What Photos Belong in an Actor's Portfolio?
Whether you are going for a lead part or work as an extra, or have your profile on on Spotlight, Backstage, Actors Access, Casting Networks, or Project Casting, an up-to-date portfolio of actor headshots is essential. It will take 33ms for a casting director to make a decision about you, so headshots must be eye-catching and memorable.
Whilst five years ago it was important to have simple headshots in your portfolio, usually with a white background and a bland smile to the camera, trends have changed significantly in the meantime. Today, it’s important to demonstrate the potential for connection with an audience; to stimulate a feeling in them; and to provoke an emotional response – just as you would on stage or screen. Here are some key things to take into account when designing your portfolio.
Keep Your Portfolio Up To Date
Moreover, your portfolio must remain current with how you look now, not how you looked six months ago. Have you grown your hair out, dyed it pink, or grown beard? A casting agent will be angry at you wasting their time if you turn up to an audition not looking like the photos you have presented. So, when it comes to updating your portfolio, what photos should you include?
I offer a complimentary top-up shoot within a year just for such eventualities. Changed your look from your initial headshots? No problem – just drop me a message and come by to update your portfolio. The shoot is free and you only pay for the photos.
Know Your Archetypes
Regardless of whether you’re a stage or screen actor, it’s important to know what kind of parts you want to play. Do you enjoy comedic, or tragic roles? Do you dream of playing a Helena, or a Puck? Poirot or Holmes? Regardless of the name, these are all different types of character, and it’s important to bear in mind which you’d like to play in the near future. This is because how you present yourself in your headshots and your showreels should make it clear to casting directors that you are correct actor for the job; don’t make them try to imagine you in the role – show them your Puck-face!
It’s less important to think about what parts you have played so far, because it’s clear that how you present yourself as an actor already gets you those parts – if you want those kinds of parts, don’t do anything new! However, a portfolio update offers you the possibility to consider your personal brand, i.e. how you present yourself as an actor.
So, and whilst this is less the case the more prestigious an actor you become and the broader your casting options are for that very reason, actors cast successfully when they target a selection of archetypes in their headshots and their social media.
Take some time to consider what your ideal archetypes are and, if you’d like some help deciding, get in touch to see when the next ‘Branding for Actors’ workshop I’ll run with Kent Actors Connected will be.
How Many Photos do I Need in my Portfolio?
Dance student Morgan
At the time of writing, and in the knowledge that this changes from time to time, Spotlight has 12 slots available for media uploads. Six of these slots should be used for photos and six of them should be used for showreels/self-tapes and other ways to document your work, though initially you’ll want to include more photos as you won’t have a body of work to show off.
Of these six, five photos ought to show off the archetypes discussed above and one should be a ‘general purpose’ photo. That being said, it’s vital to ensure that this ‘general purpose’ photo is not generic. It should ooze personality, engagement and, above all, demonstrate that you have the potential to connect with an audience. You’ll no doubt have heard that this all comes from your eyes, and it’s true – the person looking at this shot should feel like you’re reaching into their soul! This is why I shoot with a shallow depth of field with my clients’ eyes tack sharp; the background and subjects’ clothes play a supporting role in directing all attention to their eyes.
How Can I Enhance My Chances of Getting Hired?
As different parts come up, and you seen new casting breakdowns on Spotlight etc. with parts you might like to audition for, it’s often a good idea to rotate your photos to suit. This means that it’s a good idea to maintain a bank of a dozen or so photos, updating half every couple of years. Ensuring that you target specific roles with regular portfolio updates (both text and images) will mean casting directors are more likely to sit up and take notice.
Additionally, it’s increasingly crucial to think of yourself as maintaining the ‘personal brand’ I mentioned above; whether we like it or not, work increasingly comes from informal/social routes, and building up an online-persona can help establish a ‘buzz’ about you. Rotating the photos in your portfolio across social channels like Instagram and TikTok can be incredibly helpful for gaining exposure, and don’t forget to post updated show-reels and self-tapes as soon as you’ve finished them. Unfortunately, the world of work does not favour the introvert in this case: get as many of your photos out there, and in as many different places, as you can!
Getting a portfolio started can be a daunting task, but there are a load of resources to help you get started. I hope you found this guide helpful, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. The good news is that, once you’ve done all the planning and got that out of the way, then comes the fun part: the photoshoot itself! I love working with actors because you’re all so creative and no shoot is ever the same.
If you did find this guide helpful and are looking for a portfolio update, do get in touch – I’d love to hear from you!
