Headshots! Every actor needs one but few actors actually get them done correctly.

What is supposed to be their industry calling card often turns out to hurt their chances of being booked, more than it helps them.

Most actors I’ve spoken to over the years have put a ton of effort into taking their headshots, but few of them have stopped to think about what they want their headshots to do for them.

Have you thought about it recently?

If you haven’t then, chances are, your headshot isn’t doing as much as it could be doing for you. That’s something that needs to change as soon as possible.

Successful actors have a very well thought out strategy for their headshots.

It’s a huge part of what helps them take their career to the next level. If you want to be a professional actor, your headshot will be very important.

So how do you know whether your headshot is actually going to help you build your acting career or if it could end up hurting your chances of getting booked?

First, think about what your headshot is actually used for.

It’s what casting directors hold on to and what they use to envision you in whatever they are casting for.

Most actors take their headshots with the goal of “looking good.” Really, you should take your headshots with the goal of matching whatever category you are going to be specializing in. We’ll come back to that in a sec...

So how do you get the best headshot, that can actually help your career?
Determine what kind of characters you want to play and let that dictate your headshot.

For example, if you want to play outlaw type of characters, then wearing a suit for your headshot is probably not the way to go.

I know, it sounds kind of obvious but I see it happen all the time.

If you are playing relatable, everyday characters, a glamor type of headshot won’t help you get booked.

Your headshot should give casting directors a lasting impression and help them see you in the role they are casting for.

When I talk to actors about this, they cringe and talk about how they don’t want to get typecast and be stuck playing the same role over and over again.

So, they end up taking all kinds of headshots that will help them play against type.

While that kind of makes on the surface, what you should really do is focus on one or two categories of characters that you want to play and take headshots that fit those categories.

If you have been keeping up with the reports I’ve put out over the last few weeks, then you are already very familiar with why narrowing your focus to just one or two categories is something successful actors do.

It helps to make the maximum impact with everyone you work with because you get to work with the same people over and over again, so you actually get to know each other.

That’s only a small part of it.

The bottom line is that your headshot won’t book jobs for you. Your resume won’t book jobs for you either.

There is a lot more that goes into building your acting than just your headshot and resume but they are extremely important because they serve as your first impression to casting directors and industry decision makers.

The thing is, even the best headshot possible and an extensive resume won’t help much if your industry reputation isn’t up to what casting directors expect. That’s why I built this to help.

When CDs build a cast, they will look into you and anyone else they are considering.

So what is it that CDs expect to see when they look into you and your potential costars?

They don’t just try to find the “most talented” person to play every role. It goes way beyond that!

We’ll talk about the specifics another time. For now, use this to make sure your industry reputation always matches your goals.

When those two don’t match, actors find themselves stuck in their career.

If you haven’t been making the kind of progress you should be making, there could be a few factors at play.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll talk about how to determine exactly what the issue could be. Whatever it turns out to be, it always helps to be highly visible to casting directors and industry decision makers where they are already looking for talent.

If you’ve been in the industry for any length of time, chances are you already have a headshot.

How do you think it suits your career? Does it match the categories you’re going after or is it the kind that helps you play against type?

If you need a second opinion, let me know in the comments below or shoot me an email. I’ll always respond and help however I can because I truly want to...

See you at the top,
Scott