Headshot/Resume

An actor's headshot/resume, is their most important possession. That is what casting directors look at when they are casting. They look to see how much experience you have, and if your look is the right one for the role. Agents also will look at that, along with polaroids they take of you, to see if your look is marketable. A head shot is something that captures your look, without making you look uncomfortable. Actors headshots can be many different styles/looks. Some actors choose to do a color headshot from the chest up, some actors that want to do some modeling will take one of more of their body in color. Most actors though, will use a black and white, chest up photo. This is the most common.

The most important with your headshot and resume, is to not lie. Lying is the worst thing anyone can do on a headshot/resume. If a director catches you lying on a resume, you will get blackmailed, and in the theatre world, blackmailing is the worst thing that can happen. The director will send your headshot/resume to every director he knows, with a note saying he is a liar, don't cast him. Now, you are screwed. So the biggest advice i have is don't lie. With your headshot, make sure its not completely photoshopped. Everyone wants to make themselves look better. Small touchups are ok. But don't change the color of your hair in photoshop. And also, with changing your hair color, if you do change it, you will have to get a new headshot. Your headshot has to be up to date. So every time you change your look, you will need a new headshot. Or if you have facial hair, you will want to take two shots. One with the facial hair, one without. See which one looks better. You should also have a couple outfits with you when you go to get the picture taken.

On your resume, you are going to want to list as much information about your experience as you can. On the top is your name. Than underneath you put your union affiliation (if applicable, otherwise leave blank). Than underneath, put your measurments and contact information. NEVER NEVER NEVER put your own information. If you have a manager or an agent, put their telephone number. If you have a management company/agency and they give you an e-mail, put that down. If you have neither, create a yahoo/g-mail/hotmail account and make it solely for your acting. For the telephone number, there are answering services where you can call, and they will give you a number that people can call to leave you voicemalls. You can find them in the phonebook. Then after you've listed that, you want to put the shows/films you've been in. Start with theatre, than go to film, than tv, than commercials. You want to list the show, the director, and the part. You can put the year, but that isn't as important as the other three things. Same thing with the other 3 categories. After that, you want to put your training. What classes you've taken, the teacher, where you've taken them. Any information you have. Put it down. Once you have that down, the next category is your special skills. If you can play baseball, football, any instrument, if you can juggle. Whatever it may be, you never know what directors could impose of you to do on stage or on film. So its always a good idea to list as much as you can under that category. This category is the only one where you should just do a basic list. List everything and just separate it with a comma. No need to put each one on a separate line.

Your headshot/resume as an actor should be 8x10. But some actors will do a 4x6. Most of the time models will use a 4x6. Either one is fine. Directors won't criticize you for the size of your resume as long as it is one of those two, or close to it. Dont waste time making sure it is exact. As i stated earlier, your headshot resume is your most valuable possesion, and you should always carry a couple around with you. So go out there and get your headshot taken!

The Audition Process

Auditioning in theatre is probably the most nerve racking part of the entire process. Theatre and film auditions require a lot of a person, and although you may not make it that time, it at least puts your face, and your name, out there so if your perfect for another role, they could always contact you. In the few professional auditions i have been to/heard about, the thing that causes people to not get picked/liked is their conduct and/or look. Some people think it would be better to show the casting director that they are quirky and funny. Most people who do that take it too far. Yes, its a good thing to be quirky and funny, but you have to make sure you are professional and respectful. Those are the key aspects of a casting director remembering you. If you aren't professional and respectful, they won't even consider you, even if you are one of the most talented kids. The other thing i said before is the look. One girl i know went to an audition for Hairspray on Broadway. The first time she went to an audition she looked like her normal self, but a little bit nicer. When she got there, she looked around, and she was one of the only people that looked normal. All of the others were in period/character clothing, and basic makeup. So she auditioned, they said thank you, and that was it. The next time she auditioned, she got into period/character clothing, and got a call back. You never want to over do it, with period/character clothing, but you want to at least look the part. Same thing with makeup. You never want to look like a freak. You want to look natural. So the most important things about auditioning, are looking natural and being professional.

