HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR YOUR HEADSHOTS?

Headshots are such a vital part of our work as actors because they are the first thing casting directors see- and the first way our work is evaluated in submissions. Before casting looks at our resume, our clips, or skills – it is the headshot that informs whether or not we get invited to audition.  A part from that, they cost $10 a piece to upload, and easily $250-$500+ to shoot. Headshots are an investment – but I’d like to dive into the investment we make before we shoot our headshots.

If you are in any Actor centered Facebook group – you have definitely seen this recurring post. ‘What types can a play?’ And underneath is their headshot. This is by far the most common post actors make. And it’s a real problem. Why? For so many reasons.

• You should already know the types you play – and what this specific type this headshot is representing.

• You should have planned the wardrobe, background, lighting, and expression to tell a cohesive story of that particular genre of work and type of character.

• You could be using a photo that doesn't accurately represent you- & letting a group of random (unqualified) people tell you about who you are and what you play. 

Getting advice after the headshot session is over is not productive. You must know what you play – and what kinds of roles you are targeting with a headshot before you shoot it. You can’t fix a headshot after it’s taken.

COMMON MISTAKES

• The headshot vibe and look is good – but it isn’t following industry standards.

• The headshot follows industry standards – but it doesn’t look anything like you in the room

• The headshot follows industry standards and looks like you – but it is generic / confusing and we don’t know how to cast you or where we would submit this headshot

KNOW INDUSTRY STANDARDS

If you want headshots that rock, it's important to notice what rocking headshots look like. Learn the basic industry standards these images adhere to. This list might include backgrounds, lighting, exposure, editing, cropping, and styling. If you can name why a headshot works and really stands out, it's a lot easier to communicate your headshot needs to your photographer in order to get shots that make an impact.

A COMPETITIVE HEADSHOT NEEDS TO:

• Look like you, right now. It must accurately represent you who you are in the casting room.

• Follow industry standards so that we can clearly see the person that you are- unobstructed.

• We want this headshot to tell us how to cast you next.

INDUSTRY STANDARD HEADSHOTS

While there can be some exceptions - lets start with what the rules define a competitive headshot are before we break them. We are going to break down the quality of the photo and the content in it. If you are working with a professional headshot photographer – every photo in their portfolio will be following these industry standards. Before you choose your photographer – you need to know that they understand the basic expectation of how our industry defines a headshot.

• FRAMING: – should be tight - from shoulders up. The camera can zoom, the image can crop – but at the end of the day the photographer should be getting close up shots.

• ANGLE: The camera needs to be shot level with the actor’s eyes. Any shots taken extremely above or below the actor becomes distorted – and prevents us from truthfully seeing the actor. We need to see the actor head on.

• LIGHTING: The face needs to be lit from in front – the light needs to be even without distracting shadows. We need to be able to see the eyes- we need to distinguish the actor from the rest of the photo. And the exposure needs to show the actors skin accurately (not washing them out or tinting them in an artificial way) Indirect light – with a color that imitates natural light – not stylized. We need the actor to be lit stronger than the background.

• EDITING: This needs to do two things – remove distraction – and make the image pop. Good editing is subtle – and we won't even notice it. It doesn’t change skin tone or texture, it doesn’t erase freckles. All it does is remove the stray hairs / adjust lighting that is preventing us from seeing the entire actor. The edit will also assure the image pops from a sea of thumbnails. Expert photographers have appropriate setting on white balance, contrast, and knows where to blur and where to sharpen. In this way – an actor’s feature stand forward rather than falling flat. If an image looks filtered – its not a good edit. If the skin looks overly smooth – it’s not a good edit.

• BACKGROUND: The background behind an actor needs to be subtle. If you can tell what the actor is standing in front of – its not a good shot. Industry standard requires backgrounds that don’t pull focus – that aren’t distracting or busy.  The actor should have depth behind them – and soft focus on the background. If you look at a headshot photographers portfolio and you can see a brick wall, or trees, or a chair – it’s not a good headshot.

• POSES: There are exceptions of course – but headshots should not include hands – or eyes looking away from camera. Any expert photographer knows this. So if a photographer's headshot portfolio shouldn't have shots with the actors eyes looking away, or hands in the shot – or anything that might distract the viewer from the actors eyes.

• FOCUS: The eyes are vital. It is why the framing needs to be so tight and the lighting so strong – if we can’t see the eyes in crystal clear focus it is not a useable headshot. Expert headshot photographers will know how to find the catchlights in the eyes – and will be able to allow the eyes to sparkle in the edit – without it looking obviously edited.

