Lesson 4: FINAL PREPARATIONS.
Headshots and Resumes.
Section 5. Preparing Your Headshot and Resume.
Ah, yes, those illustrious headshots and resumes. In our final section of this final lesson, I obviously am NOT going to recommend specific photographers, but I will recommend the following: do NOT go to Walmart, JCPenneys or any other “fast-food” type photographer to get your headshot done. You must be willing to spend some cash for this. You get what you pay for.
You may already have your headshot. Wonderful! If you do, I'm sure you know your headshot and resume are your calling cards, your persona which stands for you when you are not present. You know that a "fast-food" photographer's work may be great for baby pictures, but it will not suffice for you. You need something which will "breath" quality for you when you are no longer present.
If you don't yet have a headshot, ask around. Take your time to find a photographer who can create a mood for you, which will allow you to relax yourself into a beautiful black and white print. The reason some photos sparkle and some don't usually comes down to the relaxed state of myriads of microscopic facial muscles. Thus you want a photographer with whom you feel comfortable.
You want a photographer who will work with you and allow you the space to relax into the photo shoot. You want a photographer who is skilled in bringing the best out of a person. You especially want a photographer who is experienced in working up appropriate photos for actors.
Remember: This is a time to honor you for your hard work. So in your impatience to get a headshot done immediately – remember, haste makes waste. Take your time. Save your money. Ask around. Interview reommended photographers. Ask if you can attend a few photo shoots to get some ideas (they just might let you). This would allow you to see how various photographers work with their clients.
And remember, in your effort to obtain the best work for your dollar, don’t spend so much money that you can’t afford another shoot when you need the next one – i.e. a major haircut change. You don’t want to be walking around with a ten-year-old headshot because you simply can't afford another one!
Now click on this link to visit a site which explains headshots. http://faculty.wm.edu/lecatr/headshots.h... .
Here in an additional link on headshots. http://actingbiz.com/resources/examples.... .
Once you've visited these sites, make sure to jot in your notebook any notes to yourself that you find important.
What about resumes? These are usually printed or affixed to the back of your headshots. What is the most important thing about resumes? Nope, it is not the format. In fact, it is not the quantity of work/experience. The most important thing about a resume is your honesty.
Please do not lie. Believe it or not, most people know most people in this business. You might get away with lying for a while regarding a fake acting job, but it will catch up with you eventually – perhaps when you are close to actually launching into the “big time.”
Do not risk losing it all by cheating with a fake resume. Take the time to build it up right. (Thus, the wisdom of setting a goal of 100 auditions! The sooner you work through 100 auditions, the sooner you plump up your resume.)
For an example of two kinds of resumes (a new actor/an experienced actor), click on this link: http://faculty.wm.edu/lecatr/YourResume....
For additional examples of resumes, re-visit http://actingbiz.com/resources/examples.... .
Now that we've addressed appropriate headshots and resumes, I'll meet you in the last section for a few final words.
