Transcripts
1. INTRODUCTION VIDEO: Beyond Acting - Part 4: Hi, I'm Attina Vagadr. I'm an actress and an acting
coach and I'm here to help you not only master
your acting craft, but also navigate the
industry with confidence. If you want acting
technique knowledge, you can watch my classes
Acting Technique Part one, the foundations of
truthful acting, and acting technique
Parts two and three, relationship work and
emotional preparation. In beyond acting P four, we'll step outside of
the acting studio and focus on the business of acting. Here's
what you'll learn. You learn how to develop the
right mindset for success. You learn how to identify and
leverage your custom type. You get tips for working with agents and building
professional relationships. Then you'll get
practical advice on perfecting your headshots and
creating a standout Surial. This class is all
about setting you up for success in
the real world. Let's get to work, and let's take your acting career
to the next level.
2. LESSON 13 - MINDSET: Well done for completing the technique section
of this course. Now you truly have all you
need to develop and nurture your craft and to keep growing as an actor
and as an artist. In this lesson, we're
diving deep into something every actor
needs to succeed, aside, of course,
from great technique and skills, the winning mindset. Whether you're just starting
out on your acting journey with this course or you've been in the industry for years, I'm sure you already know that cultivating the right
mindset is crucial, not only for landing roles, but also for staying
fulfilled in this wild unpredictable
world of acting. So let's get into it. First up is resilience, so your ability to withstand or recover quickly
from difficulties. And, trust me, if there's one
thing that you're going to need in this industry,
it's a thick skin. You will hear a lot of nos even whilst you're
getting important yeses. It's a constant whirlwind, and there will be
difficult moments of silence and of waiting. This can be tough to withstand. Rejection is part
of the game and you need to find effective
ways to make sure it doesn't impact your desire to stay on
the path they've chosen. It's key to understand that you cannot take rejection
personally. Every actor, every biggest name, A lists in Hollywood have heard no hundreds of times
before they heard a yes, and they all talk about
it pretty openly. You hear a lot of nos even after you've heard
a lot of yeses. Those who succeed in
this industry are the ones who persist
through the tough times, staying focused
on the long game. So perseverance and resilience
go hand in hand here. But it's crucial for
you to understand how to do perseverance right. And what I mean by this is
that it's very important that you learn to take care of yourself and of your
craft the right way. The very last thing
that you want as an actor is to grow
bitter and disillusioned. So how can you make sure that
you stay away from this? Your craft needs to be the
center of your acting journey, and you have to be very, very clear why you're doing this. Acting, I mean. Why do
you want to be an actor? Ask yourself this question
and ask it regularly. It's easier than
you think to forget the true reason you're playing this beautiful but risky game. As the industry, as
you can imagine, provides all sorts of
distractions, good and bad, and it's very easy to get
thrown around by it and to become somehow addicted to
both successes and rejections. But if you stay rooted in the reason why you have
decided to embark on this journey and you put that first at any given
point of your path, you'll be a lot more
stable and you'll feel stronger on your feet
even during hard times. Taking care of your craft is
essential in the process. Make your artistic journey
more and more beautiful. Keep improving your acting. Have a personal, intimate
relationship with it. If you do so, no person or circumstance will be able to impact your love
affair with acting. And this is incredibly
important because as an actor, you do need a thick skin, but your heart needs to
remain open and receptive, which brings me to
the next point. Make sure that you take
good care of yourself, and if you don't
know how to, make it a priority to learn. Treat your body, your mind, and your soul well. As you may have gathered, I do not believe at all in the idea of the tortured artist. As you've learned
in this course, you can do everything through the flexibility of your emotional and
behavioral instrument and through your imagination. There is absolutely
no reason for you to exploit your
trauma and your pain. To stay in this industry
for a long time, you need to be happy and healthy. Don't get
me wrong here. Actors tend to be very
sensitive people, and we all have our
issues and challenges. But what I mean here is that it should be a
goal to be happy, not miserable because
this will truly allow you to make
your acting journey into a beautiful adventure, and taking good care of
yourself will make also you more resilient and will keep you steady in
the face of uncertainty. Taking care of yourself
and of your craft will also strengthen
your growth mindset. It will help you believe
that you can always improve, always evolve, and
that you can truly learn something in pretty
much any circumstance. And the best actors out there never stop learning and
know this very well. They make it a priority,
especially during tough times to reignite
meaning and purpose. And I don't mean just
learning about acting. In your journey, you will learn a lot about yourself, too. Always be curious.
