Sharon Sorrentino is a London based casting director with over 13 years’ experience in the industry, responsible for casting multi-award winning films such as The Journey, Grandfather and The Storyteller as well as authoring The Audition Room,  a pragmatic guide for actors offering tips and inside knowledge on how to land the audition you want.

Tracey Street is a Birmingham based freelance theatre director, as well as an acting and directing coach, and has a show appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival called The Testament of Mary, that completed a sold out run at The Old Joint Stock Theatre in Birmingham, this April.

WHAT’S THE TYPICAL PROCESS YOU GO THROUGH WHEN CASTING FOR A ROLE?

SHARON: When we are the sent the script, we break it down into the characters. Once we’ve broken down the characters with a little more depth, we think about actors whom we think would be a good fit and an interesting choice for those roles, we don’t just want to go for the obvious choice. We check those actors’ availabilities for the production with their agents or directly if they are currently representing themselves. Most casting directors will also put a production and character breakdown out to agents via websites such as Spotlight and CastingNetworks so that they can suggest their appropriate and available clients, though not necessarily for every project we cast. We audition the actors for the roles, usually with the director and/or producer present, though not always at the first stages. Some productions will recall for chemistry reads where we pair up actors who would be playing particularly close roles e.g. spouses, work partners or best friends, if there is the time and budget. We are very involved and always on the actors’ side, fighting for the best actor, not the most famous or the prettiest.

TRACEY: After receiving CV’s and headshots from actors who would like to put themselves forward to be considered for the role(s) being advertised, The first stage of the process for me is to look through the headshots. I’m asking myself, does this person look like how I see the character? Do they have the essence or energy of the character being cast? (e.g do they have a vulnerable quality, kind eyes and smile, a vibrancy, soulfullness, a gutsy urban vibe etc)  If I feel they have a look that I like and connect with for that character then I investigate further into that person. I will look at other headshots they have and any showreel footage.

Also at this stage if I don’t feel like I connect with the vibe and energy of the person in the headshot I will rule them out for an audition. For example, if a person looks unfriendly or moody or might have a bit of an attitude – I am considering that I have to spend 3 to 5 weeks (sometimes longer ) working and creating with this person; I want to choose people I am going to enjoy working with and connect with. Sometimes a selection of headshots that are actors playing only mean and moody put me off – they seem to take themselves too seriously!  Personally I’m particularly drawn to pleasant smiley headshots as they give more of an essence of the person – so I look for the character I’m casting for and I’m looking for the person – the actor – looking for their heart and soul – their essence.

I know actors that have only mean and moody headshots but in real life they are the most pleasant, enjoyable, creative people to work with, but from just their moody headshots I would have ruled them out. Thus I feel it’s good to have a variety of headshots.

After this stage I will look at their CV to see where they trained and what other work they have done, what other companies they have worked for and often if I know particular companies or directors I will get in touch with them to get an informal reference. If a submission gets through these stages then I will call them in for an audition, to meet and work with them in person.

ON AVERAGE HOW MANY ACTORS APPLY FOR A ROLE / HOW MANY HEADSHOTS ARE YOU LOOKING THOUGH TO FILL A SINGLE ROLE?

SHARON: We usually have to look through hundreds of submissions from agents per role that we are casting, as well as thinking on our own ideas and sometimes when specific skill sets are needed we will do searches and they can be in the thousands.

TRACEY: This is impossible to say, there are so many variables.   Some roles I have had to cast I have had a LOT of submissions to get through, particularly for lead roles.  I’ve had up to 70 submissions for some castings.

“The headshot is HUGELY important. It’s the main thing that I look at. If someone doesn’t have a good headshot it really puts me off.  If it’s not a good professional quality headshot it makes me question the actor’s professionalism and quality of work.”

HOW IMPORTANT IS AN ACTOR’S HEADSHOT TO YOU?   HOW MUCH OF A PART DOES IT PLAY IN GETTING THE ACTOR AN AUDITION?

