Tips on how to be an organized and prepared actor...

Headshot/Resume Organizer
a) Be Organized
I think it is so important to have everything you might need in a pinch with you at all times. Always be ready, just in case. It is always the days you aren’t prepared that someone asks for a headshot. Don’t let it happen. Think ahead. Always have at least a business card with you, but if possible have it all—Directors, Monitors and CD’s don’t want an annoying actor saying whoops “I forgot to bring my headshot” or asking to borrow their scissors or stapler as the actor tries to cut and staple a H&R in the office. If you need to staple your resume to your headshot and cut the edges, do it elsewhere. Don’t t let them see you unprepared; remember this is their first impression of you.
What should be in an actor’s tool kit at all times and on tour/travel/study abroad
ALWAYS have—extra Headshots and resumes prepped and ready to hand in, monologue scrap book and field guide, mini scissors, mini stapler, glue stick, tape, scan stick or disc with your H& R on file, business cards, post cards, extra sheet music (at least one ballad and one up-tempo), a CD with music accompaniment pre-recorded and a water bottle:

IF ON TOUR bring all of the above plus add these to your Pack List:
Photocopy of license/passport, insurance cards, medical history and all Credit cards that you are bringing with you (kept somewhere other then in your wallet-keep it hidden), Phone card, cell phone, and extra address book with important phone numbers, Throw/Lap Blanket , Yoga mat, eye cover/room darkener, air plane pillow for sleeping sitting up with head/neck support, Sun-block, chap stick, band-aids, Peroxide, Q tips, Neosporin, Ace- bandages, Cold ice pack/hot pack, Aspirin, Tylenol, ear plugs, bug spray, allergy medication like Benadryl (in case of allergic reaction), Pepto-bismal (tablets are best), gas-X, Rolaids, Tylenol/Sudafed AM and PM, throat and cough drops, rehearsal skirt/rehearsal outfit, extra sweater (even if you are going somewhere warm AC can be freezing!), extra socks/underwear, gloves, knee pads, Workout/dance cloths, Character shoes, Sneakers, Slippers, Sandals and dress shoes, extra Towel, Tape Recorder, a warm up tape with recorded vocal scales, make-up, hair pins, eye drops, feminine products if a woman, condoms, flash-light, matches, lighter, mini map of area, batteries, etc,
b) Headshots
Here is some advice a teacher once gave me: Find a headshot that says YES. I had no idea what she meant at the time. But, as I get older it makes a little more sense. No two headshots are alike, because no two actors are alike. So don’t try to get a headshot just like your friends. Find one that is just like you. It needs to look like YOU first and foremost, don’t bother air brushing the flaws, those make you: YOU and you want them to hire YOU not a glossy perfect version of you! There needs to be something in it that picture that sets you apart from every body else just like you. You know you are different and better then them…so think about what you have that others don’t and what makes you uniquely you…then let your headshot tell that story for you.

My teacher also gave me this same advice: Once you find the photographer you want to work with, go into that studio with an action of letting them know the unique YOU--just like you are playing a role. The role is YOU are the best-kept secret since sliced bread. Between every shot, think of something you want to tell the casting director or producer who is looking at your headshot then look up into the camera and tell them—engage in the moment, don’t just smile pretty. With every picture have an action/emotion. You’ll be amazed at how those pictures really tell a story. It’s not just face—there will be a sparkle in the eyes that is all YOU. That photo will say YES. It will ooze open receptivity. The picture will have a story that catch’s the casting director or producers eyes as they go through 100’s of pictures just like yours and if they like, the story you are telling them: they’ll call you in! Oh, and if you print your picture off your computer (which you shouldn’t) make sure it is 8X10. Once you have the headshot you want: Make Lots of copies of your headshot. Attach resume. Go to a reproduction company and have your prints made, it is a good idea to have them print your name underneath your headshot as well. Ask other actors who they use for headshot reprocuctions or do search on line. Backstage.com is a great source for info like that. You can also have that same reproduction company make postcards and business cards for you as well, or you can go to an online printing company like uprint.com or printsmadeeasy.com where you can upload images and design your own postcards and business cards. Just make sure it looks professional.

