Guest Blog by Kathy L. Young

© Erin Sullivan

Talent Manager and Career Coach Kathy L. Young has a passion for educating and leading the next generation of actors to industry success. She opened the doors of “Actor’s Classroom” to help actors who are beginning or refreshing their careers. Her unique, personalized management style benefits her actors which receive an individualized plan for their success. Kathy’s students have appeared on all major prime time and cable networks and have booked over 50 SAG national and regional commercials.

“In  the classic movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and his Grandpa Jo sing,
”Cause I’ve got a golden ticket
I’ve got a golden chance to make my way
And with a golden ticket, it’s a golden day”

As a talent manager and career coach, I find that many actors are searching for the “golden ticket” to career success.  As I have spent time with actors, I have come to understand and relate to their thought process–”If I get new headshots, then I will find a new agent. If I get better headshots, then I will go out on better auditions.” And if I have great headshots, then I will book a great job.”

Because my desire is for each of my actors to be successful, I teach them that focusing on headshots alone is the “golden ticket mentality”. Tragically, I have seen this mentality only lead to disappointment and frustration. I instead educate them on all three components of a successful career: Marketing, Training and Representation.  Because headshots only fall within the marketing component, an actor should ask themselves these questions to include all components:
1) Is my resume up-to-date and formatted in a professional way to best market myself?

2) Am I currently enrolled in consistent and beneficial acting training?

3) Am I building up my career team who is advising me on my type/look/essences?

4) Am I auditioning on a regular basis ?
Overall, actors should always utilize these questions before proceeding with any career decisions. By answering these questions, actors will have a more well-rounded view of their career and path to success and ultimately avoid the trap of the “golden ticket mentality.”

For more sound advise, Kathy can be reached via email at coach4crossroads@yahoo.com

If you’ve fallen into the trap of the “Golden Ticket Mentality”, share your thoughts here and share this post!

Pablo Seoane: Young Professor / Edgy Bad Boy

Sarah Cornell: Sexy Love Interest / Quirky Girl Next Door

Ashley Daivis: Best Friend / Girl Next Door

Kids Headshots

Or do you try to figure out what others want to buy and conform to become attractive to them?

Last month I had two clients both just getting their feet wet and both a little unclear about what Hollywood wants.  Alexandra thought that she should hide her tattoos and Michelle thought that she should get all the popular looks agents typically ask for.

My advise to Alexandra was to show her tattoos because there is a place for her as the girl with tattoos.  Undoubtedly there will come along a roll that requires she walk in the door looking edgy.

As for Michelle, my advise was to capitalize on her stereotype and to get specific instead of broadening her range with looks that don’t represent her.

Remember the one quality that is unique to you is you.  Instead of trying to figure how you can fit in and be like everyone else, try being yourself and you will fit in.  If you have tattoos, don’t hide them, embrace them.  Capitalize on your look and on who you are!  Once you realize that what you’re selling is you and not what you think Hollywood wants to buy, you will have taken a very important step towards confidence and confidence always sells well!

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Alexandra Hewlett: Edgy Bad Girl / Young Mom

Christopher Cedeño: Edgy Bad Boy / Richard Hochman: Professional Business

Chelsea Didier: Quirky Office / Best Friend

Maria Molund: Victim / Girl Next Door

Adam Hudson: Night on the Town / Guy Next Door

Michellle Neumann Johnson: College Prep / Urban Edgy

Blog by guest blogger Dallas Travers.

Creative Career Coach Dallas Travers has helped thousands of actors to increase their auditions, produce their own projects, secure representation and book roles in film and television. Her award winning book, The Tao of Show Business: How to Pursue Your Dream Without Losing Your Mind won first prize in the “How To” category at the 2009 Hollywood Book Festival.  Her vision and advise is very much in line with mine!  Hope you enjoy and If you like this post, you can read further about the “Four Tracks to Increase Your Auditions, Even If You Don’t Have an Agent”.

“Every actor understands the importance of a great headshot. A simple 8×10 picture can open a lot of doors for you if utilized correctly. Your headshot must represent the real you while showcasing your unique castability. That’s a lot of responsibility for one tiny photograph.

