However, compiling a good acting portfolio, competently organizing his photography and choosing a good photographer for this is, at times, a whole dilemma. Let's go through the process of compiling an acting portfolio step by step.
Defined with the term "acting portfolio"
Let's first understand what is an actor’s portfolio. Initially, the word portfolio means a list of work performed by an organization or specialist. For example, the portfolio of a construction company is the number of objects built by it, and the portfolio of an interior designer is the number of successfully designed rooms.
Based on the above, an actor’s portfolio is a list of his work, that is, an actor’s portfolio is the number of roles played by an actor in theater productions, films and TV shows.
Beginner Actor Portfolio
However, what does the concept mean? director or casting director, asking to send a novice actor who does not currently have roles played or the number of episodes played is quite small.
The answer is simple. The aspiring actor’s portfolio should include two main elements: a questionnaire describing the actor’s abilities: vocal, choreographic ... In a word, all those abilities that make an actor out of a person.
An important point of this questionnaire is the lines with education and the presence of stage experience. Here, as much as possible it is necessary to describe all your experience, your data and the university, in which the actor had the honor to receive a theater education.
The second important point of the acting portfolio is a set of photos that reveal the type of the actor and his ability to enter the image. Depending on the agency or the director, the number of photos attached to the acting portfolio application varies from 20 to 35 images.
As a rule, 20 photos are enough to understand the type of actor. 35 shots are necessary if the director needs to see his ability to enter the image even before calling the actor for listening. You will not guess which of the directors will require this, and who will not, and therefore you should not neglect the presence of these images in your acting portfolio.
How long does it take to shoot an acting portfolio?
It should be borne in mind that a person who finds himself in an unfamiliar environment, despite his sociability and acting skills, needs a certain amount of time to get used to what is called. Especially if you have to get used to under the camera lens. Especially when it comes to opening up as much as possible, and then entering the image.
Let's remember that even in the theater, before the theater goes on stage, a considerable number of rehearsals take place, which helps the actors to open up and enter the image, and before taking the movie episode, a few takes are done. And this is the time. The acting portfolio is filmed in approximately the same way. It can even be considered a rehearsal for a future role.
According to statistics, a person opens up after about the first forty minutes of shooting, and, as they say, “anneal”, begins around the beginning of the second hour. Therefore, the optimal amount of time that needs to be spent on photographing the acting portfolio is 2–4 hours.
Be sure to enter the image when photographing the first acting portfolio?
As a rule, a novice actor does not yet have sufficient experience in entering the image and, importantly, still does not really know how he looks from the side when entering the image.
Therefore, when photographing your first acting portfolio, you should not spend too much time on photographing entering the image. It is better to concentrate on revealing the type in photos. And at the first photographing, we limit ourselves to one or two images, and then, having come home and having analyzed the photographs, we can translate what you can refine into the next photographing.
Actor Type
An actor’s type is the main element by which an actor is selected for a particular role. Therefore, it must be disclosed as well as possible.
When revealing the type in the photos, you should not play. It is very important to be and remain yourself. It is necessary to show your natural emotions, your manner of behavior and movements. Also, what the director is looking at is the proportion of the body and the features of the face and gaze. Try to show it as detailed as possible.
Should I ask the photographer to put you in?
This is obviously a losing option for the actor. Remember that when you come to an audition or get a role, you will not have a person who will put and guide you. Have to play yourself. And when photographing an acting portfolio, you need to behave the same way - play and move yourself. The only thing you can agree with the photographer when photographing your acting portfolio is to tell you how and in what light you look most advantageous. In this case - the better you set up a tandem with a photographer, the greater chance you get to get good photos.
What to bring with you to a photo studio.
A well-known fact is that clothing can change a person quite strongly. Therefore, do not be lazy to bring several clothing options to the photo studio: a business suit, a sports suit , an evening outfit ...
Clothes should not be bright, so as not to distract attention to themselves, without bright spots. It will be better if the actor refuses jewelry and jewelry when photographing the acting portfolio.
Portfolio Requirements
Actors should have a minimum of makeup, a minimum of retouching. Do not embellish photos - they should be true and show you. Be sure to attend full-length photographs, close-up portraits, shoulder portraits, half-height photographs.
Pictures should be taken on a plain background (white, black or gray). The light should be even, without bright light spots.
When choosing a photographer for photographing an actor’s portfolio, make sure that he specializes in studio photography of actors. This will give you a chance to get the best acting portfolio from a photographer who knows all the subtleties of his photography.
Have a successful acting career. Sincerely, Leonid Starikov.