SHARON: An actor’s headshot is the first impression they can make with us and the director and producers. It is part of our job to always be increasing our knowledge base of working actors, so we go to see a lot of theatre and watch a lot of TV and films. We could see someone fantastic in a fringe theatre show somewhere and want to bring them in for a production. If their headshot is not an accurate likeness or is badly posed, lit, not their best side, etc, this can all work against them where the others on the creative team are concerned if they do not know their work.

If we are searching through Spotlight for example, to widen our searches, we are looking at thousands upon thousands of thumbnail headshots before we click on them to look at their CV, showreel and more headshots to investigate those actors further. Again if it is a bad likeness or you are not engaged with the camera you are holding yourself back and will be missing opportunities.

TRACEY: The headshot is HUGELY important. It’s the main thing that I look at. If someone doesn’t have a good headshot it really puts me off.  If it’s not a good professional quality headshot it makes me question the actor’s professionalism and quality of work.   I need to be able to see an actor’s face clearly. I need to be able to see what they actually look like – there’s nothing worse than an actor that you have called for an audition, turning up and looking nothing like their headshot.   If the headshot doesn’t grab me, if I don’t connect with it, then I won’t call that person in for an audition.

I have even gone out of my way to suggest to some actors (that I know and know the quality of their work) that they get better headshots done as the ones they have just don’t represent who they are as a person or as an actor.

WHAT MAKES SOME HEADSHOTS STANDOUT OVER OTHERS TO YOU?   IS THERE ANYTHING YOU LOOK FOR IN PARTICULAR?

SHARON: An actor’s headshot needs to be current, there are so many actors whose headshots are 15 years old. They come in to meet and they look completely different and sometimes not really appropriate for the role. They need to be engaged with the camera and thinking about something. Whether it’s a toothy smile, Mona Lisa smile or a determined and more hard/harsh a look is up to the actor. I would always say the main picture is the most important, a Mona Lisa smile works better for me personally because it’s more open to interpretation than the hard man look or the overly bubbly look. I won’t ignore the other photos though. On Spotlight you can have a number of secondary pictures, this is where you want to show your different looks and expressions as these cause different feelings to the viewer. Don’t use props such as glasses if you don’t normally wear them. Don’t wear distracting tops, frills, crazy patterns or colours which are too bright as these all detract from your face.  Don’t do any arty poses with your hands obscuring any part of your face. What I am looking for is an open picture with eyes very clearly in focus and where an intelligence is conveyed because the actor is thinking about something, not just grinning at the camera.

TRACEY: Some of the answer to this is in the answer to the first question. I like headshots that don’t look too ‘posed’ I want to see the person, the energy, essence and character of that person. I want to see a smiley one, a serious or more neutral one, a warm one, I don’t like to see ‘posed’ ‘acted / ‘playing a part’ shots.   As a director I want to imagine that myself, I can judge that from basic shots of them as serious, smiley, warm etc.

I like to be able to see the persons face clearly and lit clearly (no moody lighting) No distracting backgrounds.  I want to see the uniqueness of that person/actor. Their essence and energy. That’s what I will ultimately connect with.

HOW MANY HEADSHOTS DO YOU THINK AN ACTOR SHOULD HAVE ON THEIR SPOTLIGHT/ CASTING CALL / WEBSITE? DO YOU LIKE TO SEE A RANGE?

SHARON: I think 5 or 6 is a good number. Your main headshot and some others which show you in a different light, darker character looks if your main shot is smiley, or vice versa. A production still in the secondary photos is also a good way to see you in action before viewing the showreel, especially for actors who have not done that much screen work.

TRACEY: Yes I do like to see a range, maybe wearing their hair differently, in different colours and style of clothing also.  I think maybe 4 or 5 gives a good variety. But of course with that main headshot that is full of their character and essence to grab the attention first.

Interested in booking your next actor headshots? Find out all about my sessions along with prices, HERE. In the meantime, why not check out some of these useful links?

The post Interview with a Casting Director appeared first on Aimee Spinks Photography.

 One of the most common questions I get asked about actor headshot photography is ‘what should I wear?’ Though the industry is certainly more flexible and open to contemporary style portraits than it used to be, there are still some very good rules of thumb to follow in order to make sure your actor headshots look professional and that your clothes aren’t distracted the casting director from you.

