Wednesday, January 28, 2009

'Tis the Headshot Season

An actor needs at least two headshot photos - one for commercials and one for for film and theater. The commercial image has to be very natural and relatable. When we retouch such images we make sure they have the "everyday look". Such images will get you a part in a commercial but will not help you stand out when considered for a role in a movie. To make your image really pop, we apply cinematic effects to infuse a dose of magnetism in them. (The fee for both types of retouching stays the same - $3.50 per shot.)

When applying for a role you submit the headshot that is appropriate for the situation, but your contact information should include your web page that gives the full impression of your range. Online casting is still in its infant stages, and casting agents will hardly search the web to find you today. But the web address on your submitted headshot will lead them to your extended virtual resume showing them the full range of your talent through dozens of headshots and still shots from film and theater shows. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and then you can post your video clips...

Setting up your website is easy. There are online services for that as easy to use as an email application. Take MyActingSite.com (http://www.myactingsite.com). They let you use your own web address like YourName.com. You can post as many photos as you want and they will be well presented to a casting person in a thumbnail and enlarged clickable gallery view. We usually recommend this service to our clients and actor friends because it gives a good presentation of our retouching work and includes the mass emailing application that lets actors invite all the friends and fans to their shows at once. And we do like being invited :-)

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

First I was Myself… Then I Was an Image of Myself…

Our recorded images are playing an increasing role in our lives. Virtual Memory and the Random Generator, a documentary created by Artifact Pictures explores this subject. Here is the synopsis of this intriguing film that you can view in parts on YouTube.

As we approach the end of analog television in 2009, and enter a new era in the evolution of digital media, our experience of images and information becomes increasingly intangible. One part history and one part poetry, Virtual Memory is a meditation on the essence of mechanical image-making and its impact on human consciousness, from the physical process of photography and film, to the alternate universe created by computers and virtual reality. Using a compilation of found material, the film bids a kind of fond farewell to the 20th century.