There is no need to ‘adjust yourself’ for the spec to be something you are not; the secret is to discover how the spec is everything you are by adjusting the spec to YOU. How to do that?

Read the spec in ‘first person’ as you read the spec, describing yourself right now. Realize that a spec describes YOU and everything you are, and not everything you are not. So describe who you are in a specific relationship that is intimate in your life, someone close to you in your life.

So if the Spec is –

‘Real, Warm can be a little wry at times. Great actor. Great storyteller.’

The spec can now be all read in first person by adding I AM and describing who you are in a specific intimate relationship in your life – so it becomes –

I AM real, especially with my older brother who keeps me in line, I am warm because my brother is so important in my life, and he and I have a great sense of humor and can be wry with each other. I am a great actor (how often do you get to say that out loud?!) and I am a great storyteller, especially with my brother and family stories.

Now jump into the text and see the eyes of the person you described your relationship with in the spec and viola’! You are now sounding like you. Game changer.

Ignoring the spec is a mistake. Many voice actors read the spec dismissively and miss the connection producers hear in their heads for the read. Actors may THINK they are interpreting the spec, but in reality, they read the spec mindlessly and don’t connect to it at all, and proceed into the read without any real point of view. A spec is just that – a point of view and a relationship and conversation with the listener, and so is a commercial read.

You will sometimes get a ‘voice print reference’ – a celebrity suggestion for a commercial read. An audition voice reference allows you to find similar qualities to the celebrity’s, and not to give an impression of that celebrity. Auditions will enable you to discover that YOU are as present as any celebrity. If you are given a voice reference for your audition, find the defining qualities you share with that celebrity beyond just the sound of their voice, but the feelings they bring to a performance.

Your gift as a voice actor is THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS, not just thoughts. Feelings are ‘thoughts in motion in your body,’ personalized to you. This is your gift to the script. You always want to ADD to the script and not detract from the script or character at hand.

You may be asked to reference Viola Davis, Jay Pritchett, Jeff Bridges, or Julia Roberts, so this is your chance to find what qualities you share beyond that celebrity reference. Rather than just matching a sound, match the feelings and qualities that the celebrity brings to their work. It may be a cadence, but also a sense of pride, confidence, humor, wryness, or confidence that a particular actor reference carries that you also have.

It is too competitive for you not to bring your best to an audition. How do you do that? Find your best you and connect to the copy by connecting in the spec. Read the spec in first person – put ‘I am’ on everything, including the product name, so Real, Warm, can be a little wry becomes – I AM real, I AM warm, I CAN BE a little wry SOMETIMES. The spec is about you, and the spec is adjusting to precisely who YOU ARE in the copy and not the other way around.

Bring your fearlessness of hope to every commercial read so that you bring true joy and hope and not a fake version of yourself. A great way to start any piece of commercial copy is with you saying out loud – “There is always hope.” You can even see the eyes of someone you might say that to – even yourself. Commercial copy brings with it the audacity for you to be yourself courageously.

Voice-over Agent Allie Silber was recently in a Voice-over Tune-up class and gave this advice:

“Study and stay current with trends in advertising and pop references. A voice match is still finding yourself in the copy and not just sounding like someone else. Watch and listen to advertising trends, and always be truthful in the read.”

Bring your best self to every audition by always finding your truth, and stay kind to other actors—in class, online, and in person.

A spec is a reference to YOU and not to anyone else. You may get a suggestion of a celebrity, but the read is always about finding YOU.

Written by Paul Liberti

Do you have a compelling idea for a TV series or film but aren’t sure how to bring it to life?

You’re not alone — I’ve been there, too. Over the years, I’ve developed several projects, including a 30-minute pilot that’s currently being shopped to networks and production companies. One of my earlier pilot scripts became a graphic novel (a great workaround for budget limitations), and I’ve even self-produced pilots and worked on theater productions at every level — including co-producing the Broadway play The Cottage.

If you’re thinking about pitching your idea, I have one big piece of advice: do the work ahead of time. And yes, I mean a lot of work.

Even if you’re not a writer, you don’t need a fully finished script to start. But you do need a well-developed concept, characters, and an understanding of the world your story lives in. Here’s how you can start laying the foundation for a successful pitch.