Knowing the importance of a headshot, it’s easy to over think things. You can spend a lot of time exploring your essence, how others perceive you, your best angles, colors and outfits. Shooting new headshots is a pretty big deal, but it doesn’t have to be an arduous, painful process.

I’ve identified six simple steps to help you finally capture your dream headshots. By following this easy plan, you’ll discover that getting the right shot is actually a piece of cake.

Step 1: Draw character parallels.

Make a list of 5-12 specific performances you have seen that resonate with you. These don’t have to be actors who look like you. They don’t have to be of your gender. They don’t even need to be contemporary. Just make a list of five. After you’ve made that list, describe each performance with one or two adjectives.

Step 2: Select your power adjectives.

Looking at your list of adjectives, select the top two to four that best represent the list as a whole. I call this process “nutshelling.”

Perhaps you might select the following adjectives: vulnerable, endearing, and quietly powerful. Keep these words in mind and visualize an image of a person who possesses all of these qualities.

Step 3: Create Your Characters.

Use these adjectives to help create three specific character descriptions for yourself: dramatic, comedic, and a character driven role. After you’ve completed your character breakdowns, you’ll have three very specific essences that you can now capture in your headshot photo shoot.

Here are three examples:

Drama:

(Suzanne) A social worker who fiercely protects the kids she works with. Her job is her life, so she has no time for romance. She’s often overlooked or underestimated by her peers because she has such a soft exterior. But underneath lies a force to be reckoned with.

Comedy:

(Josephine) The only unmarried member of a close-knit group of friends, Josephine often feels like an outsider. She’s clumsy, yet lovable. She’s well-read, but lacks street smarts. Josephine’s very unlucky in love. She gets nervous around attractive men, which often leads to uncontrollable bouts of the hiccups. All of this aside, Josephine’s naïve outlook on life allows her to give top-notch advice to her friends in need.

Character Driven Role:

(Candace) Candace got married very young. At the age of 35, she finds herself at the end of an abusive relationship. Candace works as a local cannery where she’s been earning minimum wage for the last six years. After loosing her mother to cancer, Candace digs deep and finds the strength to change her life for the better.

Step 4: Get thinking.

Identify specific thoughts or emotions each character experiences. Perhaps words that represent them or phrases they say.

For example, Suzanne might say, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.” The phrase, “Always a bridesmaid. Never a bride” may represent Josephine. Candace might feel exhausted.

Keep these thoughts in mind during your headshot photo shoot. With powerful thoughts or emotions in mind, you will easily capture the honest essence of your ideal roles.

Step 5: Plan your wardrobe, but don’t over think it.

How can you convey the essence of each character in the subtlest of ways? Remember, the best wardrobe adds to the energy of the character without being distracting.

Step 6: Bring it All Together.

Now you have three specific looks and three specific thoughts. Being an actor, the rest is easy. Just bring these thoughts and your wardrobe to your photo shoot. Then, as each different “look” or character is being shot, you simply think the thoughts of the character you’ve developed.”

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Stephan Bohemier: Edgy Hipster / Best Friend

Corey Roberts: Quirky Guy Next Door / College Prep

David Joseph Boyd: CEO / Suspect

Devin Fletcher: Young Ingenue / Edward Rowley: CW Love Interest

Ted Ferguson: Blue Collar Worker / Professor /Country Dad

Yeni Alvarez: Sexy Professional / Anny Taormina: Girl Next Door

Or do you run off to your little corner jealous and resentful because you haven’t yet achieved the same success?   A friend and colleague, Blake Discher says, and I’m paraphrasing, “Don’t hang out with the guys grumbling in the corner about how they can’t get work”.  In fact he teaches a great seminar called Stop Grumbling-Get Out There.  Although it’s geared towards photographers, it’s great advise for any individual in the business of marketing themselves, actors included.

As you struggle through the business of acting, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that every success story has a lot of struggle and a few failures behind it.  It’s also important to realize that everyone’s path to success will be different and only you can create the path for yourself.  What works for someone else may not work for you.

If you judge others and begrudge them their success, you are not taking into consideration the struggles they may have gone through either financially or emotionally to beget work in their field.  Even if in your eyes, they’ve had no struggles, instead of grumbling in the corner, congratulate your colleagues for their success and ask how they did it!  Genuinely expressing interest in their career automatically opens doors for you.  There is value in networking with those more successful than you.  After all, they might just need your type on the next project they work on!

