I see A LOT of nice photos of actors that are CRAPPY HEADSHOTS. It's interesting to me that when I was acting I had no idea how to get a good headshot. The headshot photographers had no clue how to shoot a headshot that could get you "in the room" as we used to say, and my agent couldn't communicate how to get an effective headshot!
IT'S NO BETTER TODAY! This is a business and yet none of these professionals seem to have a clue how to do it.
Ok...
STEP 1: research by watching TV shows and movies how you might be cast. Would you be a natural to be the hard nosed lawyer? A victim on CSI? A computer genius? A scientist? A sexy lead? You should have a list of 4 directions you could go.
STEP 2: shoot each one in character. Be in the moment like you are on set: Fighting for your client (the guilty one, then the innocent one). Discovering a new vaccine (intense about the details, joyful about it) Falling in love (happy about it, cautious about it). Delivering bad news (reluctantly, then with relish) AND BE GOOD, no "Acting".
(Yes, probably you will have to teach your photographer about this.)
Think about it. If you are a Casting Director with a thousand submissions, do you want to use your imagination to see how some attractive actor might be cast or do you want to see the character presented to you? As a CD under time constraints, I'd go with the no-brainer.
Come on, who is the CD going to call in? The attractive actor who looks nice and unblemished in their photo or the actor who looks the part?
Yes, you have to be subtle and GREAT at it. But why not practice, instead of throwing money away on headshots that your grandmother will love? Doesn't she have enough already?
ALL LOVE, Katt Shea
classes: Tues 6:30pm
Thursday 11am
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