HOW TO CREATE A GREAT HEADSHOT

By Aaron Marcus

Excerpts from this article are taken from Aaron Marcus’ book "How to Become a Successful Commercial Model."

A head shot is the actor’s business card. This is what the agent will send out to help get work for the actor. Quite often the producer or casting director will ask for a copy of a head shot at auditions. It is essential that the actor is very well prepared before his or her head shot session. Without a great head shot it is very difficult to get work.

Head shots have traditionally been a close-up photo of your face from your shoulders to the top of your head. At the end of the article I will describe other formats for head shots.

It is important to understand what is needed to produce a great head shot. People want to see warm, inviting and interesting looks. It should capture your personality or the personality you want to project. When an actor walks into a casting office, before he or she even says hello, the casting director will immediately sense if the actor is right for the part. That’s not to say that the actor will book the job because of his or her looks, but the personality that surrounds the actor is immediately noticed by the casting director. It doesn’t matter how talented you are as an actor, if you physically don’t look right for the part, you won’t get cast. I just auditioned for a film and was told by the producer that the casting director loved my read, but the director didn’t think I looked “ethnic” enough. It is essential that the actor figures out how he or she is perceived by others and capture that personality on the head shot. The actor needs to learn what types of roles he or she would be cast for in a film, TV series or commercial? Is it the heart throb, the girl next door, the tough no nonsense corporate executive look? It is important to learn how you are viewed by industry people and capture that look in a believable, comfortable and honest way on your head shot.

A commercial head shot should not be too dramatic. Avoid jewelry and clothes that are distracting. You want people to focus on your face. Have the photo taken by a photographer who understands the look you are trying to achieve and the area in which you want to work.

Styles change, but today most people choose matte finish prints (non-shiny) as opposed to a glossy finish (shiny). 8 x 10 is the standard size for a head shot. Because of the lower costs in printing, most people are shooting their head shots in color.

One last comment about head shots. Some people are moving away from the traditional head shot, which is a close up shot from the shoulder to the top of the head. Instead, many people are having a half or three-quarter body shot taken. This shows much more of the person than a tight shot of the face.

Aaron Marcus has been cast in 1,125 (to date) acting and modeling projects. His work can be seen and heard at: http://www.aaronrobertmarcus.com/about_aaron/

Along with working full-time as an actor, Aaron is the author of How to Become a Successful Commercial Model, and publishes the Tear Sheet newsletter. He also offers his Becoming an Actor and Model Workshop throughout North America and Australia.

For additional workshop, book, newsletter or general information call:
Aaron Marcus (410) 764-8270, e-mail: aaron@aaronrobertmarcus.com, or visit www.aaronrobertmarcus.com