Always ask questions. Always look for answers. Obviously, move forward
with curiosity. And this will also allow you to become excellent whilst
at the same time, staying away from the
dangers of perfectionism. Excellence is dynamic, fun, and it's about you
and your craft. Perfectionism is
stuck, torturous, and about how others
perceive you. Taking care of your
craft and of yourself are also foundational
elements for your confidence. Your ability to show up with little to no resistance and to be willing to be seen is
what casting directors, directors and producers
want to see from an actor. Your willingness to be
seen is what attracts audiences to you and what makes
you compelling on screen. Presence has nothing to do with your looks or with certain
standards of beauty. You're attractive
if you don't hide, if you give yourself, if you're willing
to give and share. It is not a coincidence
that people in the industry joke
asking each other, how long did your
overnight success take? Well, overnight
successes are very, very, very rarely true
overnight phenomena. Behind the so called
overnight success of n actor, there are years of, guess what? Perseverance, taking
care of oneself, taking care of one's
craft, thick skin, but warm open heart, and the willingness to be seen. While you're
waiting, you need to stay focused, stay patient, and trust that
everything that you're doing is preparing you
for that opportunity, and it's shaping
you as an artist. And if you still
cannot trust that, at least acknowledge that it's making you a
much better actor, an artist and cherish that. There are many actors that made it later
in their careers. Wonder what got them there alive and not completely
broken and exhausted, all that we've
spoken about so far. All the above will hopefully
inspire you to build your career instead of expectantly hoping to be
discovered and saved. Sometimes this may
mean getting a little creative and
especially at the beginning, it could really help working on your own projects as well. And these could be
plays that you're writing and performing or short films and feature films that you have produced, if
that's your interest. I myself have a production
company here in London, and I have been doing production
work for a while now. And a lot of actors,
you know, actually, most of successful
Hollywood actors have production companies, too. Building with patients also
means that you may need a side job to make ends meet, especially
at the beginning, and to stay in your
acting journey without being in a situation of
financial panic at all time. You don't want to get desperate because this is really not
sustainable in the long run. So like you do in your acting, keep creative and think
outside of the box. And you will see that this will also improve your resilience, your love for your craft,
your love for yourself, and all the aspects that we
have discussed in this class. Remember, don't be precious, keep experimenting, and always let your Y be bigger
than your ego.
3. LESSON 14 - MARKET YOURSELF: CASTING TYPE: This class is going to be
dedicated to the very talked about and often confusing
topic of casting type. Have you ever wondered
why certain roles seem to fit you like a glove while others feel a little
bit out of reach? Understanding
casting type clearly and learning how to use it to your advantage could be a game changer for you
in your acting career, helping you book more
roles and connect with right agents and navigate the
industry with confidence. So let's break it down. So what exactly is casting type? In simple terms,
your casting type is the kind of character
you naturally embody, based on your
looks, personality, the energy that you
naturally carry, and how other people
perceive you. Important thing here, this is not necessarily who you are, but how casting directors
and audiences in general, see you fitting into a role.
