Getting a Great Headshot

 

(Note:  I spend a lot of time writing these things to help YOU.  Please respect my work and do not steal it for another site.  If you do, I will hunt you down like a dog…and take a really BAD headshot of you and post it all over the internet!)

Headshots are your first chance to get your foot in the door.  If your headshot does not appeal to a casting director, they probably will not even take the time to turn it over to read your resume.  It is your first impression---don’t let it be your last!

Getting a good headshot is a collaborative process between the photographer and the talent.  I’m going to assume that you have lined up a terrific, experienced photographer.  I’m also going to assume that you don’t have an agent who has already given you specific instructions.  If you have an agent, they have their own “style” and their own criteria for what they expect of you.  I am also going to assume that this is an all-purpose headshot.  As you get more into the biz, you may find that you are asked by your agent to have different headshots:  theatrical, commercial, etc. etc.  But that’s for later.

Now, let’s concentrate on YOUR contribution to the Getting a Great Headshot effort.

The first thing to do is to KNOW WHO YOU ARE and then decide how best to present THAT person to the camera.  If you don’t know, don’t bother asking your family or close friends.  Ask a “not so close” acquaintance how they see you.  You may THINK that you are hot stuff (and perhaps you were 10 years and 30 pounds ago) but get yourself a reality check.  You can’t play the romantic lead.  You can’t even play the lead’s best friend….but you’d be SMASHING as the lead’s best friend’s mother!  (It might be time to retire that halter top in real life, too!)

Here are some basics:

DO NOT WEAR:  a white shirt, a black shirt, big stripes, any big pattern, any "busy" colors/pattern combo, a hat of any kind, colored contacts, any logos or shirts with sayings (a small pocket emblem thing is "ok"), anything with sequins or marabou, a costume, a business suit (unless you only want to be cast as a corporate lawyer or something), anything that you are uncomfortable in.  Lime green and neon colors do not usually make your skin tone look good on film.

What is best to wear?  Some good choices might be a shirt with an open collar or something that frames your face nicely.  Layering is good.  Jackets are good. Polo-type shirts are good.  Dress shirts or other shirts with a t-shirt underneath.

Makeup: No makeup on anyone under 14/15 years of age.  MINIMAL makeup for the older ladies.  No makeup on guys, though a light dusting of translucent powder will go a long way towards avoiding "shine."  Stubble should be avoided unless you are going for that older teen/rebel/Johnny-Depp-back-then look.   ( By the way, those little "hitler" chin hair-do's really translate to "good ol' boy/redneck" so if that's not your type, shave that sucker off pronto!)

Do NOT get your hair "styled"....wear it how you would wear it when going to dinner.  Wear it in a style that you can show up with at a casting.  Braids and low pony tails are cute on kids (not so much on adults, though!).  NO big hair bows.  Frankly, casting directors are interested in  your interesting face, not your hairstyle.  Hair should simply complement your face, not be an integral part of the photo.

If your teeth are good, show them!  (If they aren't very white, go get some white strips and cut out the sweet tea at lunch.) Look at your smile---if you have more gum than enamel showing, ease up a bit.  Think about your smile coming through your EYES as much (or more!) than it does from your mouth.

Put some eye drops in before you come if you are of drinking age (or if you were drinking the night before anyway!)  You want to look "bright eyed" if not downright "bushy-tailed" too!

If you normally wear glasses, wear them in the photo.  The photog may ask you to take them off for a few anyway.  Do not wear jewelry.  Simple studs are OK, but you do not want to take the attention away from your face in any way.

Your clothing/hair/makeup should reflect YOU---don't dress like a business woman if you are a cowgirl at heart.  However, plan to "pack the puppies"...i.e. cleavage should be avoided unless you're only aiming for the "restricted channel" casting directors.

If you are in your forties, don’t dress like you are in your twenties.  If you are in your twenties, don’t dress like you are in your forties.  Similarly, if you are 45, do not submit a headshot taken ten years ago.  And, do not have an image PHOTOSHOPPED to look ten years younger, either!

Teens—All teens want to look sophisticated and older (just go and look at your last prom photo!), curb that desire long enough to capture a youthful headshot.  If you are 16 and look 20, you will not be called in for any teen roles and you will be out-acted at any auditions for 20 year olds (where your competition will be 26 year olds with tons of experience and training!)  If you are 18-20 years old, but can look and act like a believable 16 year old, you will find many more doors are open to you!

Maybelline and Cover Girl may be your best friends in real life, but they should not be present in your headshot.  You should strive to keep your BFF’s well in the background, supporting you just enough to disguise those little dark circles under your eyes, but not enough that someone will compliment you on your choice of eye shadow color.  Mascara is definitely something to use with extreme caution—far too often it morphs into twin black caterpillars perching above your unsuspecting eyes.  Take the time to make your makeup look like NO makeup! 

Practice in a mirror.  Look dead-on into the camera itself, not at the photographer.  Don’t just stare at the lens;  push your “inner self” beyond the lens to the “inner camera.”  You need to "sell yourself" through your eyes.  Learn how to “flash” those eyes with fire and passion.  Your expression should not say “WHAT?” with your eyes popping out of your head and your mouth stretched into a grimace.  Practice NOT posing.  It may take some practice to actually just "be yourself." 

Tilt your head down just slightly…don’t exaggerate it (don’t need to create another chin!) but it will open up your eyes if the photographer is slightly above your eye line. 

Figure out which of your eyes usually appears smaller in a photo (most people either have one eye slightly smaller or they crinkle up one eye when smiling more than the other).  Turn your head slightly so that the smaller eye is closer to the camera.  Headshots do not have to be dead on “deer in the headlights” looking!

Consider that some of your “defects” may really be assets.  Crooked smiles are endearing….big ears or gap-toothed smiles are a bonus for character actors and quirky kids.  However, things like pus-filled pimples, razor stubble and cold sores are rarely considered desirable in a headshot.

If you have freckles, do NOT hide them.  Be proud of them…and they just MAY get you the job!  Moles, scars, etc. are part of who you are.  It doesn’t do you any good to get into the casting office and then they discover that you aren’t who your headshot told them you were!  Headshots are most definitely NOT glamour shots.

Most people need to put a little gel on their hair to keep the “frizzies” down….even people with straight hair will get a smoother look.  Don’t give yourself the “wet look” but just put in enough that you don’t have a halo of fuzz in the bright lights.

Do not fake tan.  Do not try to over-tan.  (Again, these aren’t prom pics!)

Finally, there’s nothing wrong with being a newbie in the business.  Everyone starts somewhere.  But you should never come across as an “amateur” if you want to be a professional.  People who are serious about the business want to work with others who take their craft seriously.  Amateurish photos are not professional.  So, strive to get a good headshot, write up a professional resume resume, attach it correctly and submit responsibly.  Best of luck to you all!

 

P.S.  You DO know that once you have your headshot that you need to stick with your current hair color and style, right?  If you want to test the “blondes have more fun” myth, you’ll need to get new headshots!