Low Cost Heashot & Resume Ideas

[Rick Shipley]

Hello everyone I have posted this in a few different places but I figured that I would post it here to get the ball rolling for others to post.

Over the years I have had actors approach me asking how to get started in the biz and normally the first thing I suggest is having a headshot & resume. I know that some actors spend hundreds on their headshots and some people just don't have the money to spend. I wanted to give the starting artist some ideas for low cost headshot & resume ideas.

I'm going to start with a little insight first and move to the tips.

I have had some experience casting people for a few movies in my time and I have seen all kinds of headshots & resumes come across the table. Some were great, some not so great and some that were very inventive. It's the outside the box thinking that caught my attention. Most of the time these actors were new and didn't know how to have a proper headshot & resume or they just didn't have the money to have them done. When you have a good looking heatshot & resume, you feel more confident and the casting directors will take notice.
With that being said, let's get to the real meat of it.

THE HEADSHOT

1. PHOTO-Get yourself a camera. 35 mm or digital are what I would suggest. Keep in mind that you will want to take many pictures with different poses. Get some ideas for what headshots look like and positions from other folks heashots. Remember the more pictures you take the more you will have to choose from. Also the more pictures you take, the more comfortable you will become as well.
You can have someone shoot the picture for you or you could take it on your own. By using a tripod, you could easily set up your own shots. Using a digital camera here would really help you see the proper framing on the spot to avoid cutting your head out of the picture.
Choose a simple background, the least eye catching the background the better.
If you go the 35 mm route, when you get them developed I would suggest getting the CDROM option (read on and you'll see why).
If you would rather not take them yourself there is also the option of going to your local Walmart store and having photos taken for a small fee. Sometimes they run specials that are very inexpensive (like under $15.00). If you go this route, keep in mind that with the inexpensive packages you only get one pose.

2. GO BLACK & WHITE-After you have the pictures you need, you may want to go black & white. Professional actors will use B&W photos for their headshots most of the time because it is less costly to reproduce them. Since they are going to be given away, you will want to keep them at a low cost.
On most computers there is some sort photo editing software. Most of this software has a black & white option. Choose your favorite photo and change it to B&W.

3. THE LOOK-There are many options that you can choose from when designing the style of your headshot. Some have white borders and some do not have borders. Experiment a little to get the look you desire. My suggestion would be to add a white border around the photo leaving more space on the bottom than around the top and sides. Why? Because that is where you will want to put your name. Most actors will put their name in the bottom right hand corner of their headshot. You don't have to put it there, you could put your name anywhere you want.
When putting your name on your headshot you should use basic block lettering so it is easy to read.
If you really want to catch someone's eye, you might want to put your contact address and number on the opposite side of your name. It does help with call backs, believe me.

4. PRINT IT-Using Photo quality paper, print out your headshot. The glossy kind is best in most cases.

THE RESUME

5. WHAT TO PUT-It's hard to tell someone what to put on your resume but I'm going to say it now, DO NOT MAKE THINGS UP! If you don't have any experience, don't list anything. Instead, you might want to list other things that could be helpful to help fill the space. If you have little to no experience I would suggest this kind of format:
NAME
ADDRESS
PHONE
WEBSITE (if you don't have one, start up a myspace account)
HEIGHT
WEIGHT
HAIR COLOR
EYE COLOR
SUIT SIZE-PANTS SIZE-SHIRT SIZE-SHOE SIZE
AGE RANGE
TRAINING
SPECIAL TRAINING & ABILITIES
INTERESTS

Keep the format and font basic so it is easy to read. If you don't know how to format a resume, check out some online, there are tons out there. Just remember that your NAME is the most important part and it should be larger than all of the other text.

PUTTING THEM TOGETHER

6. PRINTING-Now that you have you headshot and resume done, you will want to put them together. If you are just starting out you will only need a handful of your headshot & resumes. As your experience increases, you will want to add them to your resume but for now let's focus on how to get them together.
The first thing you will think to do is staple the resume to the back of your headshot. I'll tell you now that I never liked getting headshots with the resume stapled on the back. It looks thrown together to me. Some folks do this so casting directors can separate them if need be. I would say don't do it.
Print the resume on the back of the headshot. It looks more professional and in this case, the more professional you can be, the better.
Your first option could be to print them yourself. If you have the ink to do it, go for it.
Another option is to take it to your local copier. Kinko's, Office Max, Office Depot or where ever. If you go this route, choose a paper stock that is glossy on the headshot side and plain on the back. It might be best to have the person behind the counter help you with this or make them for you.
For your first run you might want to only order around a dozen (more or less according to your needs).

