ACTORS LOOKS and TYPES for HEADSHOTS

“Looks”...actors want different “Looks”... can I get 3 looks, or 5 looks, in one photo session? etc. When it comes to looks, I think it’s more about quality then quantity. For example, whatever “Look” you have should re-enforce the “Type” you are going for and feel genuine. I see too many so called “Looks” that are nothing more then a change of cloths, and people think they are actually pulling off another “Type”. YES, wardrobe is part of it, but so is location, attitude, and an overall sense of self. Many photographers are good at taking pictures, but not necessarily helping you type yourself... so the more you know specifically what “types” you want the better your outcome will be.

I suggest you concentrate on your top 2 or 3 rolls you feel are right for you... these are your “Types”. Young Mom, Athlete, Blue Collar Employee, The Suit, College Student, Dad, etc. and go for variations of these characters. Type Casting yourself is not always easy, so ask your friends, teachers, and agents (if you have one) to help you. The more objective they are the better. You want honesty, and you have to be honest with yourself. YOU are the product you are marketing, so this is like “research” to see how the public perceives you.

Here’s a common type-casting exercise I’ve done many times with actors. I have each actor come up to the front of the class one at a time. They sit down facing everybody else, and say nothing. Just based on looking at the person, the other actors jot down their first impressions. I usually give them a sheet of adjectives, and “Types” to help them. Then I have the person on the hot seat show us his or her headshot(s). More often then not, the headshot does not match the “vibe” of who we see in front of us.

This is a great exercise that allows actors to learn what types they naturally carry with them, and at the same time provide a headshot reality check.

- Scott Young

Commercial Success/ Shoot a Scene. Edit Your Reel