How often should I have new pictures taken? My look hasn’t changed. But I’m thinking it’s time to do a mailing because I haven’t done one in over a year. How often do actors do mailings to casting offices?
Okay, you have a few questions going on in there. Let’s start with how often actors have new photos taken. Certainly some actors change hairstyles, weight, and general “look” often enough that frequent photo sessions are a requirement. Others tend to stay pretty similar looking throughout their adult lives and, with the exception of the fact that aging does happen, could keep the same headshots for several years. The general rule is three years MAX for using the same headshots. And with prices coming down on digital color headshots, many actors have started getting new headshots every year!
If your current headshots get you into offices (and appropriately seen, meaning the roles you are called in for accurately represent your type), they’re working for you. You may not need to get new photos just now, unless you’re finding that people comment that you don’t look like your headshot, you consistently get called in for roles that aren’t really your type, or you’re not getting called in from your photos at all.
So, let’s talk about when it’s time to do a mailing. Many actors — represented or not — do regular direct-to-CD mailings or drop-offs, just to stay on the radar. They may choose to mail postcards with updates (“Hey, watch me on Law & Order this week,” or “Call 555-PLAY for comps to my new show in North Hollywood,” or “New agent! Please ask for me…” and even, “Just checking in! Happy hiatus!”) or choose to mail headshots and resumés, asking to remain in the CD’s files. How effective non-role-specific submissions like this are varies based on your type, your timing, the CD to whom you’re mailing, and plain-ol’ luck.
Really, mailings to CDs are more about staying in front of people than getting immediate meetings. So many people leave town and leave the business that CDs often like the reminder that people whose work they enjoy are still available to them. If you’re looking to keep people informed of your availability, your credits, and your look, regular mailings are a good idea. If it’s been more than a year since you’ve done a targeted mailing (targeted meaning NOT just some blanket, mass mailing to every CD in the directory) to CDs who cast projects you may be right for, it’s definitely time to consider doing that again… no matter which photos you use!
Good luck! Let us know how it goes for you.
Bonnie Gillespie is living her dreams by helping others figure out how to live theirs. Wanna work with Bon? Start here. Thanks!
Originally published by Actors Access at http://more.showfax.com/columns/avoice/archives/000035.html. Please support the many wonderful resources provided by the Breakdown Services family. This posting is the author’s personal archive.