As you navigate your way through the business, keep in mind that celebrating the success of those around you will bring the same success to you!

Share this blog with the friends who run off to the corner and share your thoughts in the comments below!

Douglas Olsson: Salesman / Joel Conte: Edgy Young Detective

Amber Hubert: Sexy Girl Next Door / Chris Palmer: Best Friend

Rhyan Schwartz: Guy Next Door / Quirky Office

Lilia B. : Kids Headshot

I do what I do because I want to help actors succeed.  I want to empower you with the tools you need to market yourself.  My goal is not to give you the most beautiful pictures you’ve ever taken…there’s plenty opportunity for that when you’re famous!  My goal is to give you images with life and not vacant stares.  My goal is to give you images that specifically showcase the range you have without pushing you against type.  My goal is to figure out your stereotype, your essence and to capitalize on it!  I do this by consulting with you, by directing you every step of the way and by producing specific marketing looks that will help get you in the door.  I am a director, a photographer for the actor who refuses to pose!  Help your career by learning the value of marketing.  Take a look at Sam Christensen’s essences class and read The Tao of Show Business by Dallas Travers.  Then ask me how I can help.

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Scroll down to view headshots of my clients and read the labels that describe the marketing look we achieved!  Comment here and tell us what you’ve been doing for marketing!

Stephen Grove Malloy: Business Professional

Deborah Selby: Warm Mom / Jan Haley-Soule: Upscale Wife

Stephanie Lovie Underwood: Love Interest / Ray Garza: Edgy Business

Brad Abrell: Business Professional / Quirky Dad

Stephanie Parrott: Best Friend / Urban Edgy

Reg Basco Hernandez: Guy Next Door / Commercial Office

Peter Michael Dowd: Out on the Town / Corey Mirra: Blue Collar Worker

Christiana Rose: Girl Next Door / Love Interest

Brent Harvey: Edgy Bad Boy

I’m back from the WPPI conference in Vegas (wedding and portrait photographers international) and I’m so pleased to find out we just hit our 700 fan mark on our Facebook Page!  So we are giving back in a big way! The first 7 people that email me and notify me that they have shared this contest on the walls of 7 friends on Facebook, have subscribed to my blog via email and book by April 7th, will get a session with 7 outfits for $700!! Thank you Fans!!

Be sure to share this post!

Angel Reda: Commercial Office

Angel Reda: Girl Next Door / Edgy Bad Girl

Angel Reda: Young Upscale Wife / Love Interest

Chelsea Didier: Young Intern / Edgy Bad Girl

Anne Rutter: Upscale Wife / Mom / Professional Business

Tim Hade: Young Intern

Alissa Juvan: Quirky Office / Best Friend

Loren Fenton: Young Mom / Business

A. Paul Sarkis: Business Professional / Young Dad

Suzanne Keilly: Commercial Office / Mom / Upscale Wife

Sarah Phillips: College Prep / Girl Next Door

Shelley Anne Regner: Edgy Girl Next Door

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This is a two part blog and Part I of this blog post can be found HERE.  This blog is about examples and would make more sense if you read Part I first.

To summarize Part I, a person’s attitude can pretty much make or break a headshot session.  A controlling attitude can stifle the creative process of a photographer while a trusting one can bring about the freedom to get more creative with exceptional results.

It truly does take two to tango and every once in a while, you dance with a partner that can do so exceptionally well.  Allyssa Schmitt (below) is a shining example of someone who had done her research and trusted the process of the photographer she chose.  Our dance was fluid and it allowed me to break out of the steps I’m accustomed to and venture into an exploratory and fun tango!  She had a great attitude, was sure her pictures were going to turn out well and truly embraced the process of getting her pictures taken with me.  Yes she had the same concerns as everyone else like for instance dark circles under her eyes but she was able to let go and have fun because dark circles are not something to fret over when there’s Photoshop!  Having her trust me gave me the freedom to play and from that freedom came some great spontaneous moments.  With Allyssa’s shoot if it wasn’t for the freedom she gave me, I wouldn’t have noticed the old car on our way back that then made me think of having her somehow use it for our shot, and I wouldn’t have noticed the wall we used for her edgier look for which we had to sneak onto private property!  It was a fun adventure!

