Month: February 2016

For the last six weeks I have spent a lot of time, and words, talking about the basics of audition preparation and auditioning. When my children, particularly Zack, were expressing an interest in entertainment, the “process” was the part that frightened me the most. Trying to figure out the how’s, the where’s, the when’s, and the who’s. These were all foreign topics for me. What I was comfortable with was my role as “the mom”. These were my kids. I was raising them and no one knew them better than I did. I was totally comfortable with why we were pursuing these activities and was just as comfortable drawing the line in terms of how far I/we would go. I was the captain of my ship. Unfortunately this led to me being blindsided at times by the unsolicited opinions, questioning, and gentle criticism that was often offered by both close friends and virtual strangers.
We , as a family with a child in entertainment, had a very difficult week last week. This made me decide to stray off the topic of “how to” for just this week to offer some insight on being the parent of a child who is interested in this business.
First and foremost , if your child is driven, I mean really has this dream of being on stage or screen, and is pulling you down this path …then buckle up! It’s going to get bumpy! People who don’t have a child like this don’t understand. I know because as I have mentioned before I was one of those people. I was someone who felt pity for a child being forced into this crazy life and contempt for the parents who were pushing their child so that they could vicariously fulfill their dreams. I was so very wrong!
Zack was always a different kid. He played differently, dressed differently, even moved differently. From the age of less than 2 he would plant himself in front of the CD player for hours, methodically learning the music and lyrics to his most recent favorite artist or show. He only needed a scarf or his sisters robe and an  object that could be a microphone to get lost in his dream world. We started to understand then what was coming our way.  Living in a conservative New England town I always expected I would have to offer him some protection from narrow- minded people who wouldn’t “get” him and, as is often the case, leave him out or tease him. As the mother of three other children and then a fourth , all of whom were fairly mainstream kids, raised with an intact extended and supportive family, I never expected to have to defend myself.
The first time this happened was when Zack was about 6 years old. A very dear, older friend of mine whom I’d known and respected since my teen years asked me, “Aren’t you afraid you’re pigeon-holing him into being gay, letting him do all this dance and girlish activity?”. I know…WOW! SO MANY levels of WOW right?!? But it was an eye opener for me. My heart broke a little and the first chip was made in my armor. Should I be letting him do all this? Was I pushing him? He does boy stuff too! He takes karate, plays baseball and basketball, and has even tried wrestling. Granted that didn’t work out when be broke out of the starting position and pirouetted across the mat, but he wrestled that season. I never believed that you “make” someone have a certain sexual preference, but here was a person I respected telling me that his “group” had been chatting about it at the bridge table, and I started to doubt myself.
After a lot of soul searching and some random questioning of Zack, who was starting to think I was crazy, it was verified that he was a very happy 6 year old boy doing what he loved. When Zack was involved in a ” project” his whole being changed. He was more focused, more animated, just happier. In between projects what I thought would be a nice rest,as it certainly was for me, became almost a “funk” for him.
Over the years there were many other times when opinions were offered, many times as questions and often with genuine concern for our seemingly crazy life. “How do you do it all? Do the other kids mind how much time you spend with Zack? How does he manage school? Are his grades OK? Isn’t he exhausted? Aren’t you exhausted? How do you afford all of this? Does he really know what he wants, he’s just a kid?” Good grief! What can get exhausting is constantly feeling like you have to justify your existence.
You will quickly learn who your true friends are. The ones who offer to help when you are running around like a nut without offering judgement.  The ones who ask about how things are going when they know you’ve been going for call backs. The ones who will come to show after show cheering your child on, never seeming to tire of it. The ones who invite you and your “weird” kid(s) to their home and you can breathe and know you’re kid(s) is/are accepted. And finally the ones who can celebrate with you with the success, and at the same time grieve with you understanding, the changes that are about to happen.
Just as you know who you’re friends are, you’re going to have the same ability to sense the people coming into your child’s life who are there for business only and those that are there for business but will also be good to your child. Don’t minimize the importance of your intuition. There are people in the entertainment business, many of them, who live by the bottom line. They will not blink an eye or miss a beat while taking actions that will break your child’s heart. This is, in my opinion, not done intentionally. They don’t set out to be cruel, but the human factor isn’t on their radar. It’s all about that bottom line.
