DeafCasting.com

Once again, I received some valuable information from a ‘power’ CSA Casting Director. What he says is very true of what goes on out there in Hollywood, NYC, Chicago and elsewhere. It’s crucial that you read this, and understand the kind of pictures you need to develop and use.

Many times I get pictures from people with busy backgrounds, grainy headshots, headshots that no longer look like the person in real life or is an old headshot that hasn’t aged the same way the actor has. I also get pictures with other people in it, or is obviously cropped out. Then we get pictures of performers who had their friends or family take them, as well as mobile phones and digital cameras. A lot of these are not effective, nor are they professional. As a member of the deaf community,

I personally want to see our acting/performing community reach that level of polished, professional, knowledge and experience. Hence this letter I got from this CSA Casting Director (CD). He originally wrote it for hearing actors, but it could have very well been one of us.

Keep them coming folks, the more we have talented, skilled and polished actors on DeafCasting.com the more chances CD will finally see how diverse and varied we are.

Good luck!

Vikee Waltrip, CEO, Deafcasting.com

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PRINTED WITH PERMISSION…..

Now is the time to talk about the cold hard truth about HEAD SHOTS.

Every single day I get questions about head shots and I’m asked to give my opinion on pictures. I also find myself removing many of the “head shots” that are posted on our group’s page because they are NOT head shots. Then people are angry and confused because they paid all this money for professional head shots only for me to tell them they are terrible.

Keep in mind, everybody has their own opinions on what constitutes a good head shot but there are some basics to taking a good clean head shot. You certainly don’t have to take my opinion as concrete. Ask around, post your own discussion topic and ask other actors who have solid careers.

A head shot is a very basic picture of your FACE. It is your moment to show a Casting Director what you look like. It is NOT the time for the photographer to be artistic. It is NOT the time to show off your cool new t-shirt. Therefore what do you think a CD is looking for in your picture? YOUR FACE…that should not be a surprise answer.

So, if you have anything in your picture that distracts us from looking at your face, you do not have a good head shot. That includes, but is not limited to, a distracting background, words or designs on your t-shirt, props, animals, big scarves, etc. Those are things our eyes go to before seeing your face.

CDs really do sit around with stacks and stacks of pictures flipping through them, giving them maybe 1 second each. If in that one second we don’t see your face but are forced to look at the flowers or words on your t-shirt, we’ll never even see your face. What a waste of money, right?

Head shots are expensive, yes. However, since that is your way of introducing yourself to the CD, that is not one of the places you want to skimp and save. Get a good, recommended HEAD SHOT photographer. Any old photographer will NOT do. Even an incredibly experienced photographer does not necessarily know how to shoot head shots.

Modeling pictures are NOT head shots. They are modeling pictures for your modeling portfolio.

Glamor shots taken at the mall are NOT head shots.

Pictures taken by your best friend with a cool camera are NOT head shots.

Keep in mind that there are many different roles you might audition for. You can’t possibly use the exact same shot for 10 different roles. They psycho killer is not going to be hired from the boy next door happy smiling picture. And the happy go lucky girl is not going to be hired from the head shot with a halter top attempting to look sexy. You need to have a few different shots that match the different roles.

LOOK LIKE YOUR HEAD SHOT. I don’t know how to make this any clearer. You are called in because of how you look. If you change anything about yourself where you no longer look like your picture, you have wasted your own time and the CD’s time and once that happens, you stand the chance of being “black listed” from that office. Don’t change your hair color or length or overall look. I have personally turned actors away from their audition b/c they didn’t look like their head shot. And in the course of a busy day, that only angers a CD.

Attach your resume to your head shot. Don’t EVER hand a CD a resume and head shot and expect them to do your job for you. It’s one of those instant, “What a stupid, lazy actor” thought that we have. It is your responsibility to come to an audition prepared. That doesn’t mean just one staple on the top. Otherwise your resume will get torn off and lost and then we have no way to know who you are or how to contact you. You are also responsible to size your resume to the picture. It looks like a mess if your resume is larger than the picture and again, it stands the chance of being torn off. Kinkos and other printing places can size them for you in seconds. Don’t be a lazy actor!

The newest and best trend is to get a good printer and print your resume directly on the back of your head shot as you need them for an audition. This way as your resume changes, you don’t have 250 outdated resumes where you need to handwrite your newest job in.

And, don’t, under any circumstances come to an audition without your head shot. Unless you are an A list actor, you must come with a head shot. Otherwise you have basically said to the CD, “I don’t respect your time and you can call my agent if you want my picture”. We don’t want your head shot for the hell of it. We NEED your picture for many reasons. Walking into your audition as prepared and as professional as possible will absolutely increase your chances of getting the part. The actor that walks in late, without his head shot, is not gettin’ it!

Please feel free to ask other CDs or actors their opinions on head shots. Again, don’t take my word as concrete. I’m sure you will find most of what I have said here as commonplace.