believed herself to be an actress. It pissed off Mr. Alda so much that he used the occurrence for fodder in a later movie. On my book tour I encountered, in each city, actors who could be runner-ups to Mr. Alda’s nurse-actress. I’d give the free, one-hour seminar on the business and then sign books that attendees generously purchased. People would wait in line for their turn to speak with me and have their copies of my book signed. And without fail, in each city, there were several actors who would wait in line without a book, come to the table hand me their picture and resume then ask me to keep them in mind for future casting. Excuse me?
What is most important in the message here is this: Try at all times to keep a picture a resume on you. One that is up-to-date, the picture and resume are stapled together and clean in appearance. Have it in some form; full or reduced to an over-sized postcard easier for constant carry. You may not run into an industry person on the street but there will be many times when you’re needed to be at an audition with very little notice. Sometimes only an hour’s notice. This happens often with film and TV casting.
I teach. Students at NYU, privately and as a visiting guest to campuses across the country. In every situation one of the first things I ask (including my weekly NYU students) is, “Who here has their picture and resume, stapled together, ready to hand to me or anyone in the industry you meet on the street who can get you work?” I’m lucky if one hand goes up. And forget about the stapled together request... that would be asking far too much.
Not having your business card (i.e. an updated picture and resume) with you as often as possible means that you are losing out on opportunities for future employment. It’s your career. Your opportunities for work lost or won.
Next Week: How to create a reduced, post-card size, continually upadetd P&R.
Besos,
Paul
Paul Russell Casting
SDC Director | Author, ACTING: Make It Your Business
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This week: An untapped marketing tool for actors
(Sunday, May 3, 2009)
I’m surprised this hasn’t been utilized by actors... when it comes to marketing and hustling to get work; the smarter actors tend to lead.
In my thirty year career as a director, casting director and former actor I have never once come across an actor (including my past self) who had a reduced, easy-to-pocket, up-to-date resume on them at all times.
As I wrote earlier on this blog, there have been many occasions when I encountered actors who had no form of a picture & resume (i.e. their business card) with them. I’m not talking about just at auditions (though actors without a P&R while in the job search mode in not uncommon). I’m offering a solution to those who foolishly go without their P&R for whatever reason, including “it’s to big to handle”. To be an actor without some form of a picture & resume with you at all times is poor business practice, asinine and laziness.
So how to create and carry a miniature P&R to pocket in your pocket, purse or over-sized wallet? Two ways:
OPTION 1:
Know those postcards that you have of your puss? The ones other actors send out to say “Hi, my cat’s in heat and so is my career!” Well keep your puss on the front and drop the backside update about your pussy.
1. Order a set of postcards with your picture, name, phone & e-mail on the front. On the back leave the postcard blank. Order either standard size (4 x 6 inches) or oversized (5.5 x 8.5 inches) postcards.
2. Then you’ll need labels. What kind of labels? I’ve already done your homework for you.
For standard size postcards you’ll need Avery 8464 (3-1/3 x 4 inches) or another brand that is similar in size. If you can find a larger size that will fit without needing to be trimmed; great.
For oversized postcards you’ll need Avery 8165 (5.5 x 8.5 inches) or another brand of the same size.
3. Simply reduce your resume to the label size that you have chosen. If you cant’ fit your full resume on the label then edit waste and keep the best of the resume on the label.
INCLUDE a note that your full resume can be viewed at your web site. Don’t have a web site? Bad actor – 5 demerits.
4. Then in a small quantity put the printed labels on the back of your postcards. When you need to update your resume, reprint your labels and put on to another set of blank headshot postcards.
OPTION 2:
An alternative to having backside-blank-headshot-postcards would be to use a service like Vista Print (I use them for my marketing-whore materials), PostCards.com, ImageMedia or whomever you find on or offline that offers the best value and quality. With one of these services you can then have both your headshot and resume formatted and pre-printed to be on the respective front/back of your post card.
The down side to this is that you have to order a large volume and being that the resume information is pre-printed you can’t update information until your next print run.
The pro to having your reduced, postcard size picture and resume pre-printed is that it’ll look cleaner IF you formatted properly when ordering.
###
So there ya have it. I have yet to ever receive something like this from an actor. Ever. Receiving regular business cards with just a picture...? I’ve gotten tons that go into the trash. They tell me nothing of the actor’s history. Having postcards tossed onto my desk with invites to showcases or include pet updates....? Far too many and they too go into the trash because they also tell me nothing about the actor.
