[Headshot Photographer Los Angeles : Vanie Poyey]

Guest post by acting coach Bonnie Gillespie: Living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs.

I WANT YOUR HEADSHOTS

Hello you beautiful people!

Once upon a time, I wrote a series of articles about HEADSHOTS. Like, a bunch of ’em. The most popular one is called Bad Headshots, Good Headshots and it’s a ton of fun.

Sam Farmer: Jock / Anti-Hero

Richelle Meiss: Computer Tech / Sidekick

All the articles are a ton of fun, really, because I asked the readers of the columns I wrote back then for Actors Access to submit their best GOOD headshots and of course their best BAD ones too. I remember going through hundreds of submissions looking for the ones that best taught the lessons every actor needs to know about headshots:

1. The goal is to capture YOUR brand, not the photographer’s.
2. Your headshots should show your TARGET buyers that you’re a right fit for what they cast.
3. When you walk in for your audition, we shouldn’t have to scramble to figure out which headshot submitted matches this person standing in front of us.

Nathan Tucker: Blue Collar / Hip Urban

Melissa Rey: Best Friend / Period / Victim

Megan McIver: Hipster / Helpful Employee

Sure, we also want you to be well-lit. We want the shot composition to communicate your general shape and size. We’re hoping you’ve thought through the story you’re trying to tell — and how that story aligns with exactly what we’re casting today — enough to make good choices with your wardrobe and styling. We definitely hope you’ve not airbrushed or retouched the bejeezus out of your proofs due to some deep loathing you have about what you perceive as an imperfection (but what we perceive as something that makes you incredibly interesting and therefore way more castable). And — again — we want you to show up looking exactly like this person in the headshot.

I hammer home that last bit because when I interviewed hundreds of casting directors, THE number-one most-mentioned bit of advice for actors was, “LOOK LIKE YOUR HEADSHOTS!” I remember thinking, “This is crazy! EVERY casting director says this. This CAN’T be such a big problem. Where are these casting directors getting these headshots that look so unlike the actors submitting them?!?”

Mari Haig: Secretary / Young Grandmother / Musician / Blue Collar

And then I went into casting in 2003.

Ho-ly-shit.

Yeah. People I know in real life sometimes submit headshots that look nothing like them. I mean, they look like some kind of version of the actors, but not any version that would show up for an audition today.

And of course, when this happens, you end up MISSING OUT on the audition for the role you — not you in your headshot — would’ve been perfect for!

I think part of the problem is actors get WAY too into their heads about the whole headshot thing. Heck, I remember being an actor! I *totally* got way in my own head about headshot day! There was the crash diet before the big day. There was all the makeup and hair done up on the big day (and I seriously rarely do the whole hair and makeup thing, so I looked VERY different than I do in real life). And then there was the parade of all the clothing I bought just for the shoot… none of which I would ever own if not for that headshot session. And certainly nothing a character I would play would wear.

Think about that. I was playing “Dress Up Barbie Bonnie” for my headshot sessions and not even THINKING about what the character I was most likely to play next — specifically for a project I was targeting — would look like.

Krista Morin: Teacher / Girl Next Door / Love Interest

Justin Libby: Computer Geek / Nicolas Samper: Business

Share with us what it is that YOU feel makes the difference between your good and bad headshots.

Jessia Flaum: Edgy anti-heroine / Love Interest / Student

This is all about the lessons YOU have learned that allow you to have better headshots today than you did a few years ago.

Think of how helpful this sort of thing would’ve been for YOU to see when you were starting out.

Any questions, pop ’em in below!

Much ninja love,

JD Huff: Villain / Grad Student / Best Friend

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I love helping you by putting out this free information (often written on weekends and evenings) so please help me spread the word by sharing this post with an actor who needs to read it!🙏🏻