Do headshots matter?
I had the opportunity to assist with a casting session recently, and I got to see about 40 different headshots that people are actually using. About half looked professional, but the rest had me a bit puzzled. Some people were using what were obviously home snapshots laid out and printed on the home inkjet. Some people had old headshots that no longer gave a good idea of what the Actor looked like. Some people had ‘Glamour Shot’ type photos, and some didn’t have a headshot at all.
Maybe I’m a bit biased, but I think that if you’re serious about your acting/performing/singing, you should have a professional headshot. In the broad picture, when you’re up against other people looking for the same job, I think that if you don’t look professional, that can be an immediate disqualifier. Casting Pro is given a choice between actor ‘A” with a good headshot, and Actor ‘B’ with a bad headshot. Assuming each meets the physical requirements for the part, they’ve got to be thinking that ‘A’ know what she’s doing – she cares enough about her career that she’s taking the details seriously, and would be an asset to the project. ‘B’ maybe not so much.
Think about it as a job interview.I think we’d agree that you should shower, dress nicely, and be polite and professional. Having a bad headshot is like showing up to that interview with bad breath, a stained shirt, and flip flops..
Your headshots don’t need to be taken by a professional (yes, I said it), but they sure need to look like they were! They represent you, good or bad.
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