I find that for the most part those who aren’t happy with the results for their session weren’t happy to begin with.  Having a negative attitude about how you’ve never taken a great picture and bringing that in on the day of your session isn’t going to help your results!  Showing up sick to a session and complaining about not looking good when you should have rescheduled in the first place, isn’t going to help either.  Complaining about how you hate the process, constantly stopping the momentum of a shoot because you are self critical, have baggy eyes, bad skin, or because you can’t make up your mind about clothing or feel the need to fix your hair after every shot will not only slow down the process but will completely deplete me of my creativity.  With such sessions I’m pretty much on auto mode waiting for you to be done fussing over yourself so I can shoot some pictures put down the camera and wait again.  That is not the way great moments are created and captured!  That is not a Tango!  When makeup becomes such a process that it takes two hours of changes for you to still not be happy with your face, then of course you’re not going to be happy with your pictures.  Fact:  In twelve years, I’ve cancelled two sessions for this very reason.  Regretfully I didn’t cancel a third which I should have.  If you’ve done your research, have studied your photographer’s portfolio which also showcases their makeup artist’s work, then when you hire him or her, you simply need to trust and let the professionals do their job.

The process of creating successful headshots comes from collaboration and input, not control.

Enjoy Allyssa’s photos and if you enjoyed this post, share it and subscribe!

Allyssa Schmitt: Edgy Bad Girl

Allyssa Schmitt: Girl Next Door / Sassy Best Friend

Edgy Love Interest

Sina Amedson: Best Friend

April Green: Edgy Detective / Young Mom

Hallie Jordan: Edgy CW / Quirky Student

Kelvin O'Bryant: Urban CW / Guy Next Door

Luanna Helena: Sassy Mom / Maury Zeller: Commercial Business

Amanda Tudor: Young Ingenue / Edgy Tomboy

Speaking for myself, I find that my most  amazing sessions have a lot to do with a client’s attitude coming into the session.  I realize headshots are a large investment and that there is a lot riding on them.  And often by the time actors come to me, they’ve had one or more bad experiences, their agents haven’t been happy with any of their pictures and they are at a complete loss.  Regardless, assuming you have done your due diligence and have thoroughly researched photographers, once you make a decision, it’s important to trust your decision as well as the process of the photographer you chose to work with.  In other words, let the professionals do their job.

What I’m about to say can easily be misunderstood so I want to be very clear.  I’m not saying your input isn’t important and I’m not saying you shouldn’t voice your concerns or opinions. However, when  someone is overly controlling about every aspect of  the shoot from the largest detail to the smallest of details, it tends to stifle creativity.  Not only is the organic process gone, but I’m worried about making the slightest wrong move and failing to please my client.  I’m worried that what I do isn’t what they want so I’m extra careful to only do the things they ask me to do.  I refrain from offering my usual advise and typically end up confining myself to tight parameters which doesn’t leave room for spontaneous moments that make for great pictures.

Believe it or not a person’s attitude can become a self fulfilling prophecy and can literally make or break a headshot session.   The person who walks in with a negative attitude, constantly stopping the flow and the momentum because they are worried about what is going to go wrong because of what has gone wrong in the past, is very likely to walk away with pictures that don’t represent what I do in my body of work.  This is never intentional on my part but if I’m prevented from doing what I normally do how can my pictures turn out the way they usually turn out?  The person who comes in with a positive attitude, is free and open to new experiences, open to direction and entrusts me with the experience, will very likely walk away with exceptional results.

Part II of this post will outline some examples and show you the most amazing session of the year because of my client’s amazing positive attitude!  Stay tuned and share your experiences here!

Below are headshots wrapping up the last of the batch from 2011!

