Home » Lets’s talk about the importance of headshots baby! And btw.. I really am related to BIG BIRD!!

Going on about headshots, and signing autographs … there really isn’t enough room in one e-mai l to cover all the bases. A little recap about my last e-mail on headshots goes like this:

It really is an honor to receive an autograph … if only it hadn’t taken this long to occur to me. Thinking back to all the famous people I’ve met, and there’s been quite a few. You’d think it would occur me to ask for autographs, it’s not a difficult thing to ask. Actually, it should have been a natural thing. But for me, opportunity after opportunity has slipped on by me since I was a baby … and this didn’t dawn on me until today.

Asked an autograph of who? Big Bird on "Sesame Street" for one. Apparently he married my father’s second cousin who became a Spinney, and she grew up outside of Maine, and I believe it was Boston for him, in the late 1970s. I was only a baby, and thought everyone had a Big Bird in the family.

I wonder what type of headshot he’d have? SO … that got me to thinking. What exactly is so important about headshots anyway? Every CD has their taste … a sort of secret club with a rule of thumb. Number one rule being: It has to look like you.

I know how you probably love lists. Everyone does. It makes it a whole lot easier in getting through what you need to know … and a good briefing on the no’s is as important as the do’s.

Oh, and there’s one actor I can’t believe it didn’t occur to me to request an autograph from. That guy who was in those "Mission: Impossible" movies. Apparently he loves theater, and my girlfriends came bouncing and giggling to me one day … and on the subway we hopped. We were unknowns of course, working on a production that nobody really saw… but that wasn’t important … we just had to see for ourselves if the great … Oh, I have to get to the list … we’ll get back to that missed opportunity after we go through some basic rules of headshots.

Here’s the list:

Props! We don’t want to see what kind of cute things you can hold. We want to see you, and props are distracting … so please, leave them home.

Hands on the face. CD's want to see your adorable face. CUTE DIMPLES! Freckles? We want to see the shine in your eyes … don’t cover it up with shadows and hands.. Not a good idea.

Themes. As in dressing in costume. Leave that for the theater. If we ask you to come in costume to the audition, then that’s OK. But don’t limit yourself to a theme when sending a headshot. This one is important. If you categorize yourself, then you’re stuck with it. While it is good to know what type of role you would be suited for, wholesome mother, or brawling bar gringo, why limit yourself, when the professional eye scanning your picture could see a potential in you that perhaps you would be great for, but you hadn’t dreamed it possible.

Facial expressions, and body movement. No, no, no. We don’t really need to see how many funny, serious and whimsical expressions you are capable of doing. One nice shot, not necessarily with smiles, is all we need. We just want to see you.

Glamour shots = foresee disaster. If you go overboard getting the best glamour shot, then we will be expecting to see the royalty walk through the door. Unless you are planning on looking like that every day, don’t show us. We really, truly, only want the real you.

Mystic Tans. Don’t head to the tanning booth before your shot. It should be a picture of your natural self. A mystical spray tan wears off in a matter of days, it clogs your pores, and is not an expression of your natural beauty. NO matter how it makes you feel, try to resist the temptation, we will know. We’ve seen it all before.

Wedding Pictures. When you are choosing your photographer, mind you we don’t want to see you spend your life’s fortune, but having someone with experience in headshots is a good place to start. The wedding photographer with no headshot experience might not exactly give you the desired results.

Opinions. Family is wonderful. We all need them. They love us. Support us. But when it comes to opinions they can be a bit biased. If you want to know how your headshot looks, ask a professional. Trusting the judgment of the family who has loved you all of your life, accepted your unique qualities, might not be the best critic of your headshot. It’s after all not how cute you look, what matters is the frame and clarity of the shot.

Missed Opportune? Before we get to the dreaded backyard pictures. I am just bursting to tell you more about who I met at my local theater. It was in one of the major cities, and we couldn’t believe Tom was actually there. I was in awe, so amazing that he would take the time for the little people. He was a literal doll but, but I wasn’t a fan.. I hadn’t actually seen any of his movies. I am more of Keanu Reeves fan. We actually were in Keanu’s home town, but that’s another story.. Tom was there all right. Showered with lots of attention. From everyone. Except me. After we finish the list, I’ll explain why.

Backyard pictures. The ones with the fence and the trees? Backyard pictures are great for the family photo album, and should stay there. A studio with no busy background is best. We don’t want to see distractions, of dogs running behind you, or how well you tend your garden. We want to see you. Any busy type of background is distracting, and will send you to the bottom of the pile, as it doesn’t look as though you are serious about auditioning.

Beauty shots. They stop at the shoulders. We don’t want to see how hot you look in bikinis, unless we were auditioning for a beach movie, and specifically requested it. Showing off how sexy you are by full body, practically nude photos are for those different kinds of films … AKA The Rudy ones. Although for the girls, it might be interesting to Ron. He might even want to date you. It honestly shows lack of self-respect, compensation for lack of talent, and it is tacky. It also makes CD’s wonder how you can read and remember lines when you clearly don’t pay attention to the countless criteria written everywhere about headshots. IT says headshots, because we want to see your head.

Make sure you photo is recent. Not one taken a decade ago.

Color vs black and white. B&W at one time was the only acceptable means of a headshot. 8x10 headshots now are acceptable in either color or B&W. It really is a matter of your personal choice.

The RKA Cinema Society also hosts conferences such as the Audition Mastery Teleconference, and the Secret Internet Jobsites tutorial. RKA also has lessons on getting that audition, with the Audition Mastery Secrets. It is worth looking into before going for that role you have longed for.

Lastly, a good shot doesn’t have to cost the world. After all, it’s really you we are after. We want to meet you. We want to see you. We send out the invitation for you to come. You are welcome to our auditions; we want your pictures on our desks. We only ask that you have some tact, and pay attention to the common expectations of CD’s.

And as for Tom, and the reason I was the exception to the hype of meeting him.. It had nothing to do with him. I heard of him, but didn’t really know who he was, you can’t tell what a person is like by the characters they play. I didn’t think I was important enough to gain his attention. I was young, ambitious, and I also knew my place in the industry. And I guess I had a lot of growing up to do. He’s on my list now, and someday I will ask him to sign my autograph. I must admit I liked Mr. Mission Impossible when I met him. And all I remember about him is, that he is a really down to earth, and a nice person. I didn’t feel a need to ask anything of him at the time, but he’s one sweetheart I will never forget.

And for meeting Johnny Depp. That would be a dream come true.. I’m mature now, and it’d be a whole different scene. You know there isn’t time today to fill you in on anymore.. but sometime soon, I’ll tell you my favorite story.. There is one hot actor who I worked with, and I actually refused to give him my autograph.. with good reason. But now that I think about it, I really should have asked him instead.

Lastly another recap worth repeating—

A good shot doesn’t have to cost the world. After all it’s really you we are after. We want to meet you. We want to see you. We send out the invitation for you to come. You are welcome to our auditions; we want your pictures on our desks. We only ask that you have some tact, and pay attention to the common expectations of CD’s.

Peace and Love

Sacreeta

Senior Staff Writer