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Actors' Publicity StillsBy Elliott Franks LBIPPSome notes for actors who may be new to the profession and need some sound advice regarding their publicity photos. This has been written by Elliott Franks LBIPP - a professional photographer who has been producing actors' publicity stills for many years. Elliott is also one of the top performing arts press photographers and covers most of the photo calls on the London stage. Everyone employed within the acting profession requires a recent head and shoulders photograph to send out along with their current CV and accompanying letter each time they apply for an acting job. Remember that a good photograph will go along way to helping you get an audition; you need to start with a good photographer and this article gives you a few ideas of how to achieve that. Most actors will have a photo session with a photographer once every twelve to eighteen months or so, to ensure they have an up to date picture. It's a waste of everyone's time if you send out an old photograph. You don't need to have a whole model portfolio done, just focus on trying to get the best 'head-shot' that you possibly can. This is usually a black & white photograph, taken in a studio or out on location, of your head and shoulders only. It hardly ever includes hands. When the photographer has taken your pictures, he/she will then offer you an opportunity to have copies, and will give you a price for one-offs and for repros. One-offs are more expensive, they are usually hand-printed by a professional lab. If you have Repros - this means that they can produce a large number of prints off one negative or print - this will be a lot cheaper. When talking to a photographer, you find that many offer deals and packages. It is a competitive business and seems to be very cost driven, but the quality can vary enormously between one photographer and another. You can ask a photographer to send you some samples of 10x8's they've done for other actors, or they may have a web site you can look at, but the important thing is when you talk to them try and get an idea about their experience, their attitude and whether you feel comfortable with them. An important thing to remember is that a photographer always owns the legal copyright on every single image that they produce, including the pictures that you may be commissioning them to take of you. They will usually keep the negatives in the hope that you'll always come back to them to get copies of your pictures in the future, this is their bread and butter. So it is vital that you establish how much they charge for re-prints and repros before you book them, otherwise they could charge you a much larger amount than you'd be prepared to pay. So where do you find a photographer?They advertise in The Stage, Yellow Pages, Thomson Local, Drama and Theatre school notice boards, word of mouth, on the internet, and so on….perhaps a personal recommendation is best - then you can ask a friend how professional they were, how good the re-print service was etc. Also try The Spotlight Directory's Contacts book: you can phone them on 0207 437 7631 and/or pop into their offices at 7 Leicester Place, next to the Prince Charles cinema just off Leicester Sq. They keep files of photographers spotlight shots - you could also browse through the spotlight copies they have on the counter and see which photographer you like the work of. For cheaper options there are usually cards up at Spotlight and also at The Actors Centre (1a Tower St. Covent Garden) on the notice board. So you make an appointment…..Most photographers work seven days a week, so you can make an appointment practically anytime of day or night…. If you haven't met the photographer before and you're a little nervous, take someone along with you. If they're a professional photographer they won't mind, and most photographers who do headshots would welcome it, as the person you bring will probably help you to relax. Maybe they can hold a reflector, check your hair's in place etc. You usually have to pay the photographer at the end of the shoot. Make sure you are aware beforehand whether they prefer to be paid in cash, cheque or credit card etc. If the photographer has said that they don't have a studio, and will take your picture outside, make sure the photographer has a contingency plan in the event of bad weather. Also ask the photographer what equipment they'll be using: do they have studio lighting, backgrounds etc. Are they shooting on 35mm or Medium Format? (The difference is that on 35mm you can get up to 36 pictures per roll and on Medium Format you usually get between 12 and 15 pictures per roll but as the negative size is larger than 35mm, the quality of the 10x8 is far better. Hair & Makeup?The glamour look was very 80's and these days casting directors prefer a headshot 10x8 to actually look like the person who walks through the door at the audition! If a hair & make-over will improve the way you look, then by all means do it - after all, you want to look your best. But most professional actors will do their own, some women will have their have their hair done before going to the studio and do their own make up when they arrive. Do not go for a soft focus look, unless you're an elderly lady with lots of wrinkles! The raw look is in at the moment! If you want to pay extra for a hair & make up artist tell the photographer: they'll usually have a few in their vicinity that they can hire for you. What to bring to the shoot…Different photographers work in different ways but I always ask people to bring an assortment of different tops, including a plain black t-shirt with a normal crew neck line, if you have a plunging neckline this will be cut off in a 10x8 format and may look odd. Perhaps go for a black, white, grey and red top with different shaped neck lines. Definitely no logos as these look particularly naff and can become dated very quickly. Also, take along any pictures that you've had done before, this will give the photographer an idea about how well you photograph, best sides, what to look out for etc. Also, if you've seen a picture in a magazine, Spotlight, a friends headshot etc, take that along and ask the photographer to try and copy the pose, lighting etc. Most be will up to the challenge! So, what next?The photographer will then send you a contact sheet with all the pictures on (the pictures will be very small). From this you can choose your favourite picture or pictures and order some black & white 10x8" pictures. I would always order a one off 10x8 first before you order any repros (i.e. between 12 and 200 off one negative). Just in case when the picture is enlarged you can suddenly see a spot, or a blemish, or a hair etc that might ruin it. You can tell the photographer how you'd like the picture cropped….you might want it very tight around your head or leave some space…it's the picture that you will use to sell yourself so invest a little thought in it. Think about whether you want a white border around the picture, some people even have their names printed on the botton white strip below their pictures. You can do this but it is considered a bit naff! It's better (and cheaper) to have some stickers printed and put one on the back of each print you send out. This should have your name, address and telephone number or your agent's details if you have an agent. Just a word about copyright: as I've mentioned above, the photographer always has the legal copyright to the picture, so if you have a 10x8 print and you take it to a professional lab to get some copies made you could be infringing the very strict copyright laws. If you're caught (labs will often phone the photographer to double check), you could be in big trouble and the lab could also be heavily fined. If your intention is to use the image on the internet or on a showreel cover, you should get the photographer's written permission beforehand, as this may constitute publishing the picture. Most photographers would gladly give their permission for this kind of useage. Buy yourself a 10x8" portfolio case. This is very handy to keep your 'headshots' in. Also if a photographer takes publicity or production pictures in any theatre, TV or film project that you're involved with ask him/her for a 10x8 for your portfolio. There may be a small cost involved but it'll be worth it. I hope this helps you to find a good photographer and separate the wheat from the chaff. Let's hope that you end up with some good quality 10x8's that are going to get you some work. Elliott Franks Tel: 020 8544 0156 e-mail: frankse@aol.com
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