Jason Thompson: Casual College Student / Urban Hipster

Thomas Webb: Egdy Bad Boy / Quirky Office

Charleene Closshey: Upscale Wife / Carolina Adler: Girl Next Door

Tessa O'Toole: Silverlake Hipster / Quirky Office

Reza Mir: Casual Office / Edgy Villain

Jennifer Neal: Young Mom / Mischievous Girl Next Door

Sean Fagan: Young Student / Robyn Heller: Quirky Mom

Alexandra Hoover: Business Professional / Sassy Office

Alexandra Hoover: Upscale Wife

Jefferson Rogers: Edgy Bad Boy / Guy Next Door

Steven J. Oliver: Business Professional / Mobster Boss

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He said, speaking over me when I attempted to explain why I don’t give out all the high resolution images with my packages.  In a very antagonistic tone, he said it again after I attempted to explain a second time “No no no there is no copyright, who does that?” .  So I wished him luck and hung up the phone.  The actor will remain unnamed but I was a little perturbed by the hypocrisy of this fellow “artist” during this one way conversation which started as an inquiry of my services.  Musicians live on royalties, actors live on residuals,  and photographers live on licensing their images and most of us “do that”.

As my colleague Joe Henson from NY so eloquently put it…

“This issue is definitely one of the biggest struggles in our profession, the concept of licensing fees for the needs of different clients.  Because photography has been devalued by the explosion of talented amateurs who have no real need to protect the rights to their work and because original digital files are reproducible with no degradation of quality, we professionals have to dig in our heels and protect what little value we have left to the rights of our work.  I find it easiest to explain licensing fees to my clients by establishing a link between my rights as a photographer and the rights they retain in their given field.”

To establish that link with the acting profession, I would like to point out that as an actor your union protects the rights to your image in many ways one of which is by making sure you are properly paid for the different uses of your image.  If a show plays an episode you’re in x amount of times, you get x amount of residuals.  In addition, if a show plays an episode you’re in on network TV vs. basic cable, you get x amount of $.   Similarly if you book a national commercial, you get compensated differently than if you were to book a regional one or a straight buyout.

These laws are in place to prevent your image from being exploited without proper compensation.

The same goes for all artists, architects, painters, poets, novelists, filmmakers, and yes photographers.

The Copyright Act of 1976 protects the creators of content, visual or intellectual.

So to get to the point, when you pay x amount of dollars for a headshot session the images of which are intended to be used for your personal promotional needs, you get x included in your package.  For me to exercise some control over how my photographs are used and to prevent them from being used in a manner not intended or paid for, I don’t give out high resolution images.  Instead, each high resolution image is purchased separately and paid for separately with a small copyright mark placed unobtrusively in the corner somewhere.  I ask that you respect my copyright.

If Warner Brothers decides to use your headshot to promote their next show, then Warner Brothers will need to license the rights to that image from me.  The value of that headshot changes when used to bring in big bucks by way of exploiting it as advertising for a show.  Starting to see the similarities in what we do as artists?

I hope so because there is copyright.

-Vanie

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The following images are of my fellow clients, actors I’m grateful for because they support and respect my work as an artist.

Brian Palatucci: Commercial Business / Young Professional

Ellen D. Williams: Funny Best Friend / Girl Next Door

Victor Montero: Edgy Hipster / Young Intern

Eddie Ruben: Commercial Office / Guy Next Door

Tish Merritt: Hip Girl Next Girl / Love Interest

Check out Tish’s blog as she documents about her session with us here!

Stephanie Jackson: Young Mom / Casual Office

Charlotte Ubben: Girl Next Door / Disney

Jenny Garris: Girl Next Door / Urban Hipster

Tell your friends!  It’s Halloween Weekend and we’re having a spooky sale!  Book your session on Halloween Monday (October 31, 2011) and receive a 10% discount on any package.  The bigger the package, the bigger the discount.  Happy Halloween!

*Fine print…not valid with other offers .

Hilliard Bain: Sassy Mom / D.A. Matzke: Quirky Dad

Christine Marie: Edgy Detective / Out on the Town

Christine Marie: Commercial Business / Sassy Love Interest

Sarah Gaboury: Quirky Office / Fun Best Friend

Marion Dunham: Love Interest

Melanie Ann Foché: Casual Office / Didi Banks: Girl Next Door

Nadia Dawn: Sexy Vixen / Quirky Young Mom / Business

Nadia Dawn: Leading Lady

3x returning client Gary Brintz: Edgy Love Interest / Detective

See Gary’s previous shots HERE.

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