The Land of Misfit H/R

      Where do headshots go to die? I imagine them in a great underground network of chutes and ladders, ending up in some great filing cabinet in the sky. I just mailed off 50 headshot/resumes to do a unified group audition. I've got a good feeling that many of them will end up whirling and twirling their way into trashcan wonderland.

   50 H/R in exchange for a lighting fast audition in front of a captive audience of casting directors is not a bad price to pay! I give the system an A+ for efficiency (how else can you get your headshot and resume to 50 people in 90 seconds) and an A+ for the quickest way to make an actor feel like a piece of meat.

   This is how it usually goes: "Hello my name is ...." ::crickets:: I look out to some smiles from familiar faces, some auditors staring blankly, some looking at my resume, some just dazing off. " [Monogloue] [Song]. Thank you, have a nice day!" Maybe I'll get some chuckles on the monologue or someone will wake up sharply if I hit a high note (I love it when that happens). Click, click go the heels and I'm out the door.

   Today I used my last headshot. After I reordered 200 more, it got me thinking; how much is the price of opportunity? A complete headshot and resume costs me $0.88, factoring in headshot, resume paper, staples, and ink. There are countless other factors such as postage, gas, clothing, makeup, coachings, and the cost of my college education that goes into the physical price of one audition. What is the intangible price? The promise of a job and artistic fulfillment.

--Brittany Baratz

Comments

[Justine]

Now that so much casting is done electronically, I'm not using as many printed H/Rs, which is good. I always bring them with me but I find often at auditions if the initial casting notice was online, they have already printed out my H/R, which is great.

But I remember last year going to an audition that I could just tell right away did not go well. I had such an urge to ask them, "Can I have my headshot back?" LOL. I didn't, but I kind of wanted to....I just knew that I wouldn't get cast.

[Brittany Baratz]

Electronic is the way to go - I hate killing all those trees, and that way the casting people can delete your file guilt free! LOL.