Stiff Competition

Background acting and networking on a movie set are not mutually exclusive of one another. Bear in mind that casting is stiff competition. The thought of networking has yet to occur to me because I barely have a big toe let alone foot in Hollywood’s door. That is why it came as a pleasant surprise when an influential person on the set of Kank, gave me the heads up about a movie slated to be filmed locally then asked me for head shots.

“Head shots?” I rattled alone in the psyche of my head. I immediately flashed back to the same pictorial request in a hilarious episode of HBO’s series Entourage.

Let me back up. When I completed my application for my casting company, I included recent pictures that had my head in them. I have come to learn the importance of industry standard size head shots but I am left scratching my head how microcephalics even get interviews. So I found myself in a Freudian Slips predicament where I needed freaking head shots and pronto.

I have heard of two ways to approach a head shot layout. If you have good features or a distinguished look, give them the head accompanied by a smile worthy of a toothpaste commercial. If you aren’t GQ material or a former Homecoming queen, there is a school of thought to have fun with your head shots vying for roles left of center.

In my personal search for head shots, I have determined:

a) Thanks to the thankless job as family photographer there are few pictures of myself on the planet.

b) Among the small collection in earthly existence, there truly aren’t many good pictures of yours truly.

c) Forced to study the imperfections of myself, I am unsure whether I would hire myself even part time to stand in front of my last unbroken mirror.

By the looks of it, choices are hard in life. With that being said, I narrowed my portfolio down to one complimentary picture. I solicited input from my loving wife, who wasted no time declaring that I looked a crouton short of a Caesar salad! Warts and all, I went back to the drawing board. In my selection process, I opted to concentrate on who I am rather than appearances. I decided on capturing comedic value. Perhaps, I took the term “head shots” too literally when I picked this pose but there is no denying that I seem to stand out among the stiffs.

If this acting hobby doesn’t pan out, I may consider trying to catch airtime answering the phones for telethons.

From the set of Invincible, Joe Tornatore, putting the heads in head shots.