Acting : Think of your Headshot as a Movie Trailer by Matthew Cornwell

I posted this as a comment on one of Kay's posts from a few days ago, but I thought it was a good standalone topic.

You ever seen a movie trailer, gotten excited, then paid your $15 to go see the movie... only to feel BAIT-AND-SWITCHED by what was on the screen?

I'm certain the answer is yes. Either the tone (or genre) didn't match the trailer, the plot seems completely different than what you thought, they highlight a celebrity in the trailer even though they have only one scene in the movie, etc.

Well, that's exactly what Casting Directors feel when you walk into their room (or show up on a self-tape), and look nothing like you did in your headshot.

And I'm not talking about wardrobe, makeup, or in the case of my headshot, beard/no beard. I mean the essence that is radiating from the headshot doesn't match what shows up.

It INFURIATES Casting, because it happens waaaaaay too often. They were excited to call you in based on that headshot, just like you were excited to see that movie after watching the trailer.

So, using my shot as an example, what would you expect from me in person? Perhaps someone intimidating? Maybe someone direct, even judgmental? Maybe righteous?

If I showed up bouncing off the walls, giddy with excitement, eyes darting to and fro, being a chatterbox, nervously laughing, etc, wouldn't that feel like a bait-and-switch?

The issue is that without an intentional, deep dive into how you are perceived by those decision-makers, you won't know what to reflect back to them through those headshots. You'll try to manipulate your essence into something you think they want, or just some inauthentic caricature of yourself.

Comment or DM me if you want to continue this discussion. I'm about to teach a 4-day workshop over Zoom starting tomorrow, 12/3, that solves this problem for actors (and so much more).