As a parent, you need to be on the lookout for these characters. If something doesn’t seem right, ask questions. Never do anything without a signed agreement or contract. Your child should never be alone in a room with one adult nor should the adults allow themselves to be put into this situation. There are always 2 adults with children. If your child isn’t happy to work with someone, have a casual chat and find out why. You would do this if he/she came off the school bus and didn’t want to ride again. You’d know something was up, and the same thing should come to mind if they’re not happy about going to work for this dream of theirs.
Most importantly make sure that it’s always what they want to be doing. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in a process and get involved to the point that it feels like you’re riding a wave. You have to check in with your child and make sure it’s still what he/she wants, that he/she is still happy and having fun. They are children and sometimes something that sounds so great in theory, is in reality, actually work, and they change their minds. I remember one year for Christmas all Zack wanted was a magic kit. He was so excited when he opened it! He tore it open, whipped out the wand and started waving it around. After a couple of minutes he sadly said “It’s broken!”. You see, he thought the wand would work. The magic he expected wasn’t there. As the parent you need to check on them and make sure they are doing OK. You always have the power to stop the bus!
They are children, but a lot of the time in this business they are doing , and getting paid to do, a grown up job. We choose to keep Zack in the loop on all the business of the business. We don’t offer all the drama but just the facts, how we feel about things, how his siblings are feeling, the financial implications and ask him his thoughts. He understands that we will always support him as long as we can and with this open dialogue there has been no resentment.
We have had to work very hard over the last 6 years to make sure we were going down the path Zack wanted to be on in a healthy and constructive manner, and in a way that was manageable for the rest of our family. This is no small task, and believe me, it hasn’t gotten any easier as he’s moved to the professional world, but it can be done! Find a good friend in the industry whom you can run thoughts and concerns by ; he/she will always bring honesty and often some clarity! Trust your gut!
Next week we’ll get back to business and talk a little more about agents, managers, casting directors, and the creative team so you’ll have more of an idea of who the different players are and what role each of them play.

The last five weeks we have been talking about most of the components needed to ensure your child is ready to embark on his/her first professional audition. You may already have some auditioning experience under your belt. Our kids have participated in several local audition processes. The professional process is a little more structured, at least we have found that to be true.
There are different types of “calls” for audition opportunities. There is the “open call” which is exactly as it sounds, open to anyone. This is where you would need to start unless you already have representation that could get you an appointment to be seen. If it’s an open call for an equity show then kids with an equity card may be seen first. Usually very few equity kids are at this type of call as their agents or managers will get them appointments to be seen, but sometimes the shows don’t offer appointments to agents prior to open call and the kids will come to ensure an opportunity to be seen. These open calls can be huge and take all day. Remember the news stories last winter about the “School of Rock” open calls with 800 kids wrapped in a line around the theater in the rain waiting for a chance to audition?
There are also “principal equity calls”. These definitely give priority to the kids with the equity cards. We thought that Zack could not attend this type of call because he’s not equity, but we were wrong. A non equity child can attend but he/she is not guaranteed to be seen as they will see equity kids first. Fortunately, the children’s calls are generally offered separately from the adult calls. There are a limited number of equity kids so generally all kids are seen at these calls. The equity kids are given first choice of time slot to be seen and then the non equity kids who arrive for the day are slotted in as times become available. This means , as a non equity kid, you don’t get to just breeze in at your appointed time; you have to sit there until they call you. As I mentioned before, it can be a long day.
Some auditions break the categories down even further into singer call and dance call. This is where your child gets to put his/her best foot forward first. We talked about that in an earlier entry. There are dancers that sing and singers that dance. Your child should attend the call that best fits his/her strength. If the casting director likes what he/she sees, then singers will be asked back to dance and dancers will be asked back to sing. Zack is definitely a singer who dances’ so I’ll go forward from here using our experiences auditioning as a singer. We have not experienced auditions as a dancer so if someone reading this and would like to offer any information, please leave a comment!
This business is not for the feint of heart. It is a long , heartbreaking process full of callbacks, cuts, and disappointments before eventually finding some reward. The reward is sweet and Zack says “worth waiting for!”. If you attend an open call you are hoping for a call back. Be assured there may be many callbacks before the creative team makes their final decision. The actual director and his/her creative team may not see your child until final callback, and no one will be cast until the auditioners have been seen by these people.
