We've all seen the shots of famous actors or actresses on vacation. I love those of a certain A-list male usually on a beach (or a yacht)…hair disheveled, splotchy beard, dumpy out of shape body, Then you see him in his latest box office hit looking absolutely perfect. Really? Stars know their filming schedules, so they have months to work with a trainer, nutritionist, facialist, stylist, etc. The rest of the acting community doesn’t have that luxury. Everyone else needs to be ready for that call…whenever it comes.
Every audition I went to in my 20s, no matter what the role, was always: name, profiles, take your shirt off. If I put off going to the gym for a few weeks, I could really screw my booking chances. In fact, I once booked a beer commercial right before I left on vacation. At the wardrobe fitting (the day before the shoot) I found out I was only wearing a bathing suit. That night I spent hours in the gym over doing it. The next morning I couldn’t even lift my arms and the spot centered around me catching a beer can that fell from the sky. You have no idea how painful that was take after take after take. If only I had been ready.
So how can you guarantee that you’ll be ready when that call comes? One way, is to pass the 7 Step Image Maintenance Checklist:
1.Body-Not everyone is ripping their clothes off at every audition. However you do need to present physically healthy…whatever your size and shape. You don’t want a director to love your audition, but question your ability to last a full shoot day without having a heart attack. Also, your body must match your measurements on file. No one wants to show up at a wardrobe fitting and not fit into anything
2. Hair-How many of you have gotten the call and panicked because of your current root situation? The scramble to get your hair colored or cut before an audition is unneeded stress. To be ready when that call comes, keep standing appointments with your stylists and colorists. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s even more expensive to lose out on a job because of your hair.
3. Make-up-As with hair, make-up needs to stay on trend with styles seen on film and television. Whatever the trend, be ready. Prevent unnecessary panic because the only store on your way to the audition doesn’t carry that perfect mascara that makes your lashes look amazing and your eyes pop!
4. Nails-Most on-camera commercial auditions ask you to show your hands…especially if you have to touch the product. How many times did you shudder because you never got around to fixing your chipped nail polish or were working on your car the day before and didn’t quite clean off all the grease? Remember, this is a visual business. Make sure your “visuals” are up to par.
5. Skin-Not everyone is blessed with flawless skin. We have all woken up on that very important “I have to look perfect today” morning with a humungous extraterrestrial on our face. It happens to everyone, but if you have chronic skin issues spend the time and money to deal with it on a consistent basis.
6. Clothes-Okay…this one is major. Imagine getting the call and not having to worry about what to wear, is it clean, where are they, borrowing your neighbors iron or scraping the grilled cheese off your own (come on…we all know that guy). It is your job to put together the four basic category uniforms for your specific type (Please see my Backstage article Can Clothes Really Book A Job?) and have them ready to go in your closet. On your off days, make sure everything is clean, pressed, and most importantly up to date.
7.Pictures/Resumes-Not everybody is collecting pictures and resumes. However you should have a few with you at all times. Keep them in your car, your acting binder, your backpack, etc. Don’t spend audition prep time trying to get a photo printed and cutting and stapling your resume.
Now, imagine getting that call for an audition tomorrow and all you have to worry about is making the script your own and knocking it out of the audition park. How great would that be? Just use your down time to make sure that you can mark off each of the 7 things off your personal Image Maintenance checklist. Be ready for that call…every time it comes.