I'll give you an example. In my life, I'm a
very warm person, but my looks suggest colder,
more distant characters. This discrepancy made
me miscast myself for a very long time and not
see myself objectively. You'd never cast me as the
girl next door, would you? Precisely. Casting types are
defined by many components, and there is variety within the same casting type as well. But overall, think
of casting type as the shorthand that
casting directors use to categorize actors. Are you more of an action hero, a family man, the quirky
friend, the outsider? As mentioned, casting
types are also defined by physical
traits like age, body type, or even by the
energy and personality. Things like being boy, girl next door, corporate boss
or the rebel, for example. Why does this matter so much? Well, casting directors
are looking for actors who fit the roles they're casting
for a specific project, and they often have a
pretty clear idea of what they need and look for
someone that embodies it. Understanding your casting type helps not only the
casting director, but also you focus on roles that are a
natural fit for you, which obviously increases
your chances of getting cast. And it also helps you create a clear and consistent
brand as an actor. When agents, casting directors
or producers think of you, they should have a good idea of what roles you'd
be perfect for. Now, this does not mean that you cannot play outside
of your casting type. In fact, in certain
circumstances, playing outside of
your casting type can make for a very
interesting choice. However, I would suggest
that instead of thinking about cussing type as
something that limits you, you embrace it and make it your unique selling
point and a power. Embracing your casting type can really increase your
chances to get working. And once you're
in, then expanding what you can do and what you can be considered for
is a lot easier. Don't be stubborn. Don't be
one of those actors that get stuck on the idea that
they can play every character. This is not helpful and will make you waste
a lot of time. And this kind of attitude is often due to a lack
of knowledge, really, and a fundamental
misunderstanding of what casting type is
and why it's important. Casting the right actors with the right looks in
the right roles allows audiences to connect more powerfully and truly serves
the story much better. Again, you will play more
than just your casting type, but please don't throw
away your strengths, Master them, and then expand. Also knowing your casting type
means that you can tailor your headshots and shirll
to showcase your strengths. It's all about marketing yourself in a way
that highlights your best attributes
and make it easy for casting directors to
say, that's the one. Now, the big question is, how do I figure out
my casting type? Don't be worried
if you're unsure what your casting type may be. Especially at the
beginning, it's very difficult to see yourself
objectively and, you know, be truly correct about what
your casting type is. As I mentioned, many
things get in the way, and our relationship
with ourselves is always a complex and at times
complicated one. Here are two good
ways to get started. One, ask for feedback. The people around you often have a more objective sense
of how you come across. Ask your friends, fellow actors, teachers how they
would cast you. What types of characters
do they see you playing? You might be surprised
by their insights. This is very important because these people around
you are your audience. Two, study yourself on camera. Record yourself
performing a variety of roles and points of view. Play it back and see if you actually believe the
casting type you tried on. Would you cast yourself
as that character? Sometimes you're close enough, and you may just need
to work a little on your presentation or point of view to really own
a certain type. For example, the ruthless boss, the supportive
friend, and so forth. Lean into those roles, practice them and make them a solid part of your repertoire. Remember, your cussing type
may not align with roles you dream of playing or with who you truly
are, and that's okay. Mustering your cussing type is about getting your
foot in the door. Once you've
established yourself, you also hopefully be able to explore other types of roles. I'll give you here
some examples of common casting types that could
help you orient yourself. But the best way
to expand on this, as always, is to writ
novels and watch films. In other words, get
to know characters. I'm sure that you're familiar
with so called leading man, leading lady, leading character. These characters are generally
confident, attractive, and charismatic and they
are central to the story, like the hero or the heroin. But they can also be deep and well rounded
characters that we follow through an entire
journey and development. There are also different
versions of these leading roles, one being a softer,
innocent protagonist. And this is often the case with younger characters,
for instance, in coming of age films, and a version where
the protagonist is a reluctant or accidental hero, possibly a character
that wouldn't have the characteristics of
a leading character, but finds themselves
in circumstances that force them to step
up to a certain task. Then you can think about some
other very common types, the best friend, for example, often quirky, funny,
or endearing, these characters
support the lead and bring levity and
wisdom to the story. Obviously, we have the villain, the antagonist, darker,
more intense, scheming. These characters
challenge the protagonist and bring conflict to the plot. There are so many villains
or darker characters. D just think about Marvel here. Great villains could
be shady, nasty, manipulative
characters, and you can find them across all genre. Think a ruthless lawyer or a manipulative
boyfriend, for example. Then we have the
authority figures. These are, for instance,
the boss, teacher, a cop, a parent figure, and they have a commanding
presence that can be either nurturing or strict. And these are obviously
just some examples simply to get you started. To start exploring
your casting type, you can ask some very
simple questions. What do I look like? Am
I warm or cold looking? What energy do I naturally
bring with me and radiate? Do I feel like I could be
closer to a vulnerable, honest, open character or to a
cold and manipulative one? Or do I have a grounded
presence authoritative? Am I quirky? Also, think
about professions. That's very helpful. Do
I look like a lawyer, a teacher, a corporate boss? Could I play a period piece? Could I play a working class
character? And so forth. Let your imagination run
wild ask a lot of questions. In other words, explore. Understanding your
casting type is obviously just one part
of the acting puzzle. But it's a key tool to
help you book more jobs, build your brand, and find
your place in the industry. Remember, it's not about
boxing yourself in. It's about playing to your strengths while you
continue to grow as an actor. So take the time to
explore your type and really fine tune your approach
and understanding of it.