Be sure to tell your children that their job is to show up, smile, do their best, and most importantly, to have fun. There is MUCH more that goes into decisions than talent. Height, hair, posture, even shirt color have impacted our outcomes. Very rarely is a child cast in his/her first attempt. This certainly can happen, but initially the goal should be to get “in front” of the casting directors so that they get to know your child. Often times you can get a call on another project because your child was seen at a previous audition. This has happened for Zack at least 2-3 times.
Many of these “calls” happen only in NYC. Sometimes, as with School of Rock, they can happen in several cities across the country. The casting directors may also take video submissions for the “initial call”. Ultimately you will need to be prepared to make a trip, or even a few trips, into NYC if your child is successful in obtaining callbacks.
Another opportunity, at least for the Matilda show, is to go to the website for its casting director. Her name is Nora Brennan of Nora Brennan Casting. On her website they will list any upcoming Matilda auditions and whether it’s for Broadway or for the National Tour. They offer an opportunity right on the website to upload a picture and resume to get your child onto her radar. Even if there aren’t any current auditions listed she is known to review those uploads regularly, and you will hear from her directly if your child looks as though he/she may fit a specific need the show has to fill.
With equity shows they are mandated to hold open auditions every 6 months. Sometimes they are actually looking for replacements, sometimes it’s a required call. They don’t have to tell you if they are actually, currently replacing, although sometimes they will. A lot of the time you are not sure even after you have left. Zack has received a callback as long as 5 months after being seen at a required open call. There is no formula for how the process will play out. It’s a wild ride. Two things I can tell you are 1) it’s feast or famine. You can go weeks without anything to work on and suddenly find yourself juggling three different opportunities on the same day and 2) something will happen when you least expect it.
Your audition will have a sign in time. People will arrive as early as 7:30-8:00 for a 9 am sign in time. This is fine if you’re anxious and feel the need to get there early. For adults , getting there early is imperative because there are so many of them that if they don’t get on the list early they may not be seen. With kids they will likely get to everyone so don’t hurry in, you can shorten the day by arriving 15 minutes prior to the sign in time.
If you come to a morning sing call and are able to show them what they are looking for, you’ll most likely have to come back in the afternoon to dance, and dancers who are successful will ultimately have to sing. It can make for a long day. Bring snacks, water, a book, your smile, and patience.
This is where a well organized and prepared audition book becomes your golden ticket. If your child is able to enter the room with his/her headshot and resume prepared as mentioned previously, and can hand it to the person at the door and walk into the room with his/her thumb on the page of the song they are prepared to sing, then the nervousness of entering the room will be minimized. The call notice will state how many bars the child should be prepared to sing. If it says 32 bars also be prepared to shift to 16 bars quickly if the auditions are running late. In the room your child will usually find the casting director, an accompanist, and 1 or 2 associates. Remind them to smile and have fun. Casting directors can see hundreds of people a day. Don’t be offended if they don’t offer a handshake or accept one that is offered. There can be a little germophobia present in their line of work.
Your child many only be in the room for a few minutes during an initial call. There have been days we have travelled 6 hours for ten minutes in the room and returned travel for another 6 hours. There have been 12 hour call days. One never knows. Remember there is no formula. Sometimes they see what they need to see in 2 minutes. Sometimes they may ask your child if he/she has another song in their book to sing. Make sure they have prepared a second song and make sure they don’t have any songs in their book that they would not feel prepared to sing. Sometimes the accompanist will look through their book and ask them to sing a song found in there. That can get uncomfortable if your child hasn’t sung that song recently and doesn’t remember it. The casting director may chat with your child to get a feel for his/her personality and may also give some direction to change the feeling of the song. He/she is looking to see how your child takes direction.
Often, but not always, there may be “sides” also associated with the call. This is where the casting director could have your child read lines from the show to see how they capture the character. This is another time he/she may give directions to see how the child is able to make changes. The sides need to be familiar but not memorized; they can be held during the reading. Sometimes your child won’t get them until he/she arrives, so no need to panic, as he/she can have the copy in hand.
When your child has completed his/her audition, make sure he/she knows to smile and say thank you, even if he/she doesn’t feel he/she did his/her best. Most children feel very strongly that they did well or did not do well as they leave the room. Save the discussion for after you’ve left the area.
One of the most difficult things about auditioning is the waiting to hear after you’ve left. Unfortunately, for an initial open call, you may never hear from anyone if you are not called back. There are just too many calls to make so this is normal practice. We have learned to watch some local chats like “Backstage”. This is a parent forum where parents can start a topic and others can chime in. I can usually find a notice on there that the part has been cast or that call backs have gone out allowing my child some closure. It is not a good idea to call the casting directors yourself. They will be in touch with you if they want to see your child again. If you are fortunate enough to get as far as final call backs you generally would get a call re/ the results of that session.