Step 1: Develop Your Idea

Before you write a single scene, start by answering a few key questions:

• What’s the core concept of your show or film?
• What makes it fresh, unique, or marketable?
• Who is your target audience?

From there:

• Write a logline – one concise, punchy sentence that captures your premise.
• Create your characters – each should have distinct personalities, motivations, and emotional arcs.
• Sketch the story – think about major plot points, season arcs (if it’s a series), and recurring themes.

Step 2: Write the Pilot

Your pilot should:

• Introduce the world and tone of the project.
• Showcase your main characters and the dynamics between them.
• Include a hook — something that grabs viewers (and execs) in the first few minutes.

Step 3: Build a Series Bible

This is your show’s blueprint and should include:

• Character profiles – backgrounds, goals, flaws, and development arcs.
• Episode guide – summaries or loglines for a full season.
• Tone and themes – what emotional beats and ideas will resonate throughout the show?

Step 4: Refine and Get Feedback

Before pitching, make sure your materials are rock-solid:

• Share your script and/or bible with trusted readers or mentors.
• Revise and polish based on feedback — clarity, structure, and originality matter.
• Consider workshopping your pitch out loud. Can you explain your show in under two minutes?

Step 5: Start Pitching

When you’re ready to pitch:

• Research potential buyers – production companies, networks, and streaming platforms that match your show’s tone and genre.
• Create a pitch deck – a visual presentation highlighting the story, characters, tone, and market appeal.
• Network – go to industry events, connect with producers, or submit to pitch platforms like iPitch.tv.

Bonus Tips

• Protect your work – register your materials with the U.S. Copyright Office or the Writers Guild.
• Stay flexible – pitching is collaborative; be open to feedback and creative adjustments.
• Be persistent – this is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t get discouraged by rejection. Learn, refine, and keep going.

Want Help Developing Your Pitch?

At Actors Connection, we offer a 2-week class: HOW TO PITCH YOUR PROJECT with Marilyn Atlas, a seasoned Talent & Literary Manager and Film Producer. Marilyn brings a wealth of experience and insider insight into the pitching process — from crafting your story to navigating industry relationships.

Whether you’re just starting or refining your materials, this class is a fantastic way to elevate your pitch and get actionable feedback from someone who’s been there.

Tony Nation is a producer, writer, professional actor and partner at Actors Connection. Follow this link to find out more about him.

There’s a moment—right before a character speaks, right before a decision is made—where something shifts. The breath holds. The eyes change. The energy lands. That moment? That’s where a cinematic headshot lives.

Cinematic headshots aren’t about being dramatic or brooding for the sake of it. They’re about suggesting something deeper: story, character, the possibility of a scene. When done right, they feel like a freeze-frame pulled from the middle of a compelling performance. And for casting? That’s gold.

So how do you get one? And more importantly—how do you prep for it so your headshots don’t just sit on a website but actually get you in the room?

Let’s walk through what makes a headshot cinematic, why it matters in today’s casting world, and what actors can do to prepare.

First Off: What Is a Cinematic Headshot?

“Imagine a still frame pulled from a movie—right before the character says something important.”

That’s a cinematic headshot.

It looks like something’s just happened—or is about to. There’s a story in the shot, even if you’re not sure what it is. The actor looks present, not posed. Alive, not frozen. It’s subtle. Specific. A glimpse into a moment, not a mugshot that simply represents what an actor looks like.

Visually, cinematic headshots often use natural light, shallow depth of field, and medium-to-close framing. The background is soft and abstract—it might be an alley wall, a sliver of urban grating, or a subtle streak of green—but it never distracts. Instead, it supports the mood of the actor in the frame.

Think: texture without clutter. Shadows without gloom. Glimmers of movement, of thought, of stillness that feels earned.

These aren’t “look at the camera and smile” shots. They’re “you’re in the scene, we just paused the movie” shots. You might be listening to an imaginary character. You might be feeling something you’re not saying. Whatever it is, the lens catches it.

That’s the power of cinematic.

It’s what makes a casting director pause in a sea of thumbnail sameness and say, “Whoa. I want to know more about this actor.”

