HOW TO MAKE AN AWESOME RESUME AND HEADSHOT FOR COLLEGE AND LOCAL AUDITIONS!!!!!!!!

The objective of this lesson is to help prepare you for local and college auditions. As you grow, your resume will have different requirements. Your agent and college professors will help you develop a resume that will be slightly different from the one you are preparing today.

WHAT DOES MY RESUME NEED TO DO?

• Needs to show off your talents• There is no need to pad your resume or overstate

your experience.• A small credible resume is much more effective

than a large padded one.• Remember . . . the theatre community is a small

community. Honesty is the best policy.

RESUME BASICS• Your resume should never be more than one page long.• Never bigger than 8x10• Do not use a font that is difficult to read, or smaller than 10

point.• For college and outside auditions, create a professional

email. Remember . . . no Fuzzybear@aol.com or ILoveBonJovi@Gullo.com

• New concept- thanks to the digital age, many are putting their picture in the corner of their resumes. I recommend that for college purposes.

• Your resume is a living breathing document. It will change as you add to your credits.

PRINTING YOUR HEADSHOT & RESUME• Print or staple your resume to the back of your headshot.

I've been told that casting agents prefer you staple the resume using four staples, one in each corner.

• If you are stapling, trim your resume to fit the headshot. You do not it want to look sloppy.

• Print on good paper, 24 lb. weight or heavier. Stay away from florescent or brightly colored papers.• You can also print the resume directly onto the back of

your headshot, but make sure the printer ink will not flake or wear off the paper.

• For your college audition, consider having it professional printed. I am good friends with the late night people at Kinkos and Fed Ex printing.

THE RIGHT RESUME FOR THE RIGHT JOB

• It's pretty easy to create and print resumes, so if you have a lot of experience, why not make different ones.

• Create ones that are aimed toward the auditions. For example, if you are auditioning for a Shakespearean Company, your resume should have your classical roles highlighted.

• For musical theatre, your resume should highlight your musical theatre experience.

• If you are a thespian who does more than act or tech, you will have separate resumes for those jobs. I have a resume for acting, directing, theatre and business. It is always changing depending on the job that I am applying.

THE NUTS & BOLTS OF YOUR RESUME: Your Name & Credits• Your Name should be at the top in bold• Below your name, list the following: phone #

email address website (if you have one)• Below the above information, include the following: weight

heighthair coloreye colorvocal range

The next slide is an example of the above:

Mandy Nicole Foster • 817-223-4211 / mandy_nfoster@yahoo.com

Height: 5’6” Dress size: 3 Age: 18 yrs Voice Part: Mezzo Soprano/Belt Eyes: Blue Hair: Blonde

(Thanks Mandy for letting me use your resume and headshot as an example!!)

• Note about age: Many suggests that you leave your age off your resume. For college purposes, I recommend you have it on there)

• For College Auditions, consider having a section that has your SAT/ACT scores, GPA, class rank/percentage, graduation plan, and all you other amazing academic successes.

THE NUTS & BOLTS OF YOUR RESUME: How to arrange your work• How you arrange your resume, depends on your experience and

what shows you off the best. • Most will create categories such as the following: Theatre, Stage, & Film High School & Regional Theatre • For some, it will be better to list all of your theatre experience

together. • For example, if you are one that performs a lot at Artisan Theatre,

then you will most likely separate your high school & Artisan experience.

• If you are preparing a resume for college auditions, do not put your middle school experience on your resume.

• Your resume experience will change a lot. As you go through your high school years, you will begin to drop your earlier work off your resume. Workshops with big names, I would keep on there. You will find the same to be true in college.

THE NUTS & BOLTS OF YOUR RESUME: How to list your experience!• Arrange your experience into three columns

Title of play Role Director/Place

BroadwayShe’s Mine Teddy (lead) Arnold Legan dir.

Kelly and the Guy Guy (lead) Olivia Hammond dir.

Crazy chorus Connor Frank dir.

Tours

Kelly and the Guy Guy National Tour

Sink or Swim chorus National Tour

RegionalLady Love Gene Playhouse Theatre, Chicago

Georgie Girl Stan Old Town Center, Orlando

Crippens Loll Alabama Playwrights’ Festival

Film

Killing Thomas Thomas Rachel Hazick, dir (New Age Productions)

Generating X Steve Howard Asche, dir (Fox Tone)

TelevisionTeen Witch Jeff (guest appearance) Jim Gordon, NBC

Graphic Battles guest appearance Spike TV

Commercials

Roach Killer Regional

THE NUTS & BOLTS OF YOUR RESUME: Other Categories-Special Skills• What special skills do you have? Here is where

you list dialects, instruments you play, multiple languages you speak, sign language, juggling, basket weaving, etc . . .

• Do not overstate your skills. If you have only rode a horse once, do not say you are an accomplished equestrian rider.

THE NUTS & BOLTS OF YOUR RESUME: Other Categories-Education & Training

• This is where you list workshops you have led and worked

• Classes you have attended such as Theatre 1, Stage Combat & vocal work

• With college, be very selective. You want to keep the workshops with big names on your resume.

• For college auditions- ( I know this was on the other slide) list your GPA, SAT/ACT, graduation plan, class rank and any other academic accolades

HEADSHOTS• With the digital age, things are changing. The

industry is using color & black and white. • The new movement is toward color- it is your

choice• Headshots should be 8x10• Your name should be imprinted on your photo

(think text box). • It is your choice to have a border or no border.

HEADSHOTS• Your photo should represent

you.• No artsy shots, glamour

shots, or facebook shots. REALITY IS THE KEY

• For High School Auditions, you do not have to invest in professional headshots. Remember that you have to keep your headshot updated with your look. For those of you who change your hair often, this can be expensive.

• For those auditioning for college, invest in the headshots you can afford. Mrs. Oldridge is one of the best I have seen in this area.

Your Photoshoot!• Wear clean and ironed

clothing• Avoid whites• Go with pastels &

colors appropriate for you skin tone

• No turtlenecks or outfits that detract from your neckline

• Keep make-up and hair as natural as possible (remember that it needs to look like you).

• No jewelry• Make sure your smile

is realistic and comfortable

Examples of headshots not to use

How to Crop Your Shot• You want a three-quarter or face shot• You want a photo that is crisp and in good light• You want your first and last name imprinted on your photo• Most headshots are done with a matte finish• To do borders around your photo or not is up to you.• Special note: Styles are different wherever you go. LA is all about color

where as New York still likes black & white. Each region has a style that they like, and you will have to update and adapt to each area and each level.

Your Resume and the Audition

• Always carry a lot of extra copies even if you have given them one in advance

• Review how to put your resume and headshot together if you are not printing them on paper

• For college auditions, have copies of transcripts.• If you do not have a portfolio, get a leather

padfolio to carry around your paperwork. It should also have a tablet and pen to take notes. You should always be ready.