Colours:

Below are my recommendations on the kinds of colours to consider wearing for your actor headshots. If you HAD to choose just two, I’d say black and a top that matches your eye colour should be the priority!

Black is very strong and is great for giving an unfussy and direct look. It’s professional and works particularly well with fair-medium toned skin, especially when images are converted to black and white (in black and white images you want the brightest part of the image to be your face so a darker top works well). I highly recommend having at least one headshot in a plain black top and it works especially well if you want to get across a strong, sharp, bold, dark or confident casting type.

White: white is great for giving a softer, brighter and cleaner cut feel. It works best with actors with medium-darker skin tones; if you have fair skin and fair hair it may wash you out so you might consider a grey instead. White is synonymous with innocence, purity, youth and goodness so it can be particularly good if you want to suggest a casting type that aligns with these characteristics.

Grey: grey can be a good alternative to suggest the softer casting types above but without washing you out. The right shade of grey is also great for bringing out blue eyes. It usually doesn’t have the impact of the highly contrasting black and white but it’s good to bring as a safety option.

Burgundy and Navy: these are two of my favourite alternative colours to photograph actors in when shooting outdoors against a natural background, particularly burgundy as it works so well with the earth tones of a park or garden setting. Still dark, these are fabulous when headshots are presented in both colour as well as black and white and in my opinion, add a little more depth than a solid black.

Green: if you have green eyes or red hair, a green top is a must!

Style:

Just as you don’t want the colour of your top to distract from you, you want to make sure the style of your top doesn’t let you down either!

Avoid: shirts with collars, logos, patterns or tops with multiple colours. These all call attention to themselves which we do not want! Formal shirts can also make your headshot look like that of a corporate manager rather than an actor. I’ve seen softer, more casual shirts work however they are a risky option.

Neckline: believe it or not, the neckline of your top can have a subtle subconscious effect on how your character might be interpreted at a glance.

There’s a reason why Disney typically gives all of its heroes soft edges and the villains get pointy chins and noses etc. Points give a sharp edge so you’ll find that a V-neck t-shirt gives a stronger, edgier look compared to a softer look from round or crew neck. These are the two most common types of neckline for actor headshots and a good safe starting point.

Boat, drape and lower neckline tops work well for ladies with a period casting type, particularly when matched with an updo though be careful not to be too revealing!

Tank tops are great for giving a more practical, hands on and confident look though sometimes they can show too much skin which can be distracting so be prepared with a backup in case it doesn’t work.

Halter neck tops are a much better alternative to tank tops for women who want to come across with an aura of strength and practicality. The reason for this is the neckline cuts into shoulders which emphasises the muscle structure there and a high neck halter keeps everything covered for a more practical appearance.

Turtle neck tops and jumpers don’t often work well as they can leave you looking like a floating head. Unless you’re going for a very specific look, I highly recommend avoiding these styles for your headshots.

Fabric:

Though reflective fabrics like satin and silks can work really well on fashion shoots, they can prove distracting for actor headshots so you might want to consider sticking to matte fabrics like cotton and wool.

Though solid colours work best, if those colours are mottled, it can produce even better results that block colour alone as the mottling adds a little texture to your top without being distracting.

Examples of mottled fabric – great for adding texture to actor headshots!

Other clothing:

If your actor headshot photography is being done outdoors, you might want to consider wearing a thermal under layer or vest that can’t be seen beneath your tops. This has the benefit of keeping you warmer, particularly in autumn/winter months, as well as facilitating quick and modesty-keeping changes!

If your headshot session does fall on a colder day, think about bringing a pair of gloves and a large jumper you can keep on around your arms or even some hand warmers. This way you can stay warm and relaxed throughout your shoot.

In terms of what we see on camera in your actor headshots, you really don’t need anything else. I’ve sometimes been asked if actors should dress up in costume to reflect the various roles they play such as a bomber jacket and a scowl for a doorman or scrubs to show you’re ability to play someone in the medical profession. The answer is a big fat raging NOOOOO! Doing this will make you look extremely amateurish – you should not rely on your clothing to show your casting type, nor should you ham up your expressions to spoon feed your range to a casting director. The key is to be subtle about it so that the casting director can mould your headshot to match the vision they have in their head of the kind of character they see for a role.