Why They Work (and Where They Work Best)

It’s not just a headshot—it’s a thumbnail, a pitch, a tiny piece of marketing real estate. And it’s got about 40 milliseconds to get noticed.

What makes someone pause?

Connection. Specificity. Humanity.

A cinematic headshot gives all of that. It’s not trying to be everything to everyone—it’s you, in a moment, in a world that feels real. And it helps casting instantly place you in the kinds of stories they’re trying to tell.

Whether it’s the detective on Law & Order, the intern with secrets on FBI: Most Wanted, the offbeat best friend in an Only Murders-style comedy, or the bookstore employee who’s maybe not okay in an indie drama… a cinematic headshot says: “This person belongs in something.”

And casting gets it immediately.

These shots are especially useful for:

TV & Film – Single-cam shows, procedurals, and streaming content
Indie Projects & Dramedy – Anything grounded, quirky, or hyper-specific
Theatre – Especially for contemporary and emotionally intimate work
Commercials – Yep, even these. Today’s commercial world is all mini-movies and branded storytelling. Not just smiles and cereal boxes.

What You Bring to the Shot

As your photographer, I’ve got the camera, the light, the lens, the timing. I’m scouting locations, clocking the clouds, avoiding the wind, watching bounce light, and adjusting shutter speed in real time.

But what makes a cinematic shot work—that’s shared.

Here’s how you can show up ready to create something remarkable.

1. Know Your Type (And Where It Fits)

You don’t need to box yourself in—but it helps to know where you’re already castable.
Are you the no-nonsense principal? The brooding new recruit? The sweet sibling with secrets?

Look at current shows filming in your region. What characters do you honestly look like you could play? And if you don’t know—ask! I help actors figure this out all the time.

Once you know the characters you’re targeting, everything else (wardrobe, expression, vibe) gets easier.

2. Wardrobe That Supports the Story

No costumes. That includes scrubs, lab coats, stethoscopes, fake badges, or anything that says “community theatre prop closet.”

Instead: wardrobe that suggests a character without spelling it out.

Some examples:

Tailored blouse + blazer = attorney, therapist, exec
Clean crew neck + flannel = college kid, indie lead, good guy in over his head
Henley under a field jacket = grounded, working class, “guy who finds the body”
Soft tee + cardigan = caregiver, creative, teacher, neighbor

Tips:

Think waist-up – No one sees your pants. Don’t stress them.
Bring layers – Cardigans, jackets, button-downs over tees = instant versatility
Avoid logos and trendy cuts – They date your shots
Iron your stuff and lint roll it – It sounds basic but trust me, it matters
Color matters – Blacks, grays, jewel tones, earth tones, deep greens, plums, denims. These photograph beautifully and flatter almost every skin tone

3. Presence Over Performance

Here’s the big one.

A cinematic headshot isn’t posed. It’s present.
The actor isn’t “acting” at the camera. They’re thinking, listening, processing. There’s a story happening inside, and the lens catches that flicker of thought.

I always say: Think it, don’t show it. And your face will follow.

That’s what I coach. Subtlety. I’ll guide you through expression, posture, angles, breath. I’ll throw out scene setups and character moments. All you have to do is listen to them. The result is a shot that’s specific, real, grounded… and totally castable.

“If your shot makes someone say, ‘This guy’s got plumber-who-finds-a-body energy,’ or ‘She’s definitely the DA who’s just a little too intense’… you’re doing it right.”

Don’t rehearse poses. Don’t worry about your “good side.”
I’ll help you find your best angles while you act your way through the shot.

Why I Shoot Natural Light (and What I’m Doing on Set)

Natural light offers nuance. Variation. Honesty.
It moves. It changes. It feels alive.

When I’m shooting, some of the things I’m thinking about:

Which focal length flatters your face without distortion
What time of day creates the softest highlights for the location where we’ll be shooting
What aperture gives me the shallowest depth of field while keeping your eyes to your ears tack sharp
How the bounce light and shadows are affecting your jawline and brow
How to frame your background so it feels rich but not distracting

We shoot in real places with real textures and soft shapes that support your casting without getting too literal. I chase clouds and shadows. I dodge traffic. I reposition you three feet to the left because that’s where the light hits just right. I keep my settings adaptive and my shutter responsive, because sometimes the magic is in the milliseconds.

