New Pics, who dis?

When working as a SA or Extra, it’s important to keep the pictures on your profile up to date.

This could be because your look has changed, you’ve had a haircut, you’ve shaved off your beard etc.

But it’s important to change the pictures every few months regardless. Agents and casting directors alike prefer newer pics to old ones. They don’t have to be fantastic or professional photographer style. You can easily just do them with your smartphone. Artists with recent photos have an increased chance of receiving availability enquiries and, in turn, an increased chance of being booked!

But, there are some guidelines to remember:
NO mirror selfies – get a friend/family member to do them for you, or get a phone tripod and use a timer.
NO night out pics – you may look super cute in the club with that porn-star martini and your make up on point, but casting directors looking for some form of professionalism.
NO photoshop – yeah, people can tell. They need to be as natural as possible so the Hair & Make Up dept knows what they are dealing with when you arrive on set.

There are two main pictures that ever SA needs, and that’s:
MAIN PHOTO: Full body/three quarter length shot of you in a neutral pose, in neutral clothing, against a neutral block colour background. Do not wear hats/sunglasses/obstructive accessories or include props.
FACE PHOTO: Forward facing photo from the shoulders up with a neutral expression and minimal makeup, against a neutral background. Do not wear hats/sunglasses/obstructive accessories.

Anything on top of that, like you in business wear, or evening wear is a bonus.

This is what have done recently. All I did was set my camera in the living room pointing at a white wall with some lights on and boom. To see an example click here.

Below is a pdf from Entertainment Partners which gives a simple example of what pictures work best.

To get started in being a film and TV extra, Entertainment Partners are one of the better ways to do so. Simply click here fill in the details on the form and you’re away!

FYI I am not sponsored by EP at all , I do not work for them. But signing up with them does put you in contact with multiple agencies and would help set you up. Communication could be better, but I’ll get into the in a separate post. Maybe even do a video about it.

But what do you guys think? How often do any other SA’s out there update their profile pics? Have you noticed an increase in AV’s as a result? Let me know in the comments below.