4. LESSON 15 - AGENTS: To conclude our
lessons together, I'd like to discuss a
topic that is always at the forefront of an actor's
concerns and thoughts. Agents. If you're wondering whether you need
an agent or not, the answer is absolutely yes. Whilst as an actor,
you may have access to platforms that allow
you to audition and submit applications
and sell tapes for student films and some
independent projects. The industry heavily
relies on agents to filter and submit actors
for any project, really. And without an agent, you
simply won't have access to 90% or more of additions. And this is just the
first self evident reason why you should have an agent. There are many other
reasons that I'll cover in this lesson and that
you should be aware of. I want to walk you
through everything that you need to
know about getting an agent from what
they actually do for you to how to prepare the best way to
connect with an agent, and to get them
interested in you. As I just mentioned, agents have access to
casting calls that you'd never be able to access
as an unrepresented actor. An agent, though, is not only someone who helps
you find auditions. They also help you negotiate contracts, manage
career opportunities. And if you're lucky
enough and end up with a very good
and solid agent, they can really help you
build and shape your career. Agents are your
industry partner. They have access to people,
casting projects and opportunities that you won't
have access to on your own. They are your interface
with industry because they've built relationships
with casting directors, producers, and other
industry professionals, and they know what roles you
might be a great fit for. This also means that
an agent can save you a lot of time
and help you get seen for projects that really align with your skills
and casting type. Agents only get paid
when you book a job. They usually take a ten to 20% commission on your earnings, depending on whether you
book a job for theater, for a film, or for a commercial. So their success depends
on your success. So how do you get an agent? And how do you find an agent
that is right for you? The relationship
between an actor and an agent is first and foremost, a relationship between
two human beings. So you don't simply
need to get an agent. You need to find an agent
that works well for you. You need to be able to
trust that they value you, that they believe in
you, and that they're working to get you seen
for the right projects. And they need to believe
in you to see that you are a winning asset
worth investing in. See, this is not
a one way street. You need to approach
this with humility, but I don't want you
to think that an agent is doing you a favor by
having you in their books. They are working for you as much as you're working for them. So try as much as you can to
view this as a partnership. Be respectful, but do
not undersell yourself. Like with all relationships
and partnerships, it may take a while to
find the right one. You may spend the
first few years of your career jumping a little bit from one agent to another until you find
the right fit for you. Or you might be
lucky from the get go and find a good
fit straightaway. You need to build
your resume or CV, as agents will want to
see what you have done, assuming that you have done
your training and that you're a professional actor ready
to enter the industry, if you're just starting out, you can work on
some short films, student projects, or
smaller theater productions to build experience. These experiences will begin to populate your spotlight
page if you're in the UK or any other equivalent
platform and your CV. Alongside that, they're
going to provide you with materials
for your Shurial. So next up, you need to create a professional Surial this, as you may know
already, is a video that showcases some
of your best work. It doesn't have to be long. Quality over quantity is key here, especially
at the beginning, and it doesn't really
need to be artistically edited with jazzy
music and effects. You sure simply needs
to comprise a series of scenes that show your
professional acting work and represent you as an actor. If you really don't have
anything or you're struggling to secure some initial roles
on student projects, you can decide to
record a monologue. This, however, needs to be done professionally as the
quality of your real is an indication of
your commitment to present yourself and your work
in the best possible way. And this is very important. It's invaluable because it speaks about you
as a professional. Think about this in a
different work context. You surely would want to give the best possible impression during a work interview, right? You wouldn't walk in there
unprepared or disheveled. I have recorded a bonus video dedicated to Shuriels
does and Ds, which is at the end
of our classes. So check that out for an in
depth lesson on Shuials. Then you'll need
some good headshots. Headshots are the
first impression that you give an agent or a casting director
down the line, and they are
absolutely crucial in determining whether an agent or a casting director
would even click on your profile and open it
to see your work at all. See my YouTube
class on headshots. I have included it in the
bonus section of the course. First of all, you need
to do some research. Start with agents in your
local market and those who specialize in emerging talent if you're newer to the industry. You can use websites like