If I shoot in studio, I light it like it’s not.

All that’s to say—on the day, you don’t have to worry about any of this.
That’s my job.

You just have to show up ready to collaborate and play.

Final Thought: It’s Not Precious, But It’s Powerful

Your headshots are not your legacy.
They’re not your magnum opus.
They’re your calling cards.

A great headshot doesn’t need to tell every story. It just needs to tell one believable one.

That’s the job. And when you prep with that goal in mind—and shoot with someone who gets it—you walk away with images that don’t just look great…
They open doors.

Want to Work Together?

If you’re prepping for new headshots and want help figuring out your type, your casting targets, or your wardrobe—we can do that together. I coach my actors before and during the session, and we create shots that look like you in the world where you’re meant to be cast.

I’m Clint. I shoot cinematic headshots in natural light across New York City.

Let’s make something that gets you called in.

ClintonBPhotography.com
@ClintonBPhotography on Instagram

Clinton Brandhagen
Photographer
(202) 297-5481
www.clintonbphotography.com

As a manager here at Bright Artists Management, who not only works with acting pros, who have been in the business for years, but also who works with emerging actors, this question about acting-clips and demo-reels comes up pretty much on a daily basis.

Keep in mind that reps often use different marketing tools on your casting pages to get you auditions. In addition, keep in mind that casting directors who see those marketing tools are not all the same. What they want from actors differs much of the time. An example of that difference is that some casting directors of comedy shows will ask for a comedy reel, while some do not. Same with dramatic shows. Some casting directors don’t have time to look at the entire reel so they ask for a clip of an actor playing a similar role to the role listed in the breakdown. Thus, the logical answer is, actors need both clips and demos.

A strong dramatic-reel and a strong comedic-reel less than two minutes each is ideal. If you can get each reel closer to one-minute, even better. Be aware that the casting director probably isn’t trying to follow any through-story or plot line in the reel, they are just watching to see how you look and act with others on camera, so make sure the clip starts with you and the camera is focused on you. Then you can break down each reel into short 20 second clips.

Also it is very important to label your clips and demos. If you are playing a powerful lawyer in the clip, label the file: Powerful Lawyer from Law & Order. If it is a comedy reel, label the file: Comedy Reel.

It has been my experience that most actors start off with clips and slowly build their reel from the best of their clips. Also, most actors start off with just one short reel which features both comedic and dramatic work. When the actor has enough clips in each category then the actor will break the one short reel into two reels, comedy and drama.

There are many different opinions on what exactly should be on your casting pages, but pretty much everyone agrees the more professional looking material the better. Especially when it comes to your acting-clips and demo-reels. Having a professionally shot scene is always the best with good lighting and good sound. I do not suggest actors put up self-tapes from auditions or taped monologues on their casting pages, because it might give off the impression that the actor has no professional experience and that could deter a casting director from selecting the actor. I also do not suggest actors put up recordings of live plays on their casting pages because it is often too difficult to hear the actor or even focus on the actor.

For singers, a self-tape of you singing to a piano track is fine. Just make sure your singing clips are the best of your work and make sure you have a professional self-tape set up. The same applies here for live musical theatre productions as it does with live play productions. You probably should not put those on your casting pages.

Lastly, make sure you are presenting quality over quantity. One good acting clip with good lighting and good sound is better than a long unprofessional reel that does not focus on the actor or have good lighting or have good sound. Many reps will include all your media when submitting you for a role, so make sure you have your best clips and demos, thus the casting director is seeing only the best of your work.

At Bright Artists Management, our team really enjoys giving feedback on clips and demos because we understand the importance of presenting strong videos. We’ve found that prioritizing quality and professionalism in clips and demos allows our actors to standout in this competitive industry. These tips, informed by casting director’s feedback and client’s callbacks and bookings, hopefully will give you the tools and knowledge to secure auditions and book more roles.

Remember, all of us in the industry may have varying opinions, but have no doubt that we all want to work with amazing professional actors that shine in person and in their marketing tools (headshots, clips, and demos).

by Bobby Holder, Talent Manager, Bright Artists Management