Actor headshots typically are just that – headshots. You don’t need any longer or full length portraits unless specifically asked for by an agent or casting director so don’t worry about what you have on your legs and feet – just make sure you’re comfortable and warm!

More useful stuff…

Interested in booking your next actor headshots? Find out all about my sessions along with prices, HERE. In the meantime, why not check out some of these useful links?

The post What to wear for actor headshots? appeared first on Aimee Spinks Photography.

Torin primarily specialises in screen acting in which he has experience across a range of formats; from big screen productions at Pinewood, to commercials and short films. Spending part of last year in LA, Torin is now looking for an agent and did in fact have five offers of representation out there. Unfortunately it turns out that getting a visa is more difficult than anticipated!

Want to find out more about Torin? Check out his SPOTLIGHT PAGE or his WEBSITE.
Alternatively, why not follow him on TWITTER?

Other stuff you might like….

The post Actor Spotlight: Torin Pocock appeared first on Aimee Spinks Photography.

Makeover Studios

I know makeover studios all too well – I used to work in some at the very start of my photography career. From a photographer’s point of view, depending on the studio, they can be a great place to start. From my time working in one of the UK’s largest makeover studios I learned how to shoot quickly and efficiently by making every shot count as well as learning how to best pose clients to make them look as flattering as possible in camera. This training given by the studio was primarily done to help them get as many people through the doors as fast as possible as well as make as much money as they could. It was a real conveyor belt set-up.

In exchange for my soul and minimal pay, the studio would throw clients at me and the 9 other photographers shooting that day before hard-selling the clients into coughing up hundreds, sometimes thousands, for run-of-the-mill photos (mainly because the studio had sucked the life and creativity from the photographer). I got so frustrated by these studios extorting me and the people in front of my camera that I finally got the balls to say ‘sod it,’ and decided to go it alone and provide truly personal, individual shoots for a fair cost that wouldn’t require the client to take out a second mortgage.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

The problem with makeover studios is that, usually after finding them on websites such as Wowcher and Groupon, they often offer clients a professional make-up artist and a photoshoot for little to no money (anwhere between free and £15 seems to be the current rate). A no brainer right? Wrong.
First of all, the photographers aren’t headshot photographers and there is a huge amount of difference between a portrait and a professional actor headshot. It’s a totally different set of skills that a photographer only gains through knowing the acting industry and specialising in it. Honestly, ask a makeover studio about casting types and they probably won’t have a clue what you’re on about.

The second thing to bear in mind is that the studio wants to make money and they can only do this by selling you lots of prints for lots of moolah. As a result, they often actively discourage their photographers from doing a shoot comprised entirely of ‘headshots’ as they know actors don’t actually need many. Instead they will try and convince you that you of course totally need some ‘fashion’ images as well as plenty of cheesy shots of you jumping in the air pretending to have fun.
Finally, once you finish with the photographer and get to the sales guy (there’s always a sales guy and he always pushes HARD), they will tell you that any single image you are fortunate enough to like, will cost you about £100 for a print, or if they even offer digitals, around double that. That’s for a low-end studio too and likely doesn’t include retouching.

JOE BLOGS; PORTRAIT-AND-EVERYTHING-ELSE PHOTOGRAPHER

Joe is a nice guy. He’s got the kit, the studio and even seems pretty reasonably priced. He’s got loads of really nice shots of babies and product photos on his website as well as pretty much anything else you can point a camera at (which is everything).

What Joe doesn’t know is the acting industry. Joe doesn’t know what Spotlight is, what industry standards are, the fact there’s a recommended dress code or what the hell a casting type is. Instead he’ll tell you to wear something nice like a designer shirt and either look super smiley or look ever so intently into the distance (with your eye-line so far off-camera you’re practically looking sideways).

