Turning Your Acting Dream into a Part Time Job

In today's economy, who doesn't need a little more green in their wallet? Many individuals with full time, respectable jobs are finding ways to earn a little more spending money during their down time. From tutoring, to online gigs, to playing in the theater, to signing up with actor casting agencies, there are masses of people finding enjoyable ways to make some extra money. 
  
In some locations in the US, there are part time actors who have regular day jobs who act in theater, television and movies as extras and small parts who make a good living on the side. 

Many creative, artistic past drama club members find the amateur theater or casting call line ups a great place to enjoy themselves, and make some cash. Weeknight rehearsals and weekend shows make for a great social setting and a win/win situation. Theater minds enjoy each others company while others find networking opportunities in audition lines and casting calls. Rehearsals make for great social fun, while after show drinks on the weekends can allow one to still feel like they have some down time. 

Often times, one feels like their career does not feed their creative side. A side job as an actor can help the most successful professional feel like they still have a fun side to them. Acting can help one escape and enjoy the world of what if; allowing individuals to be someone else and forget about the daily pressures of work and personal life. Acting on the side can be therapeutic for your wallet and your emotional health. 

Many times, one may find that part time actors originally begin acting to earn more money or find a way into full time acting. You will notice that often acting and modeling run parallel seeing actors on commercials and print ads and models in soap operas and TV shows. After time, many actors continue working part time, not as much for the money, but for the added enjoyment of the lifestyle. 

Managing your time at work can be cut down by quick and random Internet searches. Auditions and casting can be found while surfing the web at SF Casting and Variety web sites. These offer acting, extra, stand-in, voice over and theatrical opportunities. 

Most of the acting work will be found in Los Angeles, however, local Bay Area Casting agencies such as Beau Bonneau  and Blackwell Files can offer nine to fivers an easy to manage schedule to attend open auditions and castings. As any casting agent will tell you, it all starts with an Awesome Headshot.

This is part one of a two part blog series. The second part, to be posted soon will focus on part time modeling and how to fit the dream of modeling into your day job.

The Importance of a Professional Portrait

All people form opinions. This is an innate quality of human life. Oftentimes, a first opinion of another person is found on his/her physical appearance. How this other person looks is one of the easiest sources of information and because analyzing is an inescapable characteristic of mankind, this incoming information will inevitably be analyzed.

A photograph of a person conveys what he/she looks like, which provides information for someone else to judge that individual. While physical attributes of the photographed person yield facts that enable the viewer to formulate an opinion, the quality of the photo is paramount.

Unprofessional photographs indicate that the person feels casual about the impression he/she is making. To some viewers, this can imply that he/she is easygoing and relaxed. These are generally attractive traits in a person and thus can intrigue the viewer to make contact with the photographed individual. Unprofessional photographs can also make the viewer feel more comfortable with approaching him/her because this informal presentation suggests that that he/she will not be aloof or strict. An amateur photograph can be appealing to some types of people.

However, some will be more serious and expectant when viewing head shots on a social media marketing site. A poor quality photograph can symbolize sloppiness or lack of sophistication. These characteristics are usually unattractive and unwanted. Dingy surroundings can imply unsafe habits or distasteful interests. Blurry features can indicate self-consciousness, a suspicious desire for secrecy, disregard, or lack of beauty-sense. Other unrefined aspects of the photo can also provide support for the analysis that this individual has some unseemly qualities. These could range from carelessness to dangerousness to crudeness, all of which can repel others from approaching.

For those types of people, a professional quality portrait would allay many of these worries. A planned and refined photograph clearly demonstrates that the individual has spent effort on his/her image and suggests attention to detail. Professional photographs are also usually more pleasant to see, which inherently makes the viewer feel more favorable toward the individual. This positive inclination, combined with other qualities of the photograph and viewable characteristics of the person, can prompt others to make contact with the person in the photograph. Thus, a professional photograph can impel others to approach the individual.

Professional photography will probably be more expensive than amateur photography but is worth the price tag. It will probably be more time-consuming because multiple photos will have to be taken and deciding which photograph to use will also be necessary. Additionally, editing the photograph will require more time. The photo's lightning, contrast, borders, and other aspects might have to be adjusted before the finished product is produced. Furthermore, all this effort may be wasted if the viewer is not pleased with the result. Others can still feel unimpressed despite these efforts.

The effects of different quality photographs cannot be decisively predicted because the response of the viewers depends on multiple factors. Who the viewer is and how he/she is feeling are enormously important but so is his/her environment and how he/she encounters this photograph.

Both professional and amateur photographs have their benefits and setbacks, so each person should decide on his/her head-shot's quality independently. Deciding either way cannot guarantee any particular result, but knowing the possibilities makes choosing more justified than if the individual had been ignorant.

To find a reputable professional Photographer in your area, check out the ASMP Find a Photographer website. Photographers on this site have all been published in major magazines and are sponsored to join the site by other professional Photographers.  

Internet Modeling

The internet modeling industry has exploded over the past decade. Rather than having to go to a major city with a portfolio in hand, an aspiring model can submit a portfolio over the internet to any one of a number of sites that are part of the modeling industry.

Fashion Model for Women's Business

Many websites in the internet modeling industry offer a number of resources, from articles to platforms and opportunities for models and photographers seeking to earn some money in this field. One must be a bit cautious, though, as there are often more scams in this industry than legitimate offers.

