Your resume and website(s) , like your headshot & reel, and are your calling cards. They are tools of the trade. If you were a lumberjack, you wouldn't use a dull, unsharpened axe to chop down a tree, right? Make sure your resume is updated, is truthful and accurate and sharp. If it is clear and we can understand it, then your formatting is good.
Sincerely,
the other side
There will never be another you; your quirkiness, your being, your take on things. Treasure that and be the best you that you can be. That being said, in TV and in film, there are "types" or "looks" (lawyer, doctor, cop, detective, best friend, etc.) that actors can be approximated into and if you fit a "type/look" for a casting for a particular needed role, then your resume may merit a reading.
San Francisco 49ers NFL Hall of fame quarterback Steve Young once said(as it related to his leadership style and presence),"Perception is reality. If you're perceived to be something, you might as well be it, because that is the truth in people's minds."
Primarily, your headshot and reel are the first impression you have on an online presence and contribute to a lot in how you are perceived (provided that casting deems that you are a proper type fit for a particular role) Your resume which is a quick snapshot of your declared skillsets and experience for the production to make a deeper decision. (Recommendations are another thing, but we'll cover that another time)
I recently updated my own resume on several casting sites and hardcopy. When I went on a couple of my online profiles, I was in a "Whoops, come on buddy, you have to stay on top of your junk" moment.
A few sites hadn't been updated in a while. Some of the errors and "subpar practices"( E.G. listing 'lead' instead of 'principal', having a background credit that was just filler, not having the most up to date contact/agent information, updated union status, or the most recent/most potent credits on the top of each section) I saw in going through thousands and thousands of resumes for casting sessions, I had seen in some of my older profiles. Whoops! DOH!
There are tons of tips for formatting actors resumes out there online. Find whatever works for you. Running my casting sessions, I typically see something like this one page resume:
-----
Name: (your name)
Contact information: (Agency, Agent, or self)
Union affiliation: (E.G. SAG, SAG-E, Non union, or Ficore)
FILM
Production title Role or principal/supporting/U5 director/company
TELEVISION
Production title Role or principal/supporting/U5 director/company
NEW MEDIA
Production title Role or principal/supporting/U5 director/company
THEATER
Production title Role or principal/supporting/U5 director/company
TRAINING
Commercial: teacher, school, or course and maybe the year(s)
Theatrical: teacher, school, or course and maybe the year(s)
Television/film: teacher, school, or course and maybe the year(s)
SKILLS:
Whatever you can do
Whatever you can speak
Whatever you know
Commercial conflicts available on request
------
Models and musicians sometimes have other sections for print, runway or performances. The order of sections is usually whatever you are most know for/most extensive credits/most note worth to the least. Whatever works for you, do that.
All that being said, it's really not a good idea to list principal TV and movie imdb credits that do not exist, or inflate your credits from background to principal on your resume. If you think it will impress people, it really doesn't. Yes, we check.
Some directors I know are suspicious of "uncredited" and unverifiable credits. Sometimes, actors put credits for things that haven't been released yet, which I sort of understand (Although, some producers don't want actors to tip their hand that they are in something until it is completed and released) but for shows that already out and over that they weren't a part of? No, I don't think you should list anything dubious and patently untrue.
There is a saying "Fake it till you make it" To me, that statement has to do with skillsets, but I would say, please don't lie about things that are blatantly untrue.
It's really about the context. When I'm pitching a show, I don't feel comfortable recommending someone to a studio or director that an actor was in this production or that acting with this well known actor if what they are saying about themselves is false.
If all someone has done so far is background or stand in work and are building experience, that's fine but it doesn't necessarily let the studio or director/producer know they can act on the day if that someone was never actually there and just trying to project an image.
Yes, of course there are many people who are talented, who have never acted before or little experience that are right for the role that get cast.
It's not that a brand new or old actor can't be marketed or don't have
talent, it's just when they themselves are marketing themselves that they did something and they didn't is the issue. Or declaring that they are an expert or fluent in something and aren't, that can be very dangerous and unsafe... especially if it comes to weapons experience, driving, stunts, or languages. At the end of the day its about the performance.
A good tip is to trim your resume to fit your 8x10 headshot and staple it on the back so we can just flip it over are read it.
As a director or producer or casting director, what do I look for? Honestly, it depends on what project I am casting for, and it varies on the role, but I will usually skim it to see:
-union/non-union actor?
-Acted in TV or film? If yes, anything I recognize or of note?
-Too many Background items listed?
-Any training? If yes, with who and when?
-Any theater or improv training?
-Any relevant skills or languages for the role or of note in this or the future?
Resumes, to me, are one of the last things, AND one of the first things I check. What do I mean by that? On casting sites, after the headshot, I will go to your resume or the reel. At a casting session, I will just glance at the resume to reconfirm skills and if I see something I may ask to demonstrate.
For example, I was casting a role for a German speaker. I noticed on resume, this person mentioned she was fluent in Russian. I asked her to please read the lines and translate them to Russian. On the day (the audition) she couldn't translate..... ok, then she isn't fluent.
Another person couldn't translate into Spanish, another person with Mandarin... both saying they were fluent and weren't... it got old really quickly.
And then there was the weapons training.... but that is a story for another blog post....
Break a leg.
Be well,
Vincent
My name is Vincent Veloso. I am a writer, producer, director, actor and musician and martial artist. I have worn many hats in my career, learned some things, still learning, but in this blog, I will be addressing my experience and insights making films and music... stories from casting to wrap party... the good, the bad, the really bad and the ugly.... and the really ungood.
I never use real names, and many times I address my concerns on the day directly to people in real time. I point out my own missteps just as much if not more because I have been that actor/writer/producer/director who has made the same gaffes just as much if not more. Hopefully as I address the circumstances, others can gain valuable insight, through story and my experiences, it will give people help. It is not meant to be mean spirited, but like all subjective commentary and blogs, and many other existing advice and commentary articles, I understand that audience perception is subjective and do hope you know that I hope to help others.
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