Audition Tips, Part II: Headshots and Resumes

A resume? You think. Isn't that just a boring piece of paper you bring to a job interview?

The short answer: yes. Yes, it is a piece of paper and yes, you bring it to job interviews. Is it boring? That depends on you, I guess.

So why do I need it for auditions?

GLAD YOU ASKED.

If you think about it, an audition IS a job interview. You dress up and present yourself in the best light possible to a panel of people you may have never met before, and compete with tons of other similarly-qualified individuals who are trying to land the same opportunity you are. Even if the gig you are auditioning for will not pay you money, you will receive - if all goes well - experience and networking connections in return.

The purpose of your resume is to give directors of an idea of who you are as a performer. Along with your head shot, it is the most important thing you will bring with you to your audition. Most panelists will not spend more than a moment or two looking over your resume, so it should be look concise, neat, and be clearly formatted so that one can glean the most pertinent information at a glance.

As with everything in the performing arts, there are many opinions on how to format a resume, but most people agree on the following important things:

1. Your resume should be NO LONGER THAN ONE PAGE. The more pages your resume is, the longer it takes to read, and the more time the panel will spend looking at the papers in front of them than listening to you perform. Also bear in mind that your resume needs to be stapled to the back of your head shot (more on this later), and it will be impossible to do this if your resume is longer than a page.

2. Your name should be in bold in the top center of your resume. Underneath that, list your contact information. However, be very careful with the information you provide! Do not list a physical address; instead, provide a specially designated phone number and email address that you will use for auditions. If you are a minor, this may be your parents' phone or email, or you may choose to create an email account that you use specifically for auditions. Remember, safety first!

3. Underneath your contact information comes the first category of the resume: your performing experience. This is where you will list any theater and/or dance credits that you have. You should list roles, directors, and theaters/companies for each credit (dates are not necessary). It is fine to list school shows as long as you stick to the important ones. If your list is short, don't worry - directors understand that young people have to start somewhere! If you have more credits than can fit on a one-page resume, list only the most professional and/or most recent credits you have.

4. The next section details your training. This is where you list any voice teachers, acting coaches, dance instructors, etc. that you have worked with. Provide their names and, if applicable, how long you studied with them. Theater camps and training workshops should be listed in this section. If you have a long list, stick with the most recent training, and/or the longest course of study you have done.

5. Lastly, list your special skills. This can be an instrument you play, an additional language you are fluent in, or other disciplines you have studied that may be relevant to a casting director (gymnastics, for example).

There are many ways to format your resume. Here are a few examples:

Now, onto head shots!

Your head shot is the way that the panel will remember what you look like once you leave the room. Therefore, your head shot be a good quality (read: not-from-your-iPhone) picture that looks like you. When you take your head shot, style your hair and do your make up the same way you would for an audition.

Your head shot can be a professional photo, but it doesn't have to be. A friend or family member with a good quality camera and some photo-editing software can get the job done just fine. Remember: professional photography is expensive, and if you are a child or teen, your head shot will need to be updated every couple of years as you grow and change.

When you go to your audition, your resume and your headshot should be back-to-back. You can either have your resume printed on the back of your head shot, or you can print out your resume on regular paper and staple it in all four corners to the back of your headshot. If you choose the latter option, the smooth side of the staple should be on the resume side, and the bumpy part on the head shot side. You must staple all four corners in the same way. Once it is stapled, trim the edges of the resume neatly with scissors so that it is the exact same size as your 8x10 head shot.

Here are a couple head shot examples:

Yours truly - i.e., Ellen Allen, Rising Stars Music Director! (Photo credit: Susan Wilson)

The lovely Kim Lamoureux, Rising Stars Artistic Director!

To sum up, having a neatly-formatted, concise resume and a headshot that looks like you are critically important! Remember, the resume is so directors can learn about you as a performer, and your head shot is the way the panel will remember what you look like after you leave the audition room.

Any questions? Let us know in the comments!

#Auditions #Theater #resumes #headshots