What it means to have a professional headshot and portfolio: preparation meets opportunity

Hello out there!
Let's have a fireside chat. Let's be honest. You want to act/model/perform. But you don't have the money to put into it, or you won't put the money into it. So, you walk around with your head held high, your best swagger, strut, runway walk and wait for people to say: "Are you a model?" or "You have such a great look" or "You should be an actor." Newsflash, usually these people have no idea about the the entertainment or advertisement business OR they are scam artists. You think you will be "discovered". You think they have "the insider info", "the hookup", the backdoor. You need to be prepared to be in business, not just a sitting duck.

And before I go on, let me stress the point that these industries are businesses. Money making businesses with goods and services provided. Acting = Entertainment and Modeling = Advertisement. It is not about you, but the product or lifestyle that you have the ability to represent. We will talk all about that in a later post.

I am not saying that there is not an element of "discovery" in all things entertaining. I am not saying that folks have not been "discovered". I am saying preparation meets opportunity. Let me say it again, preparation meets opportunity. If you are not prepared to be "discovered" your discovery is doomed for failure.

I am going to speak generally here about preparation to the entertainers and the advertisers as most of this information applies to both groups. Eat the fish and leave the bones, okay?
So what is the preparation and how can you be ready? Your images are the first step in preparation.

I break aspiring entertainers and advertisers (actors and models -- get it?) into three categories.
1. Rational Business Thinkers
2. Dreamers.
3. Lucky ones.

The last category is existence, but their situation is not my area of expertise. I am talking about 1 and 2 today.

Lets get the Dreamers out of the way, so the Rational Business Thinkers can finish reading and start working.

Dreamers:

I spoke about you earlier. The "I want to be a model/actor." set. The "You have such a great look." set.

Sure, fine. You are blessed with the gift of a nice face, body or both. That does not give you automatic front of the line rights, except at the club. You must work to eat. End of story. You must accept that if you are not proactive in figuring out what is next, no one will tell you. You must find out where the agencies are, find out what they want and PAY for some professional pictures.
Yes pay. The real people in the business, are in business and they deserve to be paid for preparing you for your opportunity. Remember what I said? Entertainers and Advertisers. Goods and Services.
If you would like the service of usable photographs to promote yourself to get into agencies and talent management firms. You need to pay for that service. Pay a professional. Not the wedding photographer up the street, not the neighborhood Portrait Studio, not your boyfriend/uncle/dad/friend in photography class.

Pay a working professional that is in the advertisement or entertainment business. Read my blog on how to select the right photographer before you pay anyone, however. By the way, if you are a dreamer and you are reading this, you are headed into the other category, welcome.


Rational Business Thinkers:

Let's get started. I am assuming this driven group has done their homework and know where they are going.
If not, you are still dreamers. Read my blog on how to find the right representation.

Here are my other assumptions about those of you in this category.

• You have paid for some photos.


• You have a book. (If you do not have a book, you are a dreamer. Entertainers and Advertisers need books. Do not pass go, do not collect 200.00. Go directly to how to select the right photographer posting, get a book, and get back to this post. )


• You have worked with some agencies.


• You have done some things here and there.


• You want more, but are not sure why you are not getting more.

Lets talk about your book. It all starts with your book. Preparation meets opportunity, remember?
Do the images in your book and your current working headshot really look like you? Really?

They do not look like you if:

• They have been airbrushed to be 10 years younger, removed scars, acne, etc.


• You have hair extensions and your photo does not, or some other dramatic hair change.


• You have gained more than 5 pounds in 1 area.


• They images picture you in excessive makeup.

If any of the above apply. You know what to do, click this link: how to select the right photographer.

So, you have your book you are making the rounds. Things are OK, but not great in all honesty.
As a Rational Business Thinker you know a two things deep down.
1. You get what you pay for
You are attached to your images, you paid for your images, you may even be proud of those images. You may have paid 150.00 or 1500.00 and no one is faulting you for that. BUT did you pay the right photographer? Did you get the right team (hair, make up, maybe even a stylist)? This is crucial. If you dont know and you are not sure. Look around. See what the agencies have on their sites. If you cannot say you really have that look in your book (be brutally honest). You paid the wrong people. Now, lick your wounds and go at it again. Refer to how to select the right photographer.

2. Nothing lasts forever
Are you still using 5, 10, 15 year old images? Have you rejected your age instead of embraced it and made the most of it? Entertainers and Advertisers have a duty to themselves and the business to know when to embrace change. If you cannot embrace it you will be left behind. If you truly are exceptional and you look 21 when you are 30 great! If you look 14 when you are 23 great! But if you look 20, 30 , 40, 50 it is OK.
Get some new shots, a new direction, and go get the that Olay campaign, battle for that American Express commercial, get prepared for the opportunity sell that national ad for Term Life Insurance!
Entertainers and Advertisers are chameleons. You are paid to work with what you have to sell the rest of the world on the lifestyle they want.

Please read this article "The Good the Bad the Ugly" from the industry website Backstage.com.
It is an industry article on why some images just don't work.

I'll talk to you then...