A request for actors

[David W. Richardson]

I like actors. One of the most fun parts of pre-pro for me is casting. I love getting headshots and resumes, and holding auditions.

These days, most of the headshots and resumes I get come via email. And that's where I have one small request for actors.

Please please PLEASE make SURE the headshot you attach to your email is sized small enough that it can be seen in its entirety on a single screen. I can't tell you how many headshots I've received that, when opened, were so HUGE that I found myself looking at part of an eyebrow. Not only does it make for a large email size, but it makes it very difficult and annoying to try and view the headshot.

So PLEASE be aware of the screen size of your headshots. If you don't know how to adjust their size, find someone who does. Those of us who are producers and directors will be forever grateful.

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[GageFX]

Very interesting. I prefer larger photos so I can print them out.

 

[David W. Richardson]

I don't have any problem printing out a screen-sized photo. But when I get a photo where the entire screen is filled with the actor's nose or eyeball, that's just TOO big.

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[seunosewa]

You should try using a different email client. gmail sizes all images properly.

 

[Cryogenic Filmworks]

I just save them to a folder on my computer. Then when I browse the folder and click on a photo, it opens in windows picture and fax viewer. This then shows the full picture on screen and I still have the full resolution photo for printing.

 

[GageFX]

:smiley_up:smiley_up

+1

Except I use ACDSee to browse.

 

[alankley]

In general, I try to teach my family and friends to be aware of photo size and when emailing, to downsize them to make it more convenient for viewing and storing. But in your business David, there are many variables that may not make this good advice. Does the receiver ever plan to print the photo? Then you really want a hi-res photo. What resolution is the monitor where it will be viewed? They can vary quite a bit (1024x768, 1600x1200). Do you have a dual-monitor setup? Is your monitor landscape or portrait (I have 2 monitors one is portrait the other is landscape). Again, the sender does not know.

As was suggested, it may be best to receive hi-res photos and store them locally on your hard drive. This gives you, the viewer, the flexibility to view them in the size you choose (you simply have to be familiar with the tools installed on your computer or the features of your OS). With software or OS integration commands, you can always resize them down if you wish. If you don't want to spend the time manipulating photos you receive, or figuring out what tool to use to automatically resize the photos for viewing, in your instructions on submitting, specify the size you want for the head shots.

 

[Prodigi Pictures]

a

 

[David W. Richardson]

Generally, I don't print headshots and resumes of every person who submits. I store them on the PC and refer to them as needed.

I do file a hard copy of the headshots and resumes of people I cast, but usually request these from the actors themselves, and they bring them to the shoot.

I don't have printer ink, paper or file cabinet space to store hard copies of every headshot/resume I receive. That's why I do it this way.

 

[Tom Marshall]

Generally, I don't print headshots and resumes of every person who submits. I store them on the PC and refer to them as needed.

I do file a hard copy of the headshots and resumes of people I cast, but usually request these from the actors themselves, and they bring them to the shoot.

I don't have printer ink, paper or file cabinet space to store hard copies of every headshot/resume I receive. That's why I do it this way.

Not to mention the extra expense of ink cartridges (or color toner) and good paper to print the headshots on. It's also much much easier to flip through a digital "photo book" than flip through a stack of headshots.

If you really want to get fancy, you can set up some sort of database (using Access or whatever) and categorize all the headshots you have according to hair color, eye color, special skills, or whatever.

 

[David W. Richardson]

Not to mention the extra expense of ink cartridges (or color toner) and good paper to print the headshots on. It's also much much easier to flip through a digital "photo book" than flip through a stack of headshots.

If you really want to get fancy, you can set up some sort of database (using Access or whatever) and categorize all the headshots you have according to hair color, eye color, special skills, or whatever.

Exactly! Hard copy headshots and resumes are SO 20th century!

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[Zak Forsman]

i prefer a hi-res scan so i can print it out. because i like to tape top contenders to the walls of my office (aka "the crazy room") so i can see their faces next to other actors faces who are up for complimentary roles. helps me visualize them together in certain scenes.

that being said, and this is admittedly a generalization, but i find that the sort of actor who mails you a headshot and resume after reading a casting call in a printed publication (like backstage west) is much more serious about their profession -- which correlates to punctuality, level of training, commitment, etc -- than their online counterparts who just need to click a button or two to submit the digital equivalent of a h/r to your casting director.

 

[GageFX]

...because i like to tape top contenders to the walls of my office (aka "the crazy room") so i can see their faces next to other actors faces who are up for complimentary roles. helps me visualize them together in certain scenes.

This is exactly what I do.

I also very much agree with your second paragraph.

 

[David W. Richardson]

Everyone has their own process. As long as it works for you, that's all that matters.

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[David W. Richardson]

Not to mention the extra expense of ink cartridges (or color toner) and good paper to print the headshots on. It's also much much easier to flip through a digital "photo book" than flip through a stack of headshots.

If you really want to get fancy, you can set up some sort of database (using Access or whatever) and categorize all the headshots you have according to hair color, eye color, special skills, or whatever.

Hmmm.....maybe I'll design an Access database for producers and casting directors. One that is searchable by various criteria, and will display a split screen with the actor's headshot on one side and his resume on the other. That might be a handy little piece of software to have, eh?

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[Zak Forsman]

Everyone has their own process. As long as it works for you, that's all that matters.

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well, no that's not all that matters. there is the issue of "results". uwe boll has a process that works for him and his results speak for themselves.

 

[David W. Richardson]

well, no that's not all that matters. there is the issue of "results". uwe boll has a process that works for him and his results speak for themselves.

I consider 'results' to be part of the equation that determines whether or not a process 'works'.

 

[Simon Höfer]

Well, I take for granted that people are able to watch a picture that is larger than your screen.

Every normal picture viewer can scale it down to fit your screen. Where is the problem? I use Irfanview, which is free. http://www.irfanview.com/