In addition to scams, another thing to be wary about is the purpose of some of the websites. Often, because of fewer restrictions online, places are looking for models who are willing to pose nude, or do sexually explicit scenes for money.

By doing some careful research in the internet modeling industry, it is possible to find legitimate work, as there is often a need for all types of models for various sites on the internet. Sites like Model Mayhem and One Model Place are free model portfolio sites where new models can post pictures to receive critiques and network with Photographers, Make-up artists and industry professional. 

Lingerie Model for Hollywood Lingerie and Accessories

It can offer a chance for those who lack the knowledge and connections to break in to the modeling industry successfully. By checking out credentials, and legitimate affiliations with the industry, it is possible to find a legitimate site to help assist one's chances for a career in modeling.

ASMP and PPA are highly accredited photographer websites. Photographers can not just join ASMP, they need to be sponsored by other professional photographers and they must have had their work published in at least 2 different and familiar magazines.

Commercial Photography

Commercial photography involves taking pictures for commercial use: for example in adverts, merchandising, and product placement. Commercial photography is also used in corporate brochures and leaflets, menus in cafes and restaurants, and similar commercial uses where photographs enhance a text.

Commercial photography is used to promote or sell a product or service. There are a number of ways that photographs can be used to better market products and corporations. For photographers who excel at commercial photography, it can be a very lucrative market, and the field of commercial photography is broad, with room for traditional and alternative photographs.

Businesses may want to use commercial photography to promote themselves, or particular aspects of their work. There is a difference between commercial photography, which is often performed in a studio or isolated environment, and industrial photography, which often takes place on the site or factory floor.

Trashy Romance Novel Photographer

Ever been perusing a book rack looking for a quick read to make that flight a little less boring? Have you been wondering who is the photographer taking the pictures of these fantasy covers?

The ones where a buff guy has stepped out of the gym to wheal a giant sward slashing barbarians breaking into a castle while holding a damsel in distress in his arm.

Well, to make a long story even longer, I'm one of those photographers. I have been photographing Jason Baca for about 3 years now, in various blue and green screen poses for trashy romance novel covers. Jason's been on more covers than most models.

His camera presence and marketing ability makes for a great fantasy role model.

Not just the guy with the sword, but the cool model as well.

The other side of our photo shoots are of Jason in exercise positions and workout routines published in Men's Heath and Fitness Magazines.

New Website Design

Awesome Headshots kicks off our New Website from Bludomain.

It's taken several months and a few headaches to get this off the ground, but we now have the flash, html5 and mobile version of the site.

There's an auto-detect in the site so if you're on your computer, iPad or cell, it will come up.

Finally, now everyone can find Awesome Headshots.

Women in Sports

Sport has been one of the most important socio-cultural learning experiences for boys and men for many years. Those same benefits should be afforded our daughters. It is important for all of us to know that:

• High school girls who play sports are less likely to be involved in an unintended pregnancy; more likely to get better grades in school and more likely to graduate than girls who do not play sports.

  Girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression.

  
  

  Girls and women who play sports have a more positive body image and experience higher states of psychological well-being than girls and women who do not play sports.

  The Women’s Sports Foundation not only provides grants, but also distributes its award-winning educational curriculum at no cost to the organizations.

  The curriculum is used by program leaders to hold sessions on various health-related topics such as smoking, stress, body image and bullying.

  The stories feature champion women athlete as role-models for each issue; athletes such as: Jessica Mendoza (Softball), Lisa Leslie (Basketball) and Mia Hamm (Soccer).

Model? Actor? Both!

The parallels between Modeling and Acting are continuing to narrow. Most modeling and acting agencies have morphed into one, providing an essential one stop shopping for advertising agencies and Photographers.

Many actors and actresses who were discovered were often models before making the change to acting. This comes from heavy exposure modeling agencies provide through comp cards and portfolios.

And to make this more convenient, an East Coast model and acting agency has partnered with a major record label. A modeling and talent agency, Zobe, and independent record label, New Nation Entertainment, is hard at work to make sure they assist in this transformation. January 2011 marked the beginning of a journey for two entertainment businesses as they joined forces to become a one-stop-shop for the fashion, modeling, music, entertainment, and media industry in the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia)

A lot has been accomplished between these two companies within the past year and now going into January of 2012 these two businesses are preparing for more growth and expansion.

New Marketing

The playing field has been leveled. You don’t have to be a big brand to leverage digital media. Every click, every search, every tweet is an opportunity to engage them. Your clients are ready to buy. The question is – are you ready to be found? Online marketing can help take your business or organization to the next level.

Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin all play crucial parts in the SEO and Online Marketing fields, however PPC is the highest ranking tool as of today.

The potential for a profit increases drastically when you target a new audience that is already interested in what you have to say. Online advertising marketing is also made simple through social media because it is easy to share a link, blog, image or video through your profile or webpage.

New Kids In The Studios

Seeing more and more kids calling the shots for Headshots from their parents.

The kids have camera presence and sometime a little more moxy than adult actors/models.

This is in both San Ramon and Long Beach Studios.

Check out the Web site for updates on Kids Headshot Specials.

Please Follow me on Twitter and LIKE me on Facebook for new updates.