For Actors
The Craft
What belongs in a portfolio, what makes a headshot usable, how to self-tape, and what works on camera. Written for actors at any stage, anywhere.
PortfolioThe five photos every actor's portfolio needs
A casting director gives your portfolio about eight seconds. These five images answer everything they need in that time — and anything beyond them is usually noise.
HeadshotsWhat actually makes a headshot usable
The difference between a photograph you like and a photograph casting can use. Most unusable headshots fail on the same four things — and none of them are about how attractive you look.
AuditionsSelf-tape auditions: the setup that gets you watched
Nobody casts you for your lighting. But bad sound, a busy background or a camera on the floor will get your tape closed before the second line. Here is the setup, in the order it matters.
StylingWhat to wear on camera
Some clothes behave differently through a lens than they do in a mirror. Three of them can wreck a photograph outright — and it has nothing to do with taste.
ModelingActor's portfolio vs modeling portfolio: what actually differs
Same person, same photographs, two books that should not look alike. One answers "can I cast you"; the other answers "can I book you". Confusing them costs work in both directions.