As a parent, audition calls can be long and stressful. Generally there is a “holding room” you are expected to sit and wait in. Try to be patient, try not to read into what is happening in the room. Believe me when I tell you there will be a lot of posturing going on. People will name drop; they will want to talk to you about all the shows that his/her child has been in; they will call their agents and talk loudly on the phone about how hard it is to juggle all of the possibilities; they will encourage their children to warm up in the room and you will see and hear some incredible talent. Everyone starts somewhere. Don’t let it get under your skin.
What you don’t want to do is make an impression as a difficult parent who doesn’t follow the rules or directions. Believe me, the casting director and his/her associates in the holding room will take notice. Try to go with the flow. If you have a time limit you can let them know; they may or may not be able to make it work for you. They don’t owe you anything; it’s an open call. Mention it once, but if you have to leave then let them know you’re leaving and leave. There’s always the next time. If they ask you to wait in the room then do so. Please don’t follow your child to the audition room purposely placed around the corner and listen with your ear pressed to the door. They will note this and you’re going to stress your child out. Make it your job to encourage your child to drink water, snack lightly, and relax during what could be a very long day.
As a final note I will say that we almost always have a session with our coach(es) prior to a call or audition of any kind. You will find that it helps tremendously in the preparation and your child’s confidence when entering the room.
There is so much more to the audition process but this is a great start. As always let me know if you have any comments or questions. Until next week 🙂

I guess the next logical topic is the resume since it is generally kept together with the head shot. I dread blogging about this as it’s such a personal thing. Your resume is the next best opportunity to make an impression. It’s a chance to “stand out” or to “catch someone’s eye”. Please remember as you read this week that these entries are all written based on my/our personal experiences and opinions. There are only a few “must’s” and “must nots” for a great resume and I’ll make sure those points are clear.
First and most importantly, your resume should only be one page. Your resume will be stapled back to back, in all four corners, to your 8×10″ head shot and then trimmed to match the head shot. This allows you to hand a tidy “business card” to the casting director at an audition. You will want to make sure that your margins allow you to trim the edges without losing any of the content of your resume.
The very top of your resume should have your name. We like ours centered on the top, some people like it aligned on the left margin, this is simply a preference. Just under your name should be the name and phone number for any agent or agency with whom you are working. At one point Zack had agents in NYC, Boston, and Maine so we had a version of his resume saved for each agency. If you don’t have representation yet, just skip to your personal contact which would be just below. For a child you can put parents’ name and phone number, if you would like, but make sure you have marked it as “personal contact”. I have always used my cell phone number as our child’s personal contact. Even when they are 17 years old, business should come through you first.
Below all of the heading information you want to place, along the left margin, some basic statistics for your child. His/Her age or date of birth, height, weight, hair color and eye color. You can arrange this any way you would like. Keep in mind that a key point to a great resume is making sure it is easy to read. Casting directors should be able to glance at the resume and within just a couple of seconds find this information. Use capitalization, underlines, and bold lettering to help them, but try not to make it too busy or overwhelming.
The body of the resume should contain information including work experience, training, special skills, and activities or interests. Zack has two different resumes; one we call his commercial resume and one we call his theater resume. We chose to do this so that when he submits for a movie, commercial, or a print job it is his work experience in those areas that the casting director will see first. On his theater resume his theater roles are listed first, allowing that casting director to easily find the work experience that is more pertinent to him/her. You do not have to have two resumes and you may arrange the information in any way that you would like; however, you should consider the type of project for which you are submitting. You do not want to make casting directors wade through a lot of information before they get to the information that is most important to them; you risk losing their interest.
When Zack was starting out he had very few credits to put on his resume, quite a bit of training, but very little work experience. The margins were quite wide and the font was larger to make the resume more appealing to the eye. I will use his theater resume as an example here.
His header and stats were as noted above. Next we put his theater roles with the most recent role listed first, much like an adult work resume. The section was titled “Theater”. The list included even his school shows and were presented as: title of show, followed by the role he played, and finally the theater or school that presented the show all along one line.
The next paragraph or section was for his commercial work and labeled as such. At the time of his first resume he had only had one commercial job. We listed it similarly to the theater roles with company, role , and then that it was a “print” job.
