As the name suggest, a headshot is a photograph of a person's head. Usually taken by a professional photographer, a headshot is distributed to promote actors or actresses.

Traditionally, headshot is a Black & White picture of your face without any make-up on an 8X10 sized paper with your wardrobe measurements and resume printed on the back side. This will cost you around $1000. Over the past few years, 3 /4 shots (from waist–up) have become popular along with colored headshots of top or side of the Actors faces.


Headshots are required when you are looking for work as an actor. If however, you are starting out and/or work as an extra, then you do not need to spend any money over a headshot. Moreover if some casting agent or Director asks you for a picture, just give them a 3X5 color photo. Nevertheless, if you are serious about making a career in movies either as an extra or a full-fledged actor, then you should definitely get an 8X10 professionally shot headshot in color or B&W.

So what makes headshots so important? Actually, headshots are one of the most effective and important tool an actor has in order to get the first break of his/her acting career. Even established actors who have a position in a Casting director's office need to send their latest headshot photo along with an up to date resume. Headshot is a traditionally safe way of being able to decide an actor for a particular role based upon the actor's natural look and vital stats in a black and white format.

Now that we have established why head shots are important, we also need to understand what is most important about them. The most important thing about a headshot is that it gives the real picture of you. How you really look minus the make-up or adornments is what the casting director wants to see. This ensures that you are called only for those roles which suit your personality and increase your chances of getting good roles.

Most casting executives pay great attention to the headshot. The headshot is your first audition, of sorts. The casting guys will look at your eyes to see if they project confidence, intelligence, and personality. The style of the headshot usually is not a deciding factor about calling you for an audition or not. This aspect is usually determined by the script, and the roles available. Moreover, your resume plays an important role in your being called for an audition.

Usually the casting directors look for simple and clear photos. So just get a nice, clean headshot of yourself with a neutral background and you'll be fine.

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Aimee Mitchell is an acting coach, short story author, community theater director and playwright. She has spent the better part of her adult life working with young actors and actresses.

Copyright © Aimee Mitchell. All rights reserved. Used with permission of the author. Not to be reproduced or distributed.

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