Professional Headshots for Actors with the Face(s) of MyINDY-TV
Helen Wells Agency once again finds itself in the mix with the Face of MyINDY-TV—old and new, I might add! Last year’s Face, Scott Evans, officially joined Helen Wells Agency this week as one of our newest talents—complete with an in-house photo shoot. And when it came time for WNDY to take promotional photos of this year’s face, Zuri Hall, they turned to none other than Helen Wells Agency!
So how important is a good headshot or promotional photo? Very. In most cases, a headshot is the first and last thing that a potential client is going to see. Many casting agencies do their initial talent selection based solely off of the headshots provided to them. With that in mind, I picked the brains of our president and founder, Helen Wells, and our in-house photographer, Emily Steele. The very broad question I posed to my two experts: What should everyone know about having a headshot taken?
- You will need to pick a look—more specifically a hairstyle. Don’t get us wrong, the ability to do many different styles with your hair is always a plus, but you will need to decide on a cut and color. The last thing you want is to show up for an audition, and you look nothing like the initial image that enticed the client to select you.
- When should you show your personality? If you’re an actor or actress, try an expression that fits you! On-camera talents tend to have bigger expressions in headshots, while models tend to be a bit more on the minimal side.
- Show your versatility! Professional headshots, or comp cards, typically have two to four different images on the back. Actors and actresses, here is a great place to show potential clients your character depth. Models, here is your chance to highlight your best assets. You can get your mind out of the gutter now; you know what we meant.
- Color. When showing your versatility, you can never go wrong with a splash of color. If you have four photos on the back of your headshot, make it a goal to have four different color schemes to truly separate your looks! Oh, and steer clear of patterns.
- Seek professional help. Let’s face it, everyone knows someone that claims to be a “photographer.” Well, there are also a lot of people that own golf clubs; that does not mean that they are the next Arnold Palmer. I know, you wanted me to say Tiger Woods, but it’s too soon. Moral of the story, do your research on potential photographers, and chances are you won’t be sorry.
PS—During my first year as a budding actor, I drove from Indianapolis to Chicago for a commercial audition. When I arrived for said casting, my hair color looked nothing like my headshot in hand. Needless to say, the casting director said, “you look nothing like your picture.” No call back, and lesson learned.