THAT'S IT! You are ready to roll or get that role.

I would like it hear if this was a help in any way. Please feel free to contact me with questions, comments or suggestions.

Written By: Rick Shipley

[Kevin Sean Ryan]

Well, in my opinion - YES. But, I am kind of anal LOL! However, I did find that my headshorts were not exactly 8 x 10's, so I would have had to do something anyway. I appreciate all the comments here - they were great. Best, Kev

[Coloradosploitation Films]

I found there is nothing wrong with the headshot of myself I drew with crayons. I even drew me by my house [ it is important for a possible casting director to know that i live indoors, and will continue to do so.]
As far as a resume, I try to spice it up a bit by doing it 'ransom note' style by cutting out individual letters from magazines and pasting them together. Sure, sometimes I lose myself in the moment and mention Natalie Halloway...but that can always be covered with black marker.

[Brainard Starling]

Thanks for the advice. I got some of it right all on my own!

[Joe Filippone]

Cool topic. I was actually just discussing this with some actors out here in LA a few days ago.
The only thing I would disagree on is the comment that was made about headshots being black and white. Nobody does black and white anymore, espcially in LA. Everybody wants color shots. Also, every actor I know out here staples their resume to the back of their headshots, infact most casting directors and agents out here insist that the resume is stapled to the headshot, they even put it in the breakdowns and emails I recieve calling me into audition. A good way to save money I've found is to go to Wal-Greens or Wal-Mart and have my headshots printed out there. They are good quality and alot of my actor friends are doing it too. In this economy we have too.
Great discussion!

[Steven Wash]

What's the difference in a 8x10 and 8x11 when it reaches the casting directors desk? 1 is professionally done, and the other is not.
If you go out for a job interview, do you wear sweats or a suit? Please don't diminish a professionals job by trying to circumvent the cost with under rated ideas. If you are a professional, then be one. Find a professional that can get you what you want a decent price. If your plumber comes to look at your pipes with a hammer, you just may be in trouble.
Peace,
Steve

[Jim Brennan]

Just my .02. I'm not an actor, but I have cast and helped cast a number of films as a producer/director/writer.

1) Keep it current, and make sure it looks like (the best version) of you. Really. The first round of auditions are usually done by "type". Don't waste your time by not updating your headshot since you lost all your hair or gained or lost 80 lbs.

2) Don't overthink it. A headshot (and resumé, if anyone even looks at it) gets you in the door. Period. So don't spend hours poring over whether the one where you seem to have a little half smile on the left corner of your mouth is better than the one where it's on the right corner of your mouth.

3) Go color. Colorado is finally catching up, and while it doesn't matter to me personally, NY and LA have been using color headshots for some time now.

4) Use an experienced (or semi-experienced) photographer. Money is tight. Trust me, I know. But crappy headshots are a waste of time and money. They make you look like an amateur. A casting director is going to assume that you are just getting started, which could mean to them that you have no idea what you are doing. They are not (IMHO) better than no headshot. There are photographers on these very boards who do a great job and are very reasonable. You aren't SPENDING, you are INVESTING. Want to be taken seriously? Then take your trade seriously.

5) Remember that different people have different priorities. That should be obvious by the comments on this board. Resumé on the back, or resumé stapled on? I could care less. In fact, I rarely even read them. Printed on the back looks better, but since many, many headshots are currently handled on-line in some manner, the first time you hand one to someone is at an audition. By then you are already in the door. If you wow them at the audition (and you actually look like your headshot so they can remember you), nobody is going to care. I have seen a headshot or two that had a comment section on the back. I thought that was pretty cool. Sometimes as a director the person is good, but not right for the part. It's nice to have a place to put some comments about what you liked.

6) Inside a studio is NOT always better. Talk to your photographer about this. For me, anyone who is married to a particular method is not someone I want to work with. They should be open to collaborate with you (although, if you are wet-behind-the-ears, you should keep an open mind). Sometimes outdoors is better. Look at Kristin Keating's headshots. They are great, and done on the streets of Denver. She used Andrea Moore, who is both a brilliant photographer, and an actor/director.

