Color
Location shooting means "outdoors" and is the preferred look by the local and Los Angeles market over the traditional studio shot. The reasoning is people look more comfortable and the surroundings such as backgrounds are more varied for the photographer. However, this poses some challenges for the performer and the photographer; so let us begin.
Scheduling your time: Mother Nature gives us a couple a times during the day when the light is best for people shooting. Im sure youve heard of the golden hours. This is early morning and late afternoons. So, if you are an early riser, go for the morning shoot and if your day begins at noon or so, go for the afternoon session.
For people who wear contact lens, sunglasses daily and have light colored eyes, YOU can do several things to help yourself. One is not to wear your sunglasses for a week prior to your photo session. This will help the squint factor. If you wear contact lens, bring your case and solution in the event you need to take them out. People with light colored eyes are more sensitive to light. Keep in mind, we must have a certain amount of light in order to get the look. Again, this shot is "outdoors" so bring water to drink.
Studio shooting is just that. Done in the studio and that time books late morning. A studio shot is most often used for stage performers or for other markets such as New York, unless specified by your agent.
Obviously we will try to book around your busy schedules, however we have found booking your shoot Monday-Friday works best. If a Saturday shoot is required, it will be scheduled early morning. Weekends pose a problem in location shots because of activities that occur during this time. If you find it necessary to cancel, a 24 hour notice is the professional thing to do.
Still n Motion Picture Co.s policy requests anyone under
the age of 18 to be accompanied by an adult, so bring a friend,
sister , mom and dad; hey bring the whole family
As each of your are individual, we will speak in terms of generalities: keeping in mind , we would like to have you bring us items that are unique and as individual as you are. For the traditional commercial head-shot (head and shoulders) it is best to keep away from whites. Pastels (such as light blue, yellow, pink, lavender; etc&.You get the point) are preferable. Clothing that has texture is always a plus. Patterns such as stripes, plaids and polka-dots are a big NO NO. Lets not have your wardrobe compete with your face. Were selling YOU not what your wearing. Examples of what to bring for a commercial head-shot: sweater sets, tailored blouses, tank tops, T-shirts, polos, banded collared shirts, denim shirts, white T-shirts. Keeping in mind, what looks best on you and your age range. My personal preference is V neck or scoop neck with long sleeves to the wrists or no sleeves at all, if you are comfortable wearing that. The above are guidelines to achieving a good strong COMMERCIAL HEADSHOT. If you are represented by an agent or seeking representation by an agent, it is imperative that you have a smiling shot. This is your primary photo and if you send them only one, do it with a smile.
So Dont Worry, Be Happy.
Medium to dark colors work well for the more dramatic head-shot, ie; film and theater. This shot is a secondary shot. Most often used to submit for Movie of the Week, Feature Films and Theater productions. Again, this shot is a traditional head and shoulders. Because it is used differently, it can be a smiling shot or most often a more serious or pensive look. For men, we like to have you come in with facial hair (3 or 4 day scruffy face or goatee) . For women, it usually is a different hair style.
Another form of head-shot is the not-so-traditional 3/4 length commercial shot. The only real difference is the shot is taken from the knees up. Sometimes we even get your feet in there. Agents request this shot when they are going to use a singular photo and want to see more of the talent. So, additionally you need to bring something to wear on the bottom half. It could be kaki's , dockers, shorts, skirt, dress, Capri pants, etc&
All I will say about jewelry is to keep it to a minimum for your Commercial and Theatrical head-shots. Women should wear a pair of diamond-type studs, pearls or small hoops, no bigger than a dime. Men, if you are wearing an earring, we will shoot that only in the Theatrical head-shot and not in your Commercial look.
Make-up will be done at the studio after you arrive. Please come in with clean face and bring your make-up with you. Mascara is a must for women and girls. Most men dont tote make-up with them, so not to worry, the make-up artist will take care of you when you arrive.
Please come in with clean hair and bring your brush, hair spray, gel, pommousse, and hair accessories. If you use hair accessories keep them small, such as snap in clips, clamps, slide in bobby pins and anything else
you might use. If your hair is naturally straight, blow it out to add body.
Accessories and props can be a plus when shooting for Zed cards and multiple black and white photos. These are items that help finish your shot. Examples are; back packs, book-bags, purses, scarves, sunglasses, glasses (non-reflective coating on lens or no lens at all) hats, newspaper, magazine, book, food items like lollipop, sandwich, ice cream, balloons, bicycle, wagon, baseball, glove, mitt, hula-hoop, flowers, baskets, toys, stuffed animals, paints, easel, sidewalk chalk and so on. Also we have people bring family pets such as dog, cat, bird, and yes, even a lizard. If you have a large animal such as a horse, we have the ability to travel to your location. Please be aware that there will be an additional travel fee of $25.00. However this does save you from dragging your clothes and props to us. When you begin organizing your wardrobe, props and accessories have fun with it, be creative. As a team, the end results will be marketable photos and a positive experience.