IMDB Pro or Backstage to see who's representing actors in your cussing type or age range. But any Google search really is great for directing
you to talent agents and will highlight lists of recommended agencies
in your country. What I normally suggests
is to research who represents actors you've
seen shows you really like. Look at all the actors
that play smaller roles, they players, guess the roles, and that could fit
your cussing type. See who their agent is and make sure to put that
down on your list. Obviously, if you're lucky enough to have
someone who's able to refer you or connect you
directly to an agent, definitely make use
of that opportunity. In any case, before
you contact an agent, make sure that you get
a good understanding of who they are
and what they do. Check out their roster of
clients, their websites, look at the kind of work
that they focus on mainly, and see if they're
a good fit for you. If you do get a chance to
meet them or talk to them, you want to give them a good
reason why you think they could be a good fit for
you and you for them. Once you have found
some agencies that you think could be
a good fit for you, it might be a good
idea to get in touch with some actors that they represent and ask them about their experience with
the agency, for example. You can contact them
on social media, and most actors would
actually be kind enough to share their thoughts and their experience with you. This is not something
that you must do. It simply might be
helpful to gather some more information and a feel for a specific agency
or a specific agent. Two, follow submission
guidelines. This may seem obvious, but there are a lot of actors that just mass email a bunch of agencies without crating their
approach. Do not do that. Most agencies have quite specific guidelines
clearly spelled out on the websites in regards to materials
they want to receive, email addresses to use for
submissions, and so forth. Follow those guidelines. Agents receive a huge
amount of submissions, so their requests
are not a whim, but a necessity to be able to process such a high
volume of emails. Trust me, if you don't
follow directions, your email will likely
get tossed aside without even being read. Keep it simple. Include exactly what
they ask for and make sure it's clear
and professional. Three, craft a
professional email. Speaking of emails,
let's talk about how to write an effective
email for an agent. When contacting an agent, your email should be
professional but brief. You want to grab
their attention, but you don't want to overwhelm them with too much information. Here's a simple structure
that you can follow. One, start by addressing
them by name, if possible, that shows them that
you've done some research and that you're not
just mass emailing. Hi, and then put the name of the agent
that you're addressing. Two, mention briefly why you're interested in working
with them specifically. This is, again, where your
research comes in handy. It shows that you know who
they are and what they do, but don't drag it too
long or exaggerate it. Three, highlight a few key
things about yourself, maybe a recent project, a special skill or
something unique that makes you stand out and could make you a good fit
for the roster. And finally, four, end with a polite call
to action such as, I'd love the
opportunity to discuss representation with you or I'd love the opportunity to talk to you and something
along these lines. For example, a good email might sound something like this. Hi, Agents name. I
hope you're well. I'm reaching out because I'm really impressed with
the talent that you represent and the work that you've done in film
and television. Here, please try to be
specific and name some of the latest projects they've been involved in or that their
clients have been part of. Then you could say
something like, I recently appeared
in name the project, if you have one or just
say that you've just graduated or whatever is the most recent interesting
thing that applies to you. And I'm currently looking
for a presentation to help me take the next
steps in my career. Attached is my head shot and my CV for your
consideration. I'd love the opportunity to connect and discuss
potential representation. Thank you for your time. Short,
sweet, and to the point. Four, provide updated material. Always make sure
that the materials you provide are up to date. Do not send in old headshots
or old materials in general. Agents are going to
be judging whether they can market you
to casting directors. So your head shots should be recent and
professionally done. And if you have a show real
that you're including, it needs to showcase your
strongest performances. Outdated or low
quality materials can really hurt your chances. So make sure that
everything you send in is polished and current. There are some things that
you definitely should not do when getting
in touch with agents. Do not cold call. Don't cold call agents. Agents are super busy, so unless they specifically say that they
accept phone calls, this would come across as
intrusive and unprofessional. Agents prefer email submissions
because they can look through them on
their own time and at their own pace and
respond when they can. Don't send mass emails. Trust me, agents can tell if
you are sending mass emails. Sending a generic email to
ten different agents at the same time makes you look really
unprofessional and lazy. Just a little bit of
tailoring of the email, as we've discussed,
