Back to Basics: Actor Headshots, resumes, and reels
In the pursuit of a career as an actor, there are very few things in your control. You can't control bookings, or how a project is edited, etc. In fact, an actor can only truly control three things in their career: their materials, their training, and their attitude.
We call this Control The Controllables. Today, we're going to do a quick refresher on the materials. The resume, the headshots, the demo reel footage/clips, and how they come together on an actor's Actors Access page.
Prefer to listen to your content? Click hear to listen to Ep. 87 of the It’s a Slate of Mind podcast.
Actor Resumes
The first element is the RESUME. If you're just starting out, take a deep breath. Everyone had lots of white space and no credits to begin with. The way you can immediately work on that is by training.
Training should be a lifelong endeavor as an actor. It should be a broad based approach, including on-camera, technique, improv, and more. Don't just be a 'resume filler' type of actor but truly invest in your long term growth and education as an actor.
Strive to say YES to opportunities to gain experience for your resume, with student films, web series created by friends, and opportunities gathered from daily self-submissions on Actors Access. There's no substitute for being on set and learning. Don't be afraid to commit to working in the theatre. There's nothing like it and you'll be forever changed by the experience.
Actor Headshots
The next element in an actor's toolbox is the HEADSHOT. Notice that training and experience came before getting headshots. That may seem like a Catch-22, but it isn't. You don't need to invest in tons of professional headshots to begin your journey as an actor. But, when you're ready to take the plunge, here are a few critical things to consider:
It's a specialized niche skill: A wedding photographer does not a great headshot photographer make. Your uncle Bob who loves nature photography isn't going to cut it.
Do your research: Find which portfolios speak to you. Get feedback from fellow actors and who they shot with. Consider the cost and where you're at in your career.
Do the work: Don't expect the photographer to capture magic. You have to bring the character to life, too. If you're a strong, stern type, then why are you that way? If you're the ingenue, let us see the light in your eyes.
TIP: Every headshot you end up using on your profiles should tell a unique story. If not, you're just wearing a different colored shirt.
Actor demo reels
So, assuming you've been at this for a little while, trained, auditioned, and booked some work, hopefully you've got some DEMO REEL FOOTAGE. Now the question is what the heck do you do with the footage? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Here are some must know tricks with footage:
Whenever possible, a clip should start and end on you.
A clip doesn't need to make sense, we're only focused on you, not the overall story.
Keep clips to 20-30 seconds. If you can convince a CD you're believable and authentic in 30s, 45s, 60s, 90s isn't going to help your cause. They've switched off at that point.
For a demo reel of combined clips, you don't need a montage, music, or funky graphics. Keep it simple.
Depending on your market, reps will be okay with a two minute combined reel, or a three minute combined reel, plus individual clips separated on your Actors Access account. When you have enough footage, you can also create one minute 'speed reels' broken down by comedy and drama footage. The individual clips are becoming increasingly popular to help agents target specific types of characters and projects when they’re submitting your materials. When in doubt - ask your agent what they prefer when it comes to your clips and/or reels.
Examples
Still not quite sure what works and what doesn’t? Take a peek at Beyond Acting co-founder and working actor, Alex Collins’ Actor’s Access profile.
There you’ll get a glimpse of the industry standard styles of headshots, resume formatting, clips, and reels.
If you want to take a really deep dive into all of your materials, how to improve them, make the most out of them, and understand how the industry sees you in the market, check out THE ACTOR'S TOOLBOX, one of our premium, self-guided multi-week online courses - it's available at any time so you can get started upgrading your acting materials today!