Give this a try. You’ll be viewed as innovative. Believe me not many people lead when given new ideas. Also you’ll be able to carry your headshot and resume everywhere you go. Everywhere (well maybe not to a clothing optional campground). Far too many actors have I run into at airports, on the street, at openings, or elsewhere and they didn’t have information to offer me that was useful, i.e. their picture and resume in a reduced form for BOTH of us to easily carry.
On a side note: Joel Carlton of DGRW (a bicoastal agency), Judy Boals, President of Boals Talent and Michael Rodriquez of The Roster are the guest agents for the next agent panel for Access to Agents. This is a four-week seminar intensive that prepares and introduces you to the people who help you find work. Plus you get a marketing make-over AND written feedback from the agents (and hopefully and invite to become a client). For registration visit: http://paulrussell.net/Access_to_Agents.html
Besos,
Paul
Paul Russell Casting
SDC Director | Author, ACTING: Make It Your Business
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This Week’s Tip: Special Skills / No-No Skills
(Sunday, March 1, 2009)
“No-No Skills” are items on an actors resume that should never – repeat NEVER be listed as skills on an actor’s resume.
The Special Skills section of an actor’s resume is not a landfill for useless information. This section should only contain actual special skills that can be performed on stage or screen. But many actors feel that they should have their Special Skills section of a resume challenge the verbosity of WAR & PEACE with “skills” that have no relevance to performing. Don’t even get me started on the useless “driver’s license” and” U.S. Passport” offenders. If a director needs a principal actor in a car, the actor is placed in a car that is put on a trailer or in front of a green screen. If you feel that you won’t be hired as an actor for a project without listing your driving skills or passport status then here’s what you do. Remove ALL acting credits on your resume because you’re not needed as an actor. Have just your name, contact information and put dead center on the resume that you can drive and/or have a passport. Your talent is not wanted, just your car or passport.
This past week as I was going through a multitude of resumes that came to my office from un-represented actors I began to notice that some actors were listing special skills which had absolutely no qualified reason or logic to be on an actor’s resume. Below is just some of the recent bounty of No-No skills found. If you have any “skill” similar on your resume delete it immediately (including any references to passports and driving).
- “Walking” (Ok, the actor looks a bit mature in his pic so maybe, for him, walking is beyond ordinary)
- “Dog Owner”
- “Promiscuous Female” (THIS was on a actor’s resume... either he doesn’t know his sex OR he has a lot of sex and his partners ignore the mid-waist protrusion)
- “Piano Clowning” (THE PIANO meets Stephen King’s IT)
- “I own a Russian warmblood” (I dated a Russian who was warmblooded but he didn’t shed)
- “Zone II Hunter Finals” (huh?)
- “Related to Jimmy Stewart” (And your point is?...)
- “President of a Corporation” (So is Donald Trump but I wouldn’t want to watch his Lear)
- “Tetris” (Is this actress hoping for the remake of TRON?)
- “Amazing with Children” (On a mature male’s résumé... someone call Chris Hanson of DATELINE)
- “Excellent Impression of Parents”
- “Baby-sitting” (I got a resume from an older man who’s “amazing with children”... you two need to get together)
- “Role player for psychological testing of Boston-area police department applicants”
- “Hard Living” (Yo, sweetheart... we’re all suffering these days)
- “Furniture refinishing and tiny tot gymnastics (Imagine if she got the two confused. There would be a lot of damaged dinettes and shellacked kiddies)
- “Enjoys restoring cars in the family collection”
- “Owner of [name withheld] Jewelry”
- “Make incredible smothered burritos” (My local Taco Hell needs you)
Whenever I, other casting personnel and talent reps encounter these No-No Skills and similar on resumes the resume is often quickly tossed. Why? Our impression of the actor is that they are one or all of the following; needy, insecure, over-compensating, clueless, a freak. Acting is a business folks. A profession. That’s why I wrote my book, ACTING: Make It Your Business, to help people from making these kinds of mistakes and treat the business of acting as a profession.
What should be in the Special Skills section of a resume? See pages 78 – 80 in ACTING: Make It Your Business – How to Avoid Mistakes and Achieve Success as a Working Actor. This is NOT a plug. It’s a plea to actors to stop hindering themselves by knowingly or unknowing making mistakes that jeopardize forward momentum in their careers.
Besos,
Paul
Paul Russell Casting
SDC Director | Author, ACTING: Make It Your Business
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