Casting Director Bonnie Gillespie has a great post on her blog right now about why “Type” and “Branding” are actually GOOD things for actors.
When I have a meeting with an actor about headshots, we always talk about type. When shooting a headshot session, you’re going to be shooting a specific number of “looks” (clothing changes), and those looks should all be unique “Types”.
“Type” is a short-hand code word for “Stereotype”. You know–Young Mom, High School Jock, Techno-Geek, etc.
Actors get very touchy when the word “Type” comes up–mostly because they believe they are being asked to voluntarily limit themselves: “So tell me, Actor, what one role do you think you can play?”
Bonnie points out that the whole “Type” question is actually a Time Management tool for Casting Directors. And Time is something every Casting Director wants to save. As actors who have yet to dominate public conscience, we all have to think about working in tandem with Casting… and part of that is working with them the way they work. And that means giving them headshots and brands they can quickly recognize and cast.
So help them out!
Know your “Types” (yes, you can be more than one), “Brand” yourself, and instead of fighting the system, conquer it!
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