will make you look professional and committed. Personalizing emails
takes longer, I know, but the effort
will be worth it. Don't oversell yourself. If you don't have a lot of
credits, don't inflate things. Agent appreciate
honesty, and, you know, if you're at the
beginning of your career or if you're trying to reignite it or
better it, that's fine. Agents need to see where you are and that you're confident
and professional, but they do not appreciate lies. Focus on your strengths and be honest about where you're
at in your career. Do not harass the
agent for a response. It's totally fine to send a polite follow up
after a few weeks, and in fact, I would suggest that if you
haven't gotten a response, but that's about it. If they want to respond, rest assured that they will, so do not harass them. Finally, don't
attach huge files to your emails as they may
end up in the spam. You can attach a headshot, but no larger than
500 kilobytes. Let's say, best
around 200 kilobytes, and the rest should be
on your spotlight page or an equivalent platform. If you don't have a
profile on a platform yet, you can upload your show reel on YouTube or video and
send the link through. So to recap, do your research, follow
submission guidelines, craft a professional email, and make sure your
materials are updated. Remember, contacting
agents can feel daunting, but if you approach it
professionally and thoughtfully, you'll make a good
impression and improve your chance of
getting representation.
5. Headshots: Have you ever
wondered what makes a headshots truly stand out? Why do certain headshots
work and others don't? And how can we learn to
recognize a powerful headshot? We all know headshots
are very important, but sometimes we forget just how key they are in getting
us through the door. Your headshot is your
first impression, your calling card, and truly the key to getting into the room with
a custom director. Of course, your acting
too is important, and your shoal is very, very important, and we'll
discuss that in another video. But if your headshot
doesn't catch the casting
director's attention, your shual will likely
never be opened. Standards around headshots keep changing very in
different countries, but one thing does not change. They need to convince
casting directors to get you into the room or to
request a self tape from you. Today we're going
to dive into what makes a great acting headshot, and then I'll give you
an idea of what you can expect to pay for
professional headshots, whether you're in
the UK or in the US, a sea of headshots, what you may not know
about the casting process. When a casting director
opens the folder with all the applications they have received for
a certain role, they actually find
themselves in front of a page filled with
stamp size headshots, like literally thumbnails
from hundreds of actors. Each page will display
about 40 to 50 thumbnails. And I'm not joking here. Casting directors do receive hundreds of
submissions per role. First selection round
is based on headshots. It is that headshot that appears in the sea of
other headshots that guarantees or
eliminates your chances of a click on your profile
and hopefully on your shareo. So what are the elements
of a compelling headshot? I'll start by
highlighting what I think is an absolute must, and then I'll cover
some more obvious or maybe not so obvious aspects. Make choices and present
your casting type. Your headshots need to reflect your casting type casting types. Not in a heavy way. I'm not suggesting here to do
anything crazy by way of costume or makeup to suggest that you could be
good for a period film. However, you need to be aware of your casting type and
bring an intention, a point of view
during the shoot. That can suggest the types of characters you want
to be cast for. This will also
give you headshots more focus and clarity of presentation whilst
maintaining an authentic, not
over the top look. Work with your point of
view and your intentions. Prepare three or four different
characters in your head and suggest those directions
during the shoot. This will also help you to be fully present in
front of the camera instead of feeling like,
unsure or hesitant. You can help yourself with different tops as
well, for instance, to convey a stronger,
colder character, or a warmer, softer
look. Keep it simple. Th should be just a
suggestion, as I said, not an in your face
characterization, but you'll be surprised to see what a different neckline on a simple top can do alongside
the right point of view. Your eyes are key
in delivering this. Like with great screen
acting, your eyes are key. A great headshot has a
strong focus on the eyes because they're what conveys
emotion and connection. And it's that connection
that will capture the casting directors attention and will make them curious, will make them want to
know more about you. The camera should
capture that spark, that connection,
that point of view. And this will be a lot
easier if you know what it is that you're doing
in front of the camera. I spent my first photo
shoots trying to be myself, but actually coming off as shy and a little
withdrawn because truly, I had no idea what
I was presenting. And although there
are some people who are naturally comfortable
being photographed, most of us, actors,
are not 100%. I am, for example, super
comfortable being filmed, but not so much
being photographed. And I discovered
