Friday, October 15, 2010

Headshot Picture Backgrounds

On twitter I asked for options on what the background of a headshot picture should be, and here are some of the replies (in no particular order):

Brick Entertainment (talent agent)
we like b/g's that r out of focus & contrast w/ur hair, skin tone, clothing. so u don't blend in & get lost in a thumbnail pic
David Ross Headshots (headshot photographer)
depends. colors that make your eyes and skin tone pop, as well as colors that are web friendly. most casting is online now
Lara Holmes (talent agent)
I prefer plain, neutral backgrounds. Anything else is too distracting.
Act One Talent (talent agent)
What color headshot bkgrnd b < solid color not distracting, varies for actor colors and clothing. Lighter usually better
Valerie Chiovetti (talent agent)
~Bright, light background! No dark - unless you're a blonde - otherwise you blend into the backdrop and look like a floating head

As this small sampling suggests, opinions differ. However, colors working well with the actor and wardrobe, not being distracting and making for a good thumbnail seem to be common themes. Any thoughts? Please leave a comment.

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this posted by David August at 3:54 PM - 2 comments -  

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Negotiating a Fair Rate

My friend Thomai Hatsios has written a post about negotiating a fair rate for non-union work and while it is aimed toward crew, much of her perspective applies to actors as well. Some key thoughts are: don't sell your self short, she "...became better at negotiating rates the day I learned to turn down gigs." Remember that denial of services (saying "no, thank you") may be the source of all power actors have in this business.

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this posted by David August at 12:28 PM - 0 comments -