The Correct Way to Plan Acting Headshots

The one change I made to stop wasting money.

My four planned looks. Only two made the cut.

A few years into auditioning, my agent finally gave me some advice that has drastically changed the way I plan headshots.

Story

“You get four different outfit changes.”

And I wasted three of them for my first set of professional headshots. I bought four of the exact same shirt in various colors. That was the only difference in my photos.

When I touched base with my agency about new headshots, I understood why I was confusing casting directors.

“We need each of your headshots to look like a different type of person.”

However, my acting coach (who has also produced a number of projects) told me to steer clear of props or outfits that were “too on the nose” because it would aggravate directors.

For example, no doctor’s coat unless you’re shooting a comp card for commercial modeling. More on that in a different post.

Takeaway

So how do you plan a headshot session? Based on the types of shows filming in your region.

1. Research IMDb productions and Actors Access based on your region.

2. Note 3-4 costume themes you like (80’s, suburbia, apocalyptic).

3. Plan your looks from lowest to highest maintenance (based on makeup and shaving needs if you’re a dude).

Join the Conversation

Here’s a video of my latest headshots. Do you think I successfully planned different looks?