that a lot of that came down to the fact that I had no idea what I was doing while I was
being photographed. I'll show you some
different headshots I took through the years and will use them to comment good
and bad things about them. Do you see the difference in my eyes in these two headshots? Leave aside the physical
objective differences such as the haircut. Do you see that the eyes
are actually different? This simply comes from
the fact that I knew what I was going for
in the second shot, whereas I was just
there in the first one. In these shots, I was trying
to convey a more natural, authentic presentation of me that could serve as
my main headshot. But even in this
case, I needed to help myself and
make some choices, some decisions in regards to what I wanted the
headshot to present, how I wanted it to
present me as an actor. These are headshots that present my casting type in a
very specific way, and they're great as a third, fourth or fifth shot on
your spotlight page. The first to keep a
little bit more neutral. Let's now talk about some more obvious but still very
important things. All casting directors
will tell you that a headshot should look like.
But what does that mean? It simply means keep
your headshots updated. Don't send a casting director a 10-year-old image
of you and avoid heavy makeup and over the top retouching
and model type shots with a strong posing. You should be able
to walk through the door and be recognizable. If you aren't, this
isn't great because it's going to be a
big waste of time for the casting director
and it's really going to leave them with a sour
taste in their mouth. Technically speaking,
your head shot should be well lit and draw the
attention on you, not on your background. Soft even lighting
tends to work best to highlight your features
without casting harsh shadows. However, there are
some photographers that shoot slightly harsher and they can really work for
certain faces and features. The background should be
simple and unobtrusive. You want the focus to be on you, not on a busy or
distracting backdrop. Certain agents and
casting directors prefer outdoor photo shoots, and others would recommend
studio headshots. As long as the attention
is on you, on your face, on your eyes, especially, this won't be a deal breaker. Don't get your friend to
take your headshots unless your friend is a photographer specializing in headshots
for actors, of course. I know that as actors, we
have a lot of expenses, memberships and so forth. But if you should
invest in something, that should be your headshots. A good headshot
photographer knows how to capture you and
your acting persona, and they're able to
convey character. And this is so, so important. Remember the sea of
thumbnails we talked about. The first ones
that get discarded are flat, non
captivating headshots. And that's a shame
because this could really mean that a
great actor could be discarded just because they have the wrong headshot that is
not really working for them. If you have an agent, it's very good to consult with
them as well on this, as they likely have a more
objective perspective than you on yourself, and they're constantly
submitting actors, so they know what works
and what doesn't. Lastly, let's talk
about pricing. How much should you expect to pay for professional headshots? I'm UK based, and
here in London, prices can vary and range between 200 pounds at
an absolute minimum to about 400 for a good
quality headshot session that gives you three to
five edited headshots. This typically includes a
couple of hours of shooting. Done some research
in the US market, and especially in larger cities like Los Angeles or New York, professional headshots can
range anywhere $250-700, and I have friends that
have paid close to $1,000. Again, this can vary depending on the
photographer's experience, the length of the session, and how many final
images you receive. Now, you really don't
want to overspend. Do your research, see the
photographers you like, and that you think could
work well for your face. You'll see that some
of them do better with more angular faces and some
others with softer legs. They're humans, so
they may prefer shooting something
over something else, and this will show
in their work. And then I'd suggest
you stay somewhere maybe in the middle
as regards the fee. I don't know, 300 pounds. Head shows can take a few
sessions to get right, especially if you're at the
beginning of your career, and anyway, you will
have to update them. So it's better not to eat into all your savings
at once anyway. So when choosing a photographer, check out their
portfolio and make sure that they have experience
with actors specifically. The photographer
should understand how to capture your range, your type, your personality. During the session, you also
want to feel comfortable and relaxed because that's when
you get your best work. To sum it all up, a
great headshot is a combination of casting type, authenticity, and
professional quality. It should show a casting
director exactly who you are as an actor and give them a reason to call you in for
that audition. And while prices can vary, think of headshots
as an investment in your acting career as they truly are the first
step to getting noticed. So that's it. I hope this helps and
helps you understand how to approach your headshots
with a clear strategy. Good luck out there. And
if this video helped you, please leave me a alike or comment below. See
you next time.