• SEPARATION: There are a lot of ways to explore the use of color when it comes to backgrounds and the actor’s hair, skin, and wardrobe. And a lot of it can be subjective. But at the end of the day- it is the photographer’s job to assure we see a separation between the actor and the background – this is something that is achieved in the edit, in the focus, and in the lighting – and can be managed regardless of an actor’s wardrobe and hair color.

Everything about this list is within the photographer’s control. We as actors can make suggestions – and can make requests about what we are looking for in the background lighting of a particular shot – but at the end of the day –

If the photographer isn’t already doing this –

you are better off finding another photographer.

If they can’t hit the industry standard – no amount of preparation will fix it.

If you don’t know the industry standards – you won’t know what to look for in a photographers’ portfolio. You can take a bunch of ‘good’ photos that are unusable as headshots because they fail to pass the basic expectation of the industry standard. This is why shooting with a photographer that specializes in actor headshots is vital. Sure – some photographers shoot multiple genres – but if the photographer’s portfolio has weddings, and senior photos an corporate images – odds are headshots are not their specialty. You are spending hundreds of dollars- why waste it on someone who can’t even pass bare minimum standards? We have to do more work in our research of photographers – not just pick whoever is cheapest.

KNOW YOUR TYPES

Okay – I know you hear this word thrown around a lot. And to be honest – it can feel subjective. But you don’t want a random actor in a facebook group telling you who you are and what you can play. You need to do some work – interrogate the roles you audition for, reflect on the roles you want to play and the roles you know you never want to play – and then get some industry advice from someone who does this for a living. A coach, a director, a teacher, a CD. Most of the time – this requires an investment.  Someone who specializes in typing and understanding playable roles won’t likely do this for you for free.  And it is vital that you understand your own boundaries of the roles you won’t play. An industry professional could type you into the seductive mistress – but if you know you have zero interest in performing kissing on screen – that’s a type you won’t audition for – and therefore won’t need a headshot for.

Understanding the types you play is nuanced. If you look at the roles you audition for a lot – that is data – that is feedback from Casting about how they see you. The roles you book – even more so. Who you want to play is a factor – but we need to be super judicious about this. The reality is – typing goes against everything we train to be as actors. We train to be versatile – to tackle anything. We hope that we have the chops to play any role and are eager to prove it.

A headshot is not where you prove what you can play.

 A headshot tells the story of what you already have played –

and can play right now.

Moreover: It tells the story of how you show up in the room without even acting. 

This is why it can be hard to know our own types – because it feels so personal. It’s not about our acting skill – it is about this almost immeasurable thing- our essence – our vibe – when we are not acting. And there are a lot of ways we experience the physical presence of a person right? Their height, age, features, quality of voice, posture, accent, mannerisms, all of these things we can’t change about ourselves – these tell people who we are without acting. And these qualities inform the kinds of roles we play – regardless of if we find those characters likable. Measuring those qualities is super subjective – especially if we are trying to type ourselves. And from coach to coach – we might disagree about the types of roles we see you playing.

So whenever I work finding the types for actors I always leave this disclaimer:

I don’t know you as a human, I have never seen you act. I am responding on gut based off of non-verbal, aesthetic, and personality assumptions I make based off our small interaction in this coaching. I offer one person’s opinion. If these types resonate for you, align with the roles you audition for already, and aligned with you as a human – that’s the goal. But if I offer a type – and your gut tells you hell no – it is okay not to use my advice. But as we do this work – I want you to be mindful – this is not about ego – this is not about the roles you dream of playing.

Your types are the roles you can roll out of bed and play without any effort.

THAT is what we are building types around.

Based off of all this data, your auditions, your bookings, the insights from a qualified coach/ teacher – you should have a general idea of your types. If you end up booking a headshot styling session with a coach- you should have really specific understanding of a type. Mom is not a type – it is too vague and won’t help us cast you. There is a difference between: The overbearing PTA mom that is a helicopter in her child’s life, and the struggling single mom who can’t catch a break. These characters are intrinsically different – and the genre and the worlds they play are also very different.

This is why – please- for the rest of your life – stop asking random Facebook people what your types are.  They are not qualified. The data will be biased (based on who knows you in real live vs don’t). And the crowd sourcing really isn’t a reliable way to measure something so vital about our headshots – especially if we don’t even know if the headshot accurately represents who we are yet.

This is why it is so vital to know the types you play before getting your headshots done.