The next paragraph was labeled “Awards” although it also could be labeled “Recognition” or anything similar. Perhaps your child has been nominated for, or won, some kind of performance award or competition. At this point Zack had been first runner up in his age group for a local singing competition. Including this on his resume wasn’t so much about the award , although he was very proud of it. It was more about showing his time on stage and in front of an audience and some experience taking direction.
The next paragraph included “training” or “special skills”. This may include dance, theater classes, vocal lessons, acting classes, or even martial arts. You want to include the style and number of years of training and rank or “level” where appropriate.
The final paragraph should just be a quick sentence that lists activities or interests. It might include biking, swimming, skiing, chess, reading, etc…
As time went by and as Zack was fortunate enough to have more opportunities to perform, train, and work, the font and margins of his resume shrank. The work can include projects that were only for credit and not for pay. Being able to add those to the resume is the benefit of doing them 🙂 . As the resume grew we dropped first the school productions and then the ensemble community theater roles and they were replaced by the leads in the community theater and the professional theater work he was doing. At one point, in the middle of his growth, we highlighted the lead rolls in yellow to allow the casting directors to see those immediately. Eventually we no longer needed the yellow highlights as he transitioned to primarily professional work.
It is ok to drop things from your resume when you have work that is either equal and more recent or more advanced than something it is replacing. Zack struggled with this. He felt that he was discounting something that had meant a lot to him. I reminded him that those memories are there forever in scrapbooks right where they belong. That his resume is not a scrapbook , it is a business card, and those other roles and work he did are what brought him the new projects that we were adding and would always have value. He was able to wrap his head around that very well and we have a great one page resume!
When Zack started he was just as interested in commercials and film as he was in musical theater. As he grew and we updated his resume regularly it became clear that his true passion was for musical theater. As it turned out his resume was not just a valuable tool for marketing him , it was also a valuable tool to help his mom and dad see easily the type of jobs for which we should be submitting. This allowed us to make choices much more easily when we were faced with several opportunities at once. This business is always feast or famine!
At the risk of being repetitive I just want to say again that your resume should be only one page. If you are just getting started don’t fill it with fluff. Everyone starts somewhere. Keep it updated, pertinent, clear, and one page 🙂
So far we’ve talked about getting started, training, head shots, and now resumes. I think the next step would be talking about getting out there, submitting for projects and/or attending open calls. Next week we’ll get into all of that including how to find projects, the process, and some good tips for audition etiquette and making a great first impression.
Have a great week and as always feel free to offer any comments or ask questions. I am just as interested in learning from your experiences!

If you are a parent you know how unpredictable kids can be. Just when you think you have them figured out they zig when you thought they’d zag. You think “wow how lucky am I to have such a great sleeper” and they become a night owl. Don’t even get me started on clothes and food! Now, can you imagine making a living doing something that is dependent on being able to predict a child’s action or reaction? It takes a VERY special person to be able to capture great children’s photos. We have been so fortunate to have met a handful of them and when you find one that you like and one who clicks with your child it’s like winning the lottery. This is particularly true if you have a child interested in the entertainment business and you will need photos for marketing.
Although the interacting is perhaps the most important piece, you also need to consider flexibility, affordability, and of course , product.
A head shot for a child interested in print work or theater is their most important marketing too. A casting director or booking agent can get hundreds of pictures submitted for a project and you want to make sure your child stands out for the right reasons. In this blog I’m going to talk mostly about theater head shots but many of the same principals will apply to pictures for children who are more interested in print work. The biggest exception is that head shots are typically shot from the shoulders up and for print work the child will also want to have a 3/4 body shot, or mid thigh up, to offer a clearer idea of body type.
To begin with you need to work with a professional. An iPhone snap shot or a picture off of Facebook is not going to be the quality you want to bring to the table. Occasionally a casting director or booking agent will state that an iPhone photo is fine for initial submission , which is great, but you need to have a professional head shot ready should you be called.
Children change quickly. It is recommended that they have their head shots updated at least annually but every six months is even better, particularly if they are in a phase where they are growing and changing quickly. We’ve heard ,through friends ,of photographers who will offer special pricing for children knowing that if they do a great job and are affordable they will be sure to have added some frequent flyers to their business.