How to Block a Show/Film

Blocking is one of the hardest things a director has to do when it comes to theatre or film. Directors have to block the scene as the writer originally portrayed. As a director, what i like to do is create a visual of it in my head, than block it on stage/set and see if it works. If it turns out the way that i like it, than we keep it. If not, i will always ask the actors for their ideas, because they are the ones performing it, and it needs to be comfortable for them. Sometimes when performing a well known show, you can't change much of the blocking because it is so well known. But otherwise create a model of the stage,/set this isn't necessary but it helps. Once you have either a model of the stage/set or layout, draw a diagram of where you want the actors to move. Use a marker as the actor, and move it around and see if it looks good. That is just one way. Other directors like to watch other performances and copy from it. The only way that you would find me copying someone is if i can't think of any ideas. But as a director you should always have an idea as to what you want the scene/shot to look like.

Performing an EPIC Monologue

When auditioning/performing with a monologue, you never want to spill all of your feelings at once. The smartest thing to do, is take people on a journey. For instance, in this monlogue:

Come and live with us--in the villa. You can set your swans swimming in the brook ... we can talk of old times ... you can open all that is locked up in me--as you did in our days of creation. I beg of you, Irene--give me this one chance to live my life over again. Help me undo my greatest mistake. When you left, Irene ... when you disappeared ... I cannot express to you ... I was filled with such regret. I became painfully aware of all that I had left unsaid ... all the moments I had allowed to pass ... without ... without grasping them ... without ... I had come to think of you as something sacred, you see ... something holy ... a gift from God ... a creature of innocence not to be touched save in adoring thoughts. A superstition took hold of me that if I touched you ... if I desired you with my senses ... my soul would be desecrated, and I would not be able to finish my work. I was a fool! An idealistic young fool! I should have taken you in my arms right then and there--on the floor of my studio, I should have taken you! With the clay still on my fingers! It would only have added to the beauty of the child--to the depth and complexity of her meaning--of her mystery. [Pause.] I can't lose you again, Irene--I don't think I could survive it.

Where you see the word pause at the end, is where you would change. Throughout the entire thing, you would get more and more emotional, than at the end (where pause is) you would calm down, and say that line powerfully. Otherwise, you run out of emotion and it gets boring before it ends. This way, you make the listener want to continue listening because you haven't reached the climax yet. The climax at this would be right before the pause at the end. Than the downfall would be the last line. But you always want to find a place like that. If there is no climax in the middle of the text, than have it be at the end. So that way you leave them hanging with emotion. If you need help with an audition monologue, just leave a comment. P.S. I Do not own that monologue, it came from Monologuearchive.com. From a play called When We Dead Awaken by Henrik Ibsen.

Having an objective/obstacle

In every show, with every character there is always an objective for everyone, but at the same time there is always an obstacle they have to either overcome, or subdue to. An objective is what your character wants. If i was a coffee addict in my scene, my objective would be to go get some coffee. An easy obstacle in that scene could be that there is no milk left. Now most people would think, well than you won't have coffee today, but that contradicts my character. So there are a couple options to think about. I could go buy some milk or i could drink it black (which means without milk). These are ways to get around an obstacle. There is always multiple options, just think of them all. Objectives and obstacles, just like secrets, can affect the way you move around on stage.

Endowing Objects

When auditioning for a play/film/musical, whatever it may be, you will sometimes have to use an object that isn't what you want to use. This is mostly used for film auditions, because in film auditions they will actually film you. And its better to have something in your hand, than to mime it. Miming is sometimes good, but most actors will forget they have something, and than a second later it just disappears. When you endow an object, you are turning into another object in your mind, but not in real life. So lets say i have a pen. But the scene/monologue calls for a water bottle. What you have to think of, is what are the characteristics of a water bottle? Size? Weight? Texture? all of these different things. Than close your eyes and just imagine you have a water bottle in your hand instead of a pen. Try it, tell me what you think. A good example, is that in Romeo and Juliet, there is a part where Romeo gives Juliet a flower. To the actor himself, the flower is just a plain simple flower, but to Romeo, that flower is a representation of his love towards Juliet. This is where endowing an object can come in handy.

Having a secret

When you are on stage, you should always be thinking. But the problem with most amateur actors, is they think about what the next line is going to be. This is the worst thing you can do. As an actor on stage/film whatever it may be, you should be thinking as your character the entire time. A good way of doing this, is to think of a secret. Think of something no one else knows, but its something that can affect the situation, and affect the way you move, and act during the scene. So lets say, i was improvising a scene, and the secret i was given that my brother was in a car accident and i have no clue whether or not he survived. I wouldn't go around the scene being all cheerful and peppy. I would kinda be paranoid/nervous/sad. And right away just from that, people can immediately tell, something happened with a loved one/family. Having secrets can easily help you think and move like your character. If you need help figuring out a secret for a specific scene just leave a comment.