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Joe is a great guy to go to for a nice photo of yourself to give to mum. Not for your professional acting headshots that are going to be the key to securing your audition. There are hundreds of nuances to creating great actor headshots that it takes years of practice, training and research to learn. Whether it’s knowing how to achieve that focused look in the eye of your client without making them squint, knowing how to coach actors so you can capture their casting type in a subtle way or keeping up with the latest standards and trends expected of Spotlight and casting directors. 99% of general portrait photographers are oblivious to all of this so will struggle to get that one shot that could potentially launch your acting career. Though on the plus side you’ll have a lovely canvas over your parents’ mantelpiece.

Sure, Joe might be bit cheaper than a specialist headshot photographer, but this is your career and if that isn’t worth investing in, what is?

So why not check out exactly what a professional actor headshot photographer brings to the table by clicking —>HERE<—

My sessions are all about achieving the best possible actor headshots through tried and tested techniques that your agent, Spotlight and casting director will approve of! We’ll talk about your casting type; how to prepare and what to wear; go through exercises and run scenarios to help you stop posing and start acting; we’ll make sure we get a range of looks in a subtle way that doesn’t go overboard with huge smiles or villainous scowls and each session will be tailored to your acting style and level of experience so you can get a truly unique shoot, bespoke to you.

If you’re interested in booking an actor headshot photography session with me or simply want more info, feel free to say hello via aimee@aimeespinks.com or by calling on 07765258666.
 

See you soon!

The post Why Do I Need a Specialist Actor Headshot Photographer? appeared first on Aimee Spinks Photography.

Get Funded
Get Funded sees the adventures of three determined filmmakers, Chris, Katie and Mark, as they take their blockbuster screenplay to investors, only to get the door slammed on their face constantly. Determined not to give up and follow their dreams, our heroes are forced to question their morality as they embark on a life of crime… robbing little old ladies tearooms and robbing small banks in the remote parts of the country!

Shoot Date: 9th Jul 2012 – 10th Aug 2012
Shoot Location: Great Britain
Shoot Region: Scotland
Production Company Name: Silly Wee Films
Production Company Url: http://www.facebook.com/GetFundedMovie
Budget: Up to £1,000,000
Genre: Comedy
Form: Feature
Is project insured: Yes
More film details: http://shootingpeople.org/castcrew/project/view/2020

ROLES ON FILM:

Mark
Mark is still living at home with his disapproving father constantly trying to convince his son that a career in filmmaking is nothing more than fanciful and he should take a job in a call centre “just in case” while his doting mum just wants to keep everybody happy. Mark is the heart of the team and all he wants is to write films that matter to people.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4620

Katie
Katie has just moved into her own little flat to escape the controlling nature of her mother, while her younger sister, Michelle, is doing her best to play the rebel in the family, forcing Katie to step in to keep the peace between her sister and their mum. Katie is the brains of the operation and is the most grounded of the three.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4622

Michelle
Michelle – Katie’s younger, rebellious sister. Left at home with her mum, she wishes she could live with Katie in her one bedroom flat, to escape her over bearing mother. Katie gets roped into helping our heroes in the hope of getting to move out from her family home.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4623

Mark’s Dad
Mark’s dad is a realist. He believes that his son’s career in filmmaking is a pipe dream and he should settle down for a regular job. He finds it difficult to understand what his son is looking for in life.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4624

Mark’s Mum
Mark’s mum is your typically nice mum, supportive, friendly and will do anything to help her son be happy.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4625

Tony
Tony is an over-confident, cocky filmmaker whose directorial debut wins a prestigious award. He is Chris’s mortal enemy and always seems to get on up on him. He’s a very slimy, smug character.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4626

Lara
Lara is Michelle’s best friend who dresses older than she is and has a crush on Mark. She appears at the community centre to support the heroes film night and makes it very obvious that she is in love with Mark.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4627

Moxy McDade
Moxy is the cousin’s neice of William McDade. She’s very pretty, looks like a movie star, confident and wonderful in front of people, but is truly shy and trying to do the best job she can as an actress.

Is position paid: Yes
Pay rate: £200 per day

Apply: http://shootingpeople.org/collaborate/cast/view/4628

The post Casting Call: UK Feature Film appeared first on Aimee Spinks Photography.