Blog #7: What makes a good headshot

The headshot is the most important marketing tool an actor brings to the table. Professionals should know the standards. Acting is all about emotions, so casting directors pay close attention to your headshots. They want to get a sense of your personality.  

Headshots are about lighting your face and showcasing your energy. Experienced “camera-ready” actors will always have an industry standard headshot done by professional photographers. After all, it has to inspire casting directors to click to view your additional footage. As a professional if you aren’t using the best marketing materials, a casting director might ask him or herself what else you are lacking? They might think that you are lacking the on-set experience that you need to get through the day or that you aren’t ready to work. Casting directors sometimes receive hundreds (maybe thousands) of submissions for small roles. Don’t be surprised that they sort by using industry standards, looking for experienced actors.

We summarised casting directors opinions. 

So what makes a good headshot?

Do:

* 8” X 10” color photo of the head shoulders, cropped for details of the face with the eyes clearly center, well lit, in focus and your name on the front in the righthand corner

* Your face and eyes should pop off the page

* An accurate representation of your appearance

* Nowadays, it is all digital but if you come into an audition bring a hard copy and your resumé

* In color

* Have several headshots and use them depending on the role you are auditioning for.

* You can also add a three-quarter body shot that shows head to thigh to give them an idea of your body type but the headshot remains the standard.

* If your hair has been recently cut or colored (a big change), they would often get a new head shot to reflect your new image. Additionally, if an actor has a scar or facial blemish, it is expected to be visible on the headshot and not digitally removed from the image.

* Pimples or spots are temporary and, therefore, are usually digitally retouched.

Avoid:

* Overly artistic, fashion or modeling shots

* Distracting jewelry and heavy makeup

* Poor lightning or out of focus shots

* Too much skin

* Retouch scars or facial blemish, it is expected to be visible on the headshot and not digitally removed from the image.

 I already mentioned to have various samples of headshots better suited to one genre of film or another. A performer will often have headshots expressing different poses and expressions to give a potential employer an idea of the subject’s range of appearances. This way you can showcase a raw hard headed man if your submitting for a mobster role or show a softer side for roles playing a business man or Dad. It is best not to use your most dangerous looking picture for a role as a compassionate Dad. You could work around different emotions. Your face is a display system that not only communicates what you feel, but also generates and triggers the physiology of emotions and all people watching. There are 7 groups of universal emotions (happiness, fear, anger, surprise, disgust, contempt and sadness). Studies also revealed that your face reflects your personality and your face will be identified with a specific character, roles, or traits.

We asked professional headshot photographer: @JeffreyHornstein what in his opinion, is most important to consider while shooting headshot pictures.  

Jeffrey: In working with an actor I first try and get to know them a bit. I want to know what roles they aspire to, what have they been cast in, what are their goals and ambitions, are they gearing their career more towards Film, TV, Commercials, Theatre or any and all of these. Also, what actors do they admire and relate to? We then need to carefully pick a wardrobe which will reflect what we are trying to convey, and therefore styling is important. The more I know about the subject I am photographing the better. I tend to work very simply and organically. Yet, I like to change the sets up depending on what we are going for. Offering words of encouragement to my subjects is important and sharing the photos with them from time to time on the camera so that they get a sense of what they are doing is for me important. It also gives them confidence which is a key element in creating a dynamic headshot or portrait.

The utilization of various backgrounds and lighting can convey totally different emotions as well. Sometimes it is nice to step outdoors and other times various lighting techniques are employed within the studio.

To get the look of confidence, humor, quirkiness, sex appeal, etc. I often talk to the actors while I photograph them. I ask them to envision a part they are playing or give them a scene or scenario to play inside their mind. Much of what goes into making a great image is psychological. It is just as important as lighting, good composition and styling.

Most Importantly a photo session should be a fun, relaxed experience with an eye on achieving our goals!

Jeffrey was so nice to provide his personal comments on four of the DEUCE actor Garry Pastore headshots. I’ve also added some body language comments.

Hint of danger and sadness

Jeffrey: Here you can see a slight more hint of danger in Garry's eyes and demeanor. This look shows that he is "sizing" someone up and says "Don't mess with Me". A great shot for a tough guy whether a villain or law enforcement working undercover, etc.

Dana: In this picture you can see Garry is contracting his eyelids with a focused gaze. He looks right into the camera and is slightly frowning. His left eyebrow is angled upwards above the nose. This can also reveal a second emotion: sadness. It is a great shot because any casting director can see that Garry is capable of adding depth to his characters.

Mature with sense of amusement

Jeffrey: In this picture Garry shows a certain sense of amusement and humor. He could be the owner of a nightclub or owner/host of a restaurant with a certain clientele. The jacket and open shirt add a mature, masculine sex appeal. His eyes display a look that is both strong and funloving.

Dana: You can see the amusement in the eyes. If you would cover the rest of Garry's face you can see his eyes sparkle, narrow and create smiling lines at the outer corners. These are indicators of real amusement.

Strong protective dad

Jeffrey: In this picture Garry looks like the strong dad or Papa Bear. A more casual wardrobe choice here and the blue softens him a tad. But make no mistake! This is a man who will defend his family at all costs and one to be reckoned with.

Dana: I totally agree with Jeffrey! Don't mess with this dad! It is all in the eyes.

Confidence

Jefrey: In this picture Garry emotes confidence and strength. We accomplished this by showing a strong set of his jaw and piercing eyes. It is a formidable look and very effective for many roles to which Garry is suitable for. The leather biker vest connotates a man who is not afraid to express himself with a certain swagger and self assuredeness. He could be a motorcycle dude here or even an undercover cop. It is an enigmatic look in a sense.

It is good to know your face. A good way is the ask your peers feedback or ask a professional in strategic face profiling to analyze it so you don’t waste to much time submitting or auditioning for against type roles. 

If you want to know more or you would be interested in a face scan – feel free to contact us at Luminous PR or Strategic Face Profilers

About the Author (Dana Ketels):

Dana is a certified coach and international trainer in body language and micro expressions and a PR professional. She is master in face profiling for professional and creative use. Dana is the number one media guest in Belgium for body language. She appears on news, radio and TV shows – dissecting the body language of politicians, celebrities and everyday people. As a frequently booked international keynote speaker and business owner, she focuses on development of human potential through knowledge of Emotional Intelligence, branding and effective communication skills. At the age of 25, she started her own corporate event agency Event Mosaic in Belgium. In her 13 years as managing director at Event Mosaic, she managed a team of employees, large groups of freelancers and worked for more than 3500 happy customers. She started her career as an entertainer and still has a soft spot for the creative industry. 

Further to her body language training she has developed skills in the following areas, which is testament to her professional enthusiasm: NLP, Non-Violent communication, branding, coaching, team coaching, effective communication, DISC personality model, NBI Brain Talent Instrument, emotional intelligence, …