The Business of the Biz

Headshots are the currency of any actor.  Regardless of how big U will get in this town, they are something that many people - casting directors, directors, producers, studio & network execs - all want a copy of.  When I worked with a namey B-lister, I’d roll my eyes when they wanted a headshot. But I sent the 5-year old pix just the same…

Face:  The first thing to know is that a headshot is about the head.  A few years back it was regular course to do “3/4″ shots; these included legs and torsos. Today’s shots are back to faces. The bottom line is that it’s your face that will (hopefully) be 15 feet high at a theater, or on millions of small screens each week. Your body will pop up there. However, no one goes to see a movie because of someone’s body. (with few exceptions, like Brad Pitt and Troy e.g.)

8×1o: Headshots are always this size. Never get cute and send circular ones, or folded ones. They will surely get tossed - or worse used as coasters. Headshots have always been this size and always will be, so play along. This brings up another format question:

Portrait or landscape/widescreen? Either one of these preferences can work. Some prefer the landscape (or ‘widescreen’ approach) as it approximates what the actor will look like on the big screen. The only concern on using this approach is the potential for background distraction (see later). It also must feel organic. The shot has to feel natural, almost like a still from a movie, or otherwise the effect is lost.

Color or B/W?  A big question nowadays. I lean towards color, as this a) closely approximates your look and b) closely approximates 99.99% of all filmed/taped work in the world. Printing has now caught up with the rest of digital technology, and headshots look good in color. Some New York agent/manager types might say B&W is fine, but that is very 20th Century. Color is here to stay - use it.

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