3 Important Questions to Answer Before Your Next Headshot Photoshoot
Remember, the goal of a headshot is not just to produce a pretty looking picture
(by Jim Webb)
(Photo: Cody Iannom | Unsplash)
Before you go out and spend your valuable dollars on expensive headshots, make sure you’ve got an effective game plan.
Do you really need new headshots in the first place? Do you have a firm idea of what you’d like the final product to look like when they’re done? What specifically do you plan to do with your headshots when they’re finally done? Have you discussed your plans with your agent or manager?
These are a few of the preparatory questions you should ask before you shell-out cash on some new pics.
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Ask these important questions before getting started:
#1. How will your new headshot be an improvement over your old headshot?
How will your new headshots improve your chances of success in ways that your old headshots could not?
This question is one of the most important questions you can ask yourself before getting new headshots. If you get new headshots and they don’t help you any more than your old headshots did, disillusionment can set in. Frustration can set in. You begin to question why your career is not more successful. You begin to wonder why your new headshots aren’t moving your career forward. You could begin to blame yourself and lose confidence.
This problem must be solved before you take your new headshots. You need to have a clear idea of how your new headshots will be a significant upgrade over your old headshots.
Otherwise, it’s a waste of time, resources, patience and hope.
#2. Have You Done Your Research?
(Photo by Greg Gelsinger on Unsplash)
Go on IMDb, or even some agency websites, and research the headshots of actors with your profile and type. These are the actors you’ll be competing with. Ask yourself:
“How do my current headshots stack up to theirs?”
“Do I need better headshots to compete with them?”
“What makes their headshots exciting, interesting and eye-catching? How can I incorporate some of these elements into my own headshots?”
Remember, your headshot will not be viewed in a vacuum
Remember, your new headshot will not be viewed in a vacuum. So, you should never take them in a (mental) vacuum. Since your headshot will be viewed alongside hundreds of other actors, you should research the headshots of other successful actors before getting new ones, to get an idea of how competitive your headshot needs to be.
#3. What’s Your Objective?
What’s your specific objective for getting new headshots? Until you have a very clear objective for getting new headshots, you shouldn’t be getting new headshots. They are just way to expensive and way too important to go into the process without a clear idea of what you’d like when you come out of the process.
What will you use your headshots for? Theatre? Commercials? Film and Television?
What’s your “type” and how will your new headshots accentuate your type?
Which types of commercials or shows would you like to be on? How will your new headshots help you book roles on those shows or commercials?
A pretty picture is not the goal
Remember, the goal of a headshot is not just to produce a pretty looking picture. The goal of a headshot is to produce a marketing tool that will land you good agents and get you into important audition rooms.
To produce pretty headshots that are also effective marketing tools, you must understand your objective, your market and how you plan to be successful in that market.
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