A great head shot should offer a true representation of the child. The picture should capture the child’s youth. These should not be glamor shots with a lot of make up or with fancy hair. Most casting directors are looking for a more natural look. Some light lip gloss and clear mascara will do the trick. The emphasis should be on the eyes so make sure nothing takes attention away from them. Children’s eyes are very expressive when they are relaxed, comfortable, and being themselves. It’s ok for a boy to have longer hair just make sure it is kempt. This is not easy! Believe me, I know. Girls can try hair up off their faces or have it falling more naturally, whichever best emphasizes their eyes. Hands should not be in the picture, nor should there be any props. I have a hard time with this one. My boys look absolutely adorable in hats. I just LOVE pictures in hats! There are many places pictures in hats are great but a head shot isn’t one of them. Get some shots in hats and have copies of these made to display at home.
Clothing choice is always difficult. I have trouble dressing myself most days! How am I supposed to manage getting my child dressed for something so important? Here are a few tips that we have been given and found very useful. Children should wear simple solid colors. Choose bright or soft colors that go well with their skin tone and bring out the color in their eyes. The outfit should create a warm feeling; try to avoid black and white clothing. They shouldn’t wear prints or any logos or graphics. Try not to be too dressy. Remember children should look like children. An older child who appears younger is a great advantage when auditioning because older children are allowed to work longer hours.
There are a lot of differing opinions about natural outdoor lighting vs. indoor studio lighting. Personally I love a child outside. Let’s face it, most children love to be outside and they will relax quickly and act like a child which makes for great pictures. Some of my favorite shots of our kids have been at the park in our downtown and at our friend’s horse farm. The background in a great head shot is blurry, however, so as not to take the focus off of the child.
A good photographer will work with you on finding the time of day that will offer the best lighting and work well with your child’s personal schedule. If your child is an early riser then after supper probably isn’t the best time for pictures and the same is true for a night owl who probably wouldn’t do well at an early morning shoot. Midday is difficult due to the high sun and squint factor. Two of my children would be tomato red in the noon day sun due to their fare skin. An ideal day is slightly overcast, just warm, and maybe a slight breeze but what are the chances of that happening on the exact day you are scheduled? If the weather isn’t cooperating you’ll have to bring it inside but make sure the background and lighting don’t take away from the child.
If your life is anything like mine your children will be sick as a dog, cut their own hair, or run into a wall and bruise their foreheads the day before your pictures are scheduled to be taken. I swear this happens to us every time! Send a snap to your photographer and see if they are able to photoshop without taking away from the natural quality. If they’re not able to with confidence then reschedule. It’s not worth spending the money on something with which you are not going to be happy.
Sticking with the topic of money, don’t allow yourself to be talked into an overpriced photographer or a photo package by an agent or agency who is suggesting this will increase your child’s chance of being represented by them or increase their chances of getting work. If you are not happy with the photographer’s work, spending more money than you can comfortably afford, or the chemistry isn’t right, then, again, don’t waste your money. You will regret it. If the agents really wants to work with your child, they’re also going to want to be able to put the best pictures out to the potential clients.
A final thing to consider is black and white photos vs. color. Most people have trended away from the classic black and white head shot but there are still a few hold- outs. When I have our children’s head shots taken, I work with the photographer to make sure we have a great smiling, color shot and a more pensive shot that will be in black and white in case there is an occasion to need one. We have one lovely local theater who is true to the classics and we always need a black and white for their cast board.
Now that I have given you a lot of my opinion based on our personal experiences. I’ll share with you a link to our favorite photographer. Amy Bean was fairly new to professional photography when we met her and through much research and lots of practice she quickly has become a “go to” person locally for head shots and print photos. We were referred to Amy by a few different theater friends when we were admiring their wonderful head shots. Referral is a good way to find a great photographer! Amy has such a great chemistry with the kids. My children get as excited when it’s time to update their head shots with Amy as they do for an ice cream date with their cousins. Check out her gallery, https://amyb.smugmug.com/. These are not all head shots or 3/4 shots, but look at them and see if you can pick out some of each that you would consider to be “great” shots. You’ll know them when you see them! It’s always in the eyes and sometimes it happens when you least expect it, not even when you’re thinking a single thought about a head shot. When you see one, you’re heart will melt a little, even if the child doesn’t belong to you.
We recently had a call back in NYC for a big show with Zack. The casting director knew him well, as she had seen him several times at that point, and she both noticed and appreciated his new head shot right away! It makes a difference!
I think that’s enough for this week! I will be back next Friday with the next topic. Have a great week everyone!