c) Advice on what to put on acting resume:
Well first of all, never lie. I have heard this a million times. Never lie. Never even twist a truth.
Always Make sure your head shot and your resume are the same size 8X10 (Paper is 8.5X11—so you need to trim resume to fit the standard 8X10 size: if it doesn’t fit in the file cabinet or in the pile neatly it will get thrown away. Staple your resume on all four corners, and make sure the staples are flat on the photo side: it just looks better.
Have a different headshot and different resume for Film/TV and one for Theater. On the Film/TV resume put Film/TV credits first. For Theater resume put theatre credits first. You want to catch their eye with the stuff they want to see first. And, If you don’t have any credits, or a lot of credits don’t worry about it, put what you have…we all start somewhere!
Look at other actors resumes, you can search the website for actors websites and actor resumes, or a little trick of mine… pretend you are a casting director and search websites like nycastings.com or actorsaccess.com for talent and see how they arranged their resume and print ones you like and use them as models!
Have your photo somewhere on the resume that way they can see you and your work all in one glance—it also helps incase your resume falls off or rips off the headshot!
Make your resume easy to read. Be picky on what you put on it… it’s better to put your best foot forward and have a few great credits that are easy to read versus a squished resume crammed with tiny unreadable fonts overflowing with everything you’ve ever done. Helpful hint: Keep a life long resume that has all of your credits on it from every show, but only keep it for yourself so you can reference later on if need be.
I think it is a good idea to have a service number and a PO box for your resume. You are going to send your resume out all over the country. At some point, more often then you’d think, your picture will wind up in a trashcan. And be wary of having personal contact info on it. When I first moved to NYC I sent my H&R and cover letter out all over the city. One my cover letter, I explained who I was and where I just moved from and that I was new to the city. It had a phone number, address, everything right on it. About a month passed after the first of many mass mailings and I got a message on my phone. “Hey my name is Juan and I saw your picture and think you’re cute and I know your new to the city, so I thought I’d take you out and show you ‘round the city, give me a call at…” Needless to say, I never called. But I did get a service number and a PO box and think it is worth every penny. Now, I give out my service number, check messages from my cell phone and if I want them to have my cell number I call back and give it to them.
Never hand write anything on the resume, type-up a new version with the new info or credits you want on it.
Put your email on your resume only if you check your email often. Sometimes you’ll get emails asking you to show up the next day, or that day and you need to be ready! Oh, and put your website on your resume, if you have one. Helpful hint: Make a website. Now a day you kind of have to, even if it is simple, you should have one. I purchased my URL and made my own site with an Internet downloadable web-site builder (yahoo site builder for example). It was easy!
*There are different opinions: On whether to include your height, weight, size, age, etc. …I say…. it’s up to you, but I wouldn’t put an age. They don’t need to know your real age, as long as your head shot truly looks like you, they think what they want. They might want to think you are older or younger then you are and, let them think whatever they want-- it might get you cast!
Special Skills section…only put it down if you really have those skills and if you are REALLY good at them. List things like languages, and accents, and true skills/talents. Just because you’ve been on a unicycle once in your life, doesn’t mean you should list it as a skill. You have to be proficient at this skill, and don’t worry about clarifying it with “intermediate/advanced”. If they want to know more they can ask, and you can clarify then. Just remember they might want to see it. Do you really want to do the “alien on crack” impersonation your friends think is so funny at an audition—if so, go ahead…they might just need a laugh! You have to be willing to do it! And keep in mind--You are the judge! I once heard of a girl who got cast on a soap opera because her special skills said “changing diapers”. You never know, what will get you that job…but keep in mind, she had to change diapers on the show!And finally… Check for spelling errors a million and two times before you send it to any one. I once had a director call out a FEW of my spelling typos at an audition. I didn’t get cast, and I still blame my utter humiliation over misspelled words--or who knows maybe I was too tall. (ha)