6. BONUS CLASS: SHOWREELS: Your Shurio is one of the
most powerful tools that you have to showcase your
talent and secure roles. So how do you create
a compelling Shurel? A Shuriel is a
curated video montage of your best performances, which highlights your range, your skills, and on
camera presence. You can think about your
Shurio as your CV in action. It's what casting directors look at to decide if they want to bring you in to the room for an audition in
the first place. What are the ingredients
of an effective Shuriel? First things first,
I want to highlight that your surreal is about you. It may seem obvious, but many actors showcase
materials that highlight another
actor more than them. I'm aware that the temptation is there to try and flesh out your real so to feel like you're presenting a stronger
case for yourself, and it's understandable and for why they should choose you. But when it comes to
presenting your work, quality over quantity
is absolute key. Start strong. Your first scene should grab the attention
within 10 seconds. So lead with your
strongest work, which you feel represents you
in the best possible way. If possible, show some range. So include a variety
of scenes that display different characters and
different emotional nuances. But once again, don't overdo it. Two to three contrasting scenes are enough, especially
at the beginning. You want to show range but not confuse an agent
or a casting director. If you have more material because you've been
acting for a while, this is great, but please
try to follow the same rule. Do not include everything, your most compelling work and
reasonably recent, as well. Keep it short. Two to maximum 3 minutes is generally the
sweet spot for a schurial, and it's more than enough
to show an intrigue. Once again, focus on quality. Make sure that your clips are high resolution
with clear sound, avoid any blurry
footage or poor audio. It's distracting and
highly unprofessional. And as I was mentioning before, make it about you. You're the star. Use
scenes where you're clearly visible and
central to the action. Avoid clips where you're
overshadowed by other actors. I understand that you
may have a clip with them a big name actor that
you want to showcase, even if you're not the
center of the attention. That is fine. Just make
sure that it's not too long and not for too
long on the other actor. You can use a part
of the scene that involves you a little
bit more heavily. If you are starting out and don't have enough
professional footage, I'd recommend taking
part in students, short films, and
similar opportunities that might not be paid, but could provide you
with professional footage for your schurio. Can obviously also decide
to record a monologue, which is a little
simpler to record professionally without
an entire film crew. You'd still need good equipment, but the process is a
little less complex, and you might find a young film student willing
to help you with that. There are companies out
there that produce surials, but they're very expensive, and the process
tends to be rushed. So I'd probably resort to
that as a very last option. When it comes to
editing, keep it simple. Sure real is not a film. So use simple, clear
transitions between scenes, add your name and contact info at the beginning,
and at the end. You can hire an editor, but there are plenty of very simple editing
programs like Eye Movie that you
can learn to use. So you can save that money and maybe invest it into new
headshots, for example. Show reel is your calling card, so give it the
attention it deserves. But be considerate and don't spend too much
money on it because services around Show
reels are there tend to be ridiculously
expensive, as often actors
don't feel like they can learn some basic
editing skills. Well, I invite you to change
your approach on this.
Martina Avogadri
