Kym here. In one day I read for a sweet mum in a rom-com, a rad car mechanic and a sexy villain. A different photo got me each of those.
I could play the mechanic either way. But nobody calls me in off the cute photo. So here is how I plan a headshot shoot, from the Journey masterclass on marketing materials.
Yes. One main theatrical headshot is not enough, because casting calls you in off the photo that looks like the role.
But before you spend a dollar on photos, work out what you walk into a room with. Your essence is not a character. It is an energy you walk into a room with, and it exists before you speak.
Filmmakers describe me as strong, not vulnerable. I can play vulnerable and have. But strong is free for me, so a strong character leaves me room to play.
The exercise I recommend comes from an essence class with the late Sam Christensen, and the exercise itself is free:
Have a friend ask 15 strangers to look at you, without speaking to you, and give five to 10 words that describe your energy or essence. Not your physique.
Essence roles are your easy casting. If you are the funny one in the office, you are still the funny one as a surf instructor.
Pick six to eight character types that suit you and your age group.
The types the class lists are main theatrical, white collar, blue collar, responders, medical, parents, rural, wealthy, villains, low vibration, and hippie or earthy. If you are younger, add student, college kid and punk or emo.
Some quick notes on wardrobe. Responders work in a plain blue or black t-shirt, hair pulled back, little makeup. Medical is white or light blue. Parents is loving and warm, often the jumper photo. Rural is plaid. Wealthy is evening wear with hair and makeup done, or a very good suit. Villains is energy, not wardrobe. Low vibration covers thugs, junkies and people out of money.
Then go a level deeper. Anyone can be a lawyer. The question is what kind: high price, underpaid and tired, ruthless, quirky and frazzled, warm and open, or slimy and creepy. Choose the one you would most likely book and the one that would be more fun.
Free masterclass: if you have been putting off the shoot for a year because “I’m not sure what my type is”, that is not a type problem. Clear Your Subconscious Blocks and Thrive is Journey 3, free, permanently.
A headshot is a moment in the life of that character, not the best photo in each outfit.
For each character, answer: who are you, what just happened, why did you come here, who are you looking at, who is the camera, and how do you feel?
My nasty photo was “get off my porch”, with the house and the gun behind the door in my head. My attorney photo was “I’ve got you, you can trust me”. The one I shot as a straight main theatrical was just me, and it shows.
Wardrobe is a hint of the character, never a uniform or a costume. Only the top is in frame, but heels or anything else that makes you feel like that person still helps. Get smiles and other expressions as options, in character.
Tell your photographer in advance that you are doing this, or a less experienced one will spend the session directing you to look pretty. Vet them first: if their gallery keeps backdrops in focus, do not shoot with them. Backgrounds must be out of focus, and should match the tone of the character where you can.
Then run a test shoot. Choose your outfits, get a friend, shoot on an overcast day or in the shade, and use portrait mode so the background blurs. You will learn whether the outfit works and whether you can hold that character’s energy.
Zoom to 100 percent on the eyes, then retouch only what will be gone in a month. Eyes must be sharp. Cut anything soft.
Casting wants real people, not pretend people:
Editing your age away wastes everyone’s time. You get called in for roles you cannot book and missed for the ones you were right for. Learning Photoshop yourself will save you a fortune.
Crop to 8 by 10, even though casting sites render closer to square, with your face at 40 to 75 percent of the image. Closer distorts how you read, wider and your head is tiny in a submission grid.
Use grid lines, get your eyes near the upper line of interest, and leave no room above your head. Space at the top is wasted space, exactly as in a self tape.
No more than 10 current headshots, one of each look, at full resolution. Archive the old ones. The biggest mistake I see is not missing material, it is old material stacked up so the new work is not visible.
For emailing agents, send two or three web optimised headshots at 94 DPI, sized eight by 10 inches at most, because a 300 DPI print file clogs their inbox and on a phone shows them the corner of your chin.
And make a photo strip: three headshots showing vastly different looks in one image, exported about three centimetres tall, for the bottom of your email signature.
No. You cannot pitch an agent without professional looking photos, so get solid low cost headshots now, or check the ones you have are decent.
Save the expensive shoot for after you sign, so your rep can curate the looks. If you are about to move to a new market, shoot simply and cheaply before you go, because you will likely replace them within a year of arriving.
Your main IMDb photo is a different thing. It is rarely a headshot. Look at what celebrities use, which is usually a red carpet or editorial shot.
Members get the full marketing materials masterclass and a community that will tell you honestly which photo is the one. All 18 Journey masterclasses come with every plan. Start your 7-day free trial.
Six to eight character looks in the shoot, then no more than 10 current headshots kept live, one per look, with older ones archived. One main theatrical shot is not enough because casting calls you in off the photo that looks like the role, and a different photo can win a mum, a mechanic and a villain in one day.
Do not wear a uniform or costume, do not let the photographer direct you to just look pretty, do not keep the background in focus, and do not retouch yourself 10 years younger or remove wrinkles. Cut any shot where the eyes are not sharp at 100 percent zoom, and leave no empty space above your head.
Both, in character. For each look, get smiles and other expressions as options, because a headshot is a moment in the life of that character rather than a neutral portrait. Decide who you are, what just happened and who you are looking at, then let the expression follow that.
8 by 10, with your face filling 40 to 75 percent of the image. Closer distorts how you read, wider makes your head tiny in a submission grid. Put your eyes near the upper grid line and leave no room above your head. For email, save at 94 DPI at eight by 10 inches or smaller.
Only what will be gone in a month: blemishes, zits, stray hairs. Soften wrinkles if you like but do not remove them, correct colour, brighten the eyes, and never edit your age. Casting wants real people, and a photo that looks younger than you gets you the wrong auditions and loses the right ones.
The full marketing materials masterclass is one of 18 in every SAS plan, alongside 3,000+ videos and a community of 160+ actors to sanity check your looks. Gold and Platinum also include personalised footage analysis (Kym’s recorded feedback). 7-day free trial on Silver and Gold, 60-day refund always.