Coastal Talent Kids & Teens!)
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Many newcomers try to scrape by on bad headshots...A good headshot is rarely the product of a TFP shoot or a "really good amateur with a nice camera."
PLEASE UNDERSTAND: It is REQUIRED that you have a professional photograph to be a part of our agency if you are over the age of 5.
All photographers are NOT created equally.
Headshot photographers are not the same as fashion photographers or wedding photographers...and they are certainly NOT found in malls.
If you are new, I will try to cut you some slack for a MONTH OR TWO if you have "decent" photos, but if you are not getting into the auditions, you really need to think long and hard about the money you think you are "saving" by trying to pass off your photos as "headshots."
Your headshots are the ONLY thing that casting directors see on the first round. Are they opening doors for you or are they holding you back?
Photographers we recommend:
Babycake Studios: http://www.babycakestudios.com
Kelly Roper (Charleston) http://www.kellyroperphotography.com
Megan Dougherty http://www.megansimage.com/
J Renee Photos: http://www.jreneephotoview.com/index.php
Amy Jackson Photography: http://www.amyjacksonphoto.com
Kelsey Edwards: http://www.kelseyedwardsphoto.com/
Headshot Reproduction:
The Pixel Pusher http://www.thepixelpusher.biz/ 404-781-1111
Isgo Photo Lab http://isgophoto.com
More about East Coast Talent's requirements for good headshots
(excerpts from a long document that you will receive if you join the agency!)
DO NOT assume that a professional photographer has a CLUE about “headshots.” In fact, I can pretty much guarantee you that I will not allow you to use whatever “portraits” they come up with. PLEASE use someone who KNOWS what you need for ACTING.
And understand that you are trying to get a GREAT smiling and a GREAT non-smiling photo, right? (That’s a commercial shot and a theatrical shot.)
Know that I do NOT want to see HORIZONTAL shots—they crop horribly for the online databases. Yes, they look “different” and “cool” when you see them, but they simply do not work for our business. PLEASE tell your photographer this.
Also, I DO NOT want to see your hands. Do not rest your head on your chin, etc.
Do not have “fly away” hair like a Charlie’s Angels poster. I don’t want the wind tunnel look.
No flowers, no hoods pulled up, no marabou framing the face. We aren’t running a pageant photo contest. Your headshot needs to be a REAL person, not a doll.
Do not use a studio with a blank background and tons of artificial light. No black or white backgrounds. Use a photographer who knows how to bounce natural light outside!
We do NOT look at headshot proofs in any other manner other than online---i.e. your photographer needs to have an online gallery and/or he needs to upload them to something like snapfish.I just do not have the time to look at proof sheets and I do not accept hard copies or DVDs.
Training & Info:
Chez Studios: http://www.chezgroup.com/
Your Act: http://www.youract.tv/
Atlanta Workshop Players: http://www.atlantaworkshopplayers.com/
Nick Conti’s Professional Actors Studio: http://www.proactorsstudio.com/
Lyric Theatre: http://www.atlantalyrictheatre.com/
The Actors Scene: http://www.theactorsscene.com/
Alliance Theatre: http://www.alliancetheatre.org/
Image Films: http://www.imagefv.org/
Woodruff Arts Center: http://www.yawac.org/
Art Station: http://www.artstation.org/
Blackwell Playhouse: http://www.blackwellplayhouse.com/
Ga. Ensemble Theatre: http://www.get.org/
The Bill Billions Studio at Hollywood Huntsville: www.HollywoodHuntsville.com (Alabama)
The Actors Lab with JD Lewis: www.the actorslab.com (Charlotte area)
Actors Access: http://www.actorsaccess.com/
Atlanta Film Board: http://www.atlantafilmcommunity.org
The Actors Voice
by Bonnie Gillespie and The Casting Corner by Mark Sikes: http://more.showfax.com/columns.php
(although somewhat more relevant to LA actors, their advice is some of the best in the industry!)
Back Stage: www.Backstage.com
The Hollywood Reporter: www.HollywoodReporter.com
