Headshots

I dread the realisation of needing new headshots.

I dread the photo shoot.

I dread the photo selection.

I dread one of the most important processes that is absolutely detrimental to my acting and presenting career.

In my most recent shoot for a new headshot I spent a lot of time considering the type of headshot that I needed and exactly what I wanted that photograph to say about me. It's really difficult to get a photograph to talk, I should know this very well as headshot photo shoots are something that I have been doing for the last twelve years or so.

I am looking for three things in my headshot; versatility, eyes and spark (personality). These are three things that I absolutely possess and when meeting me in the flesh there's no doubting that I am all three, it's just unfortunate that in this industry the headshot does the talking before the flesh and blood thus my quest to bring my headshot to life.

My advice to bringing a headshot to life is much like the "move it" song from Madagascar "I like to move it move it". You just have to let it go, keep active and let that personality shine through!

As I progress through my career I find that I learn something new everyday, I feel like I take another little step which leads me to growth and strength in my craft. Everyday brings a tiny bit of clarity and understanding towards what I do and the industry that I have chosen to be part of.

The strength that focus brings is amazing.

Stay tuned for the headshot selection - I will update via blog posts very soon!

A Date with Mullinars

Last week I was contacted by Mullinars Casting Consultancy for a general audition just after I had resorted to begging the universe for a brand new, shiny, opportunity. This opportunity was very welcomed as the last time I had auditioned for Mullinars was about four years ago!

I began to follow my usual twelve step process in analysing and creating my scene, which was from Bridget Jone's Diary, that led me to experimenting with subtext (something I absolutely love) and rehearsal time.

This is a little off topic but - through my recent auditions with Channel 7, of which I got so incredibly close but just fell short, I learnt that I have a tendency to over rehearse and doing so effects me in a negative way. During 7's audition stages I opted to stop rehearsing as soon as I got my performance to a desired level, this enabled me to know what it felt like when I was doing it right. I did the same thing this time and again it proved to be a beneficial technique in keeping my performance very realistic and natural (changing your subtext around helps too).

Back to it, I got to Mullinars and let them know that I had arrived before I took a seat in the waiting room. Seeing as though I was the only one in the waiting room I decided that I'd burn some nervous energy and stretch, jiggle, wriggle, etc. Then I decided to run lines. Then I decided to do my entire performance. Then I decided to read a magazine. Then I decided to tell myself all about my character, in character of course. Then I decided to have a conversation with the imaginary person next to me in my character. Then I wondered if they had surveillance cameras in the waiting room and stopped. Then I sat in silence and wondered if I had been forgotten about.

Close to an hour later two of the casting directors waltzed through on their way to lunch and stopped in surprise when they spotted me. After a little conversation we realised I had been requested to audition in Sydney not Melbourne! This was news to me. A quick phone call to Sydney cleared everything up and into the audition room I went with Kim.

We chatted for a little while and then I took a moment to get into character and focus on my scene objective and moment before. Lights, camera, action.

Funny how things happen, I've been trying to get someone from Mullinars to see me for such a long time now and in a weird, twisted little way I finally got what I wanted, I just had to take the long way round.

Was it a good performance. Probably. Did they think so? Maybe. I just hope that they consider calling me for auditions from here on - I miss out on auditions and potential roles that they cast and they miss out on being the casting agency to claim discovery of moi.

And that's how the world goes round.