A lot of actors
ask me to look at their headshots.
Then they ask my
opinion.
Usually my answer
goes something like this: "Try
again."
Why?
Because, while many actors complain that they don’t get very
good
results from their mailings to casting directors and agents, they
seldom connect those results to their headshot. 92.6% of the
time, the headshot is the problem. (I make up statistics, so you can't
trust me. But that's my guess.)
You
must follow the Bob Fraser Headshot ROI Rule:
(ROI = Rate Of Interest) People who do direct mail advertising expect
at least a 4% return. If they don't get a 4% return, they change the
ad. Your headshot and resume is a direct mail promotion. If you are not
getting at least a 4% rate of return on your mailings ... you need a
new picture.
Keep
track. If you send out 100 pictures and don't get 4 calls –
you probably need a new picture.
Most
successful actors get hundreds of headshots over the course of their
career. The reason? The picture must 'work' -- it must get you called
in for an audition or a meeting. If it doesn’t get you called
-- then
it’s not 'working.'
Even
if you think it’s the best darn picture that’s ever
been taken of you,
don’t keep trying to ride a dead horse. If your headshot
doesn't 'work'
(get you called in) ... welcome to reality. You need a new headshot.
It
amazes me how many actors keep flogging the same old picture. Even
though it hasn't gotten them called in for a meeting or audition
– they
continue to insist that it’s a great headshot. And they send
out
hundreds.
Please.
Keep track. If you’re not getting called in ... move on.
Now
you are probably thinking about how much this is going to cost you
–
this constant need of new pictures (until you get one that really
really works).
Excellent!
You have begun to think about your business. And the cost of
doing business. (And by the way, whining about it won't change
anything.)
The
headshot is your professional direct mail
promotional tool.
The
headshot is one of the only parts of this process that you have any
control over.
The
headshot is your most crucial tool.
The
headshot is the only way in the door.
If
you spend your resources on other 'methods' and continue to believe
that your headshot is fine – you are generally wasting your
resources.
That’s
a fact of life in show BUSINESS. Don't argue.
Well,
you can argue, if you want, and try to "get by" with the picture you've
got – essentially ignoring this most basic tool of your
business – but
I guarantee you a full ration of disappointment in the end result.
I
have seen people with very small talents (and so have you) who, because
they DO the business part, get
so much further than those who think that somehow their talent will be
recognized from any old headshot.
Is
it worth it to keep getting new headshots, until you find one that
works? Only you can decide that.
Now,
to cover a few more points: If you are not getting good results with
your mailings, here are four hints that might make your response rate
more to your liking.
1.
Don’t submit for things you are not right for.
Don’t
kid yourself. If they’re looking for a tall, lithe, athletic
Argentinean flamenco dancer and you’re a corn-fed baton
twirler from
Iowa ... don’t waste the postage.
More importantly:
DON’T WASTE THE CASTING
DIRECTOR’S TIME.
You
must understand that the folks who work in the casting side of the
business are veryveryvery busy trying to get their jobs done to the
satisfaction of the director, the producers and more often than not,
some huge studio that doles out most of the work. CD's are under
pressure to deliver. If they don’t deliver, things may not be
too
pleasant for them on the employment front.
Be nice to
Casting Directors, they have a hard job.
The opposite of
this, of course, is: You must ALWAYS
submit for
EVERY role you
are right for. Don’t get lazy.
2.
Don’t seal your envelope.
This
is easy to remember and very important. 94.9% (another fake statistic)
of casting people complain about having to open the manila envelopes --
hundreds, and sometimes thousands a day. If you want to be a 'friend'
to these people, don’t seal your envelope. Tuck the flap in
and ship
it. Don’t worry about your stuff falling out, that rarely
happens. And
even if it does happen -- it is better to take a 90 cent loss than to
get on the wrong side of a Casting Director.
Another
good idea is to try these new "see through" mailers. I bet Casting
Directors love those. Easy, peasy. (You can find them online at several
places - the one I'm aware of is ActorTips.com - a terrific site run by
Chad Gracia.)
3.
Make sure that your contact phone number is answered at all hours.
If
they cannot get in touch with you, you will not get the work. Again,
CD's are very busy and usually working under a barely possible
deadline. They don’t have time to keep calling and calling in
hopes of
finding you. They won’t do it. Unless you’re
Harrison Ford. Then
they’ll keep calling and calling. Wouldn’t you?
Good idea: Get a
cell phone. Pay the bill. This is a business.
4.
(... and it should probably be first, because it is of utmost
importance)
Your
headshot must look exactly like you.
If
you send a picture to a Casting Director and you get called in, and you
don’t look like your headshot -- you automatically lose the
audition.
Casting Directors don’t like surprises very much. If your
picture looks
like Matt Damon and you look like Steve Buscemi ... you will find
yourself in a 'lose-lose' situation.
However
if your picture looks exactly like you and they call you in -- well,
then, YOU are exactly who they are interested in. And, now that you're
in the door, all you have to do is 'blow them away' with your audition.
You know how to
do that, right?
