Color Headshots

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 7:31pm

now that color has taken over as the "norm" has anyone ever seen "glossy" color headshots? Seems like every shot looks so similar now, semi-matte vibrant color, white border, with the only choice in variety being the turned-sideways print.

[ILoveMyDictionary]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 7:40pm

Yes...I've seen a glossy color headshot.

If you're worried about having the wrong finish on your headshot than you're filling your brain with useless junk. A casting director isn't going to look at your headshot and think "Oh GOD! This person's headshot is glossy and not matte! The horror! Get it out of my sight!"

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 7/11/08 at 7:50pm

it's just that the only glossies I've seen were elderly people, using a shot that was clearly taken and printed 30 yrs ago, or the early 80s, and of course b/w. And I always felt sad for them. The same people that have a really tattered 16 bar cut of sheet music that is really faded.

or a fresh-from-the-sticks kid who has shots taken by their brother and printed in their own home dark room (you really don't see that much anymore, most newcomers these days appear to have done their homework)

that's what I associate glossies with, but of course they weren't color.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 7/12/08 at 11:08am

I believe that Equity made a new rule requiring its members to use color headshots, so all the actors I know are making the transition. Every time I see a show, more and more of the headshots on the wall are in color.

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 7/12/08 at 11:26am

it's definately not a rule. Equity doesn't make rulings about headshots. You could actually show up with out one, but you would look like a dweeb.

Everyone is using color because it no longer is more expensive than b/w, and back in the day, you had to submit b/w to reproduce in the Playbill cuz if was more difficult for the printers to convert a color shot into a nice tiny b/w. But now everything is digital so it's all samey samey and the printers can pretty much do anything off a disc now.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/12/08 at 11:31am

it's just that the only glossies I've seen were elderly people, using a shot that was clearly taken and printed 30 yrs ago, or the early 80s, and of course b/w. And I always felt sad for them. The same people that have a really tattered 16 bar cut of sheet music that is really faded.

What kind of auditions ARE you going to? Yikes!

[Chevstriss]

Posted: 7/12/08 at 12:19pm

if you've spent much time at the equity lounge, you've seen those people. I can recall saying to my friends "if I ever become that desparate, please stop me from auditioning".

and now I'm afraid I AM becoming one of those people.

[Weez]

Posted: 7/12/08 at 12:21pm

Well, you can put a colour picture into black and white, but it's not the same as a picture that was in black and white to begin with. They're surprisingly different photographic media.