PLAN YOUR LOOKS

We’ve discussed how to get your headshots are up to industry standards - and how to understand the types you play. Knowing your types gives you the information – it sets the target of what you want your headshots do to – and tells you what kind of project you want to submit your headshot for – but knowing your types isn’t enough. How do we go from knowing our type/ look to making that translate on camera? As a coach, I make a living in building looks for actors. I utilize color theory, and I understand how textures and patterns communicate region, how background and lighting can communicate genre and how to direct actor expressions to be full of life and connection.

But - if you are on your own- and you don't know why your headshot isn't working - heres a good look at what is going on when it come to addressing confusion on who you can play.

Building your looks is about so much more than deciding what shirt you are going to wear.

This includes:

• Selecting specific wardrobe pieces – with a plan in color pallet, fit, and texture.

• Selecting a specific background color and style

• Selecting lighting style/ color and intensity

• Choosing a message to communicate in your posture & expression.

The biggest error I see in headshots is an in-cohesive story – and as a result we are confused – and we don’t know how to cast you. And a confused CD is not going to take the time to work it out – if there is confusion – they just move on to another actor.

The inconsistency in the story telling happens when an actor has chosen elements that conflict. A wardrobe that tells one story - but the expression tells the opposite. The background and lighting lean one way but then the styling and clothing tells a completely different story. That is a recipe for unusable headshots. It is how - you can take headshots with the photographer your agent recommended - and still have them tell you they hate your headshots.

EXAMPLE OF HEADSHOT STORY CONFUSION:

• WARDROBE: grungy/ oversized / flannel / hoodie / rugged / dark/muted color pallet/ relaxed

• BACKGROUND: Bright happy pink

• LIGHTING: super bright and even – no shadows - really warm color

• EXPRESSION: scowling – the eyes are relaxed – body posture has hands on the hips

There is a major conflict here – the actor has chosen an expression and wardrobe that leans towards darker theatrical roles: maybe it’s a rural mom whose got a chip on her shoulder, or a lone wolf with a criminal record. The expression – actually supports this – but the eyes are lifeless. Dark or moody doesn’t mean dead – the eyes need to communicate a message – as much as the body posture and facial expression.  The body posture could work – under the right context – but right now it feels unmotivated – like the actor just didn’t know what to do with their hands.

But the biggest conflict in this image is how the background and lighting are in direct opposing to the actor in their styling and expression. No matter how well you’ve nailed the look – if you put a bright happy color behind your most edgy, badass, moody, rough look – your background is telling the opposite story.  That bright color and lighting is telling us – comedy – commercial – quirky – fun – energetic – joyful. These are not the words we would use to describe our rural mom or lone wolf. The photo is confused – and not useable.

Looking for a consistent story is vital in making your final headshot selections as well.

It is totally normal to explore different expressions in a shoot. To explore a range of emotions or ideas you’d like to communicate. But once it is time to make that final selection – it needs to be about finding consistently in each of the elements: wardrobe, background, lighting, and expression/posture. If you like a photo – but something is obviously conflicting- that is not going to be a useable headshot.

Beyond knowing your types - and even knowing your wardrobe pieces you need to understand how color, lighting, and expression tell a story - and it is your job to direct your headshot photographer in each of these elements. Really fantastic headshot photographers might have a great instinct for this or this but you are the director of your shoot. You need communicate with your photographer what you are aiming for with each look. If you don't know - they wont know.

Looking for that consistent story is how I help actors choose their final headshot selections as well. I know from a glance what the background is telling me - so I look for the wardrobe / expression and lighting to align with that.

It is totally normal to explore different expressions in a shoot. To explore a range of emotions or ideas you’d like to communicate. But once it is time to make that final selection – it needs to be about finding consistently in each of the elements: wardrobe, background, lighting, and expression/posture. If you like a photo – but something is obviously conflicting- that is not going to be a useable headshot.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Before you schedule your next headshot session it is vital that you do your research and prepare. Make sure you've checked out the photographer's portfolio - if their current shots don't reflect industry standards - find another photographer. Understand your playable types - and get specific. Take a stock of the roles you've been called into audition for - and the roles you've booked. Get advice from an industry professional who understands typing. Name each type - and get some clear adjectives about who they are, where they live, and what genre of project the fit into. Prepare your looks by getting specific about the story you want the look to tell. Plan not only your wardrobe pieces - but get really clear about what kind of background and lightning will align with the mood and vibe of the look. Understand the message you want this character to portray - and create a mantra to inform your expressions and poses during your shoot.

Happy headshot planning!

#ActorHeadshots #HeadshotStyling #HeadshotStandards