Acting tips: Commercial vs. Theatrical Headshots

Now that my silver hair has grown out a bit longer, I'll be getting new headshots as soon as I get back to Los Angeles (whenever that is!). The dilemma with headshots is trying to shoot a few that will serve all situations. Of course they don't, so you often end up with shots that are never quite right for the role for which you're submitting.

Backstage magazine updated an article recently that provides some guidelines that I'm hoping will make the process easier (you can read the full article here).

In a nutshell, here are the basics, illustrated with some of my old headshots and candids:

1. Commercial Headshots are intended to appeal to advertisers promoting a product, and that means positive, positive, positive!  Smile. Wear colors that pop. Project energy, warmth, trustworthiness. Most important: convey your age range, demographic, and type. 

For example, now that my hair is silver I'm the "modern grandmother"in commercials. I'm healthy, active, and part of the family fun. Even within my age range, that restricts me to certain kinds of products and services, so know what you can believably sell to a specific sector of the population.  Also, for commercials my agent likes waist up shots.

If you've already booked commercials you have an idea of where you fit in. If you have a photographer who wants to constantly pose you, explain that you need to capture a moment that feels alive, not posed. 

2. Theatrical Headshots are used when submitting for roles in film, TV, and theatre. You want to convey emotional depth and an identifiable personality, whether trustworthy or not. Consider the types of auditions that get you callbacks and pitch the photos to those types of roles - essentially YOU from A to C and from comedy to drama. Wear earthy but not muddy tones. Make sure you have good contrast between your wardrobe and hair and the background, and that your skin tones look healthy against the background color. 

Being tall and having a lower-range voice, I often play figures with some responsibility or authority, from comic/cantankerous to confident/serene. (With Westerns making a comeback on television I may want to add a horse to a candid shot in the next go 'round, as I also ride.) 

The idea is to look more well-balanced and sensible, wherever that takes you. 

3. Comedic Headshots are recommended by Backstage as a possible middle ground between commercial and theatrical shots and are geared specifically to sitcoms and romantic comedies. Those are lucrative and fun roles and if comedy is your strong suit, run with it. Just don't make these shots too over the top unless that's the kind of acting for which you're well known. In general, keep it light. Add a bit more character. Hint at the type of comedy you do, whether dry/sarcastic, quirky/slapstick, or whatever. Your colors can be brighter than in this shot, but keep your expressions subtle.

I'm looking forward to a new round of professional photos and getting back to work.