7) Get off your butt and have a look around. Talk to some agents and casting directors. A guy who has done the Boulder shoot out 3 times may have strong opinions and experience as a filmmaker. But a professional agent who casts commercials every day is going to know what is currently being looked for. Balance it all and draw your own conclusions.

8) Remember the product you are marketing. Nobody knows how you want to be perceived better than you do. If one shot looks great, but shows you as a dark, brooding type, ask yourself if that's what you do (or want to do). We are all packaged and pigeon-holed in this business. Make sure you know what you want before you choose something that will have people calling you expecting a Al Pacino imitation when you do more of a Robin Williams.

9) Don't overthink it. No, I'm not repeating myself. Getting, or not getting calls, is probably not the fault of your headshot (if it is professionally done and current) Just like not getting a call-back doesn't necessarily mean you blew the audition, not getting auditions doesn't necessarily mean your headshot is wrong. Trust me when I tell you how shallow the initial part of casting is. You go through a pile of pictures saying "yes", "no". or "maybe" based on very superficial criteria. Whether you wore a green shirt or blue shirt is not why you didn't get the audition. The fact that we were looking for a tall man with a dark complexion, and you are 5'4" with blonde hair is.

10) Have a lot, where ever you go and GIVE THEM OUT. They don't do anybody any good in your desk drawer. I know they cost money, But if you don't give them out, why did you buy them in the first place? ALWAYS bring them to an audition, even if you think they already have one. Offer it when you arrive, then respect whether they say yes or no. If they say "no", then don't sneak it in somewhere. It only makes you look bad.

To recap. Know your product, represent that product accurately and professionally. Repeat.

[CoachDalton]

Hey,
I have to chime in on this one.

1. Why staple the resume on the back? Administrative reasons, that's why. I've conducted a LOT of castings and not just for my own projects, but for larger union and non-union projects. A professional casting office will see anywhere from 75 - 400 actors in a day, and in LA, they could see a couple thousand in a week, depending on the types of projects. I can understand the independant filmmaker who do their own castings or those who typically do one-day or the occassional casting might find staples a pain, but when you are handling literally hundreds or thousands of pics each week, you don't want to be trying to keep photos together with their resumes. Casting offices have to organize, view and review headshots, then they have to send all the headshots off by courier or FedEx and that means stuffing them into large envelopes or boxes. As an actor in LA, I would be asked to staple it to the back, or the casting assistant would do it anyway.

2. Why go with as "professional looking" as possible? Because you should see what your competition is showing. As a casting director, If I see a headshot from Walmart, or something that clearly does not have "industry standards", it tells me that this person is not experienced or maybe not serious. The big offices in LA would just laugh and throw them away ( I wouldn't throw them away, but I would shake my head and wonder). I DON'T believe actors have to spend a lot for a good photo, as long as the photographer knows what the industry standards are. Hell, my best headshot in LA was done by an amatuer and the shot I used was a candid "test" shot.

3. The Resume Pics: There is nothing wrong with putting additional "thumbnail" size pics on the left side margin of your page if you have any other "looks" you want them to see. As long as they are different and warrant a consideration.

4. Quantity to print: Since I've been back in Denver, I have opted to print as I go using my own "photosmart" printer. Why, because the industry is using the internet more often for intitial auditions, more castings are being put on tape and submitted electronically. For the local auditions, I just print out a dozen at a time and keep them at the ready .. If you are submitting by mail accross the nation, tgetting them reproduced in large quanities makes sense, but the elctronic age is changing and this is putting reproduction companies out of business.

Every market is different. There are markets who still use B & W photos. NY accepts both because B&W is still popular for theater. But it's easy to take your color photo and change it to B & W when needed.

If you consider yourself a serious actor who wants to be given a real chance to compete, then get your advice from the pros in the major markets. There are plenty of blogs and articles by CD's and Agents online. If you are just starting-out and want experience, then you should go with what you CAN do now and hope for the best. But, eventually, you have to bite it and get it done right.

I have more to say, but I'm having problems with my text box, so I will post later.
-CD

[Jim Brennan]

Good points to note David (as always).

That's why you ask a professional.