Resume in itself can be a tricky thing to handle but preparing an actor’s resume can be a bit of a nightmare. A resume is something which has some of the most important information about you so it becomes critical that whatever you put in there serves a purpose and doesn’t look clumsy or cluttered.
I remember an instance where our company was looking for actors to shoot a commercial with and there were few resume’s pouring in. Out of these, there was one where the actor’s picture was attractive and kind of perfect for the role we were casting for. So the next day this person comes in and she is absolutely unrecognizable. Not to say she wasn’t pretty but not the way it was portrayed in the picture and so let this be lesson number one; your picture should look like the best version of you and not your glammed up self which can be never be recreated without some intervention of a fairy godmother. It’s important that your personality shines through.
Speaking of presonlity shining through a picture, get your headshot taken by a professional. Now this one is important as now a days anyone with a DSLR claims to be a photographer with a facebook page and ink marked pictures. So remember, just because your friend owns a fancy camera does not mean he knows what he is doing. A professional photographer will really help you put your best foot forward hence the money will be well spent. So don’t be stingy, afterall its about your career in the entertainment industry and also a little bit about shoving it into people’s face who didn’t believe in you.
As we are already on the topic of pictures, avoid putting black and white pictures. Its not 2002 and its not even ironically funny. Why you should avoid the good old black and white pictures is because they don’t give a true sense of what you actually look like and if you’re right for the part. If the casting director chooses you based on that picture but in reality you don’t turn out to be what he/she expected, then that’s a wastage of his as well as your time.
Now this one is a biggie and most important. DO NOT PUT YOUR ADDRESS ON THE RESUME. I repeat. DO NOT PUT YOUR ADDRESS ON THE RESUME. Resumes tend to get around and you don’t want a picture of you looking fabulous along with your address fall into the hands of some creep. Trust me thats how you get stalker on your hands that you can’t shake and con artists who just want to scam you. So lets worry about restraining orders AFTER you’re famous.
Last but not the least please make sure you have all your clothes on in the picture you are sending. We know it should be an obvious one but…..
