WHATS IN A BRAND... OR HOW TO GET NOTICED BY JUST BEING YOU
http://www.timothiphoto.com
There are many actors that want to be known as chameleons. They will spend years studying the behavior of people from different walks of life, studying a variety of dialects, gaining and losing weight, changing their dress, their style to morph into another's state of being. Daniel Day Lewis, Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Cate Blanchett, Jeffrey Rush, Johnny Depp and the late Heath Ledger are masters at this ; but even beneath the heaviest makeup, the thickest accent and the most outlandish of behavior there is a specific energy or vibe that is always present in each of their performances.. it's that indescribeable something that allows us to feel a sense of the familiar in each of the roles they play.. its almost as if we know who these actors are as individuals and we want to see them live out the different sets of circumstances they are presented with.. relating to them, rooting for them. What we are responding to is their quality... their essence.. that vibe that is uniquely theirs. We are responding to their brand.
http://www.timothiphoto.com
We all have a brand. It is what sets each actor apart from another. It is what you have to sell and what people want to buy and the more aware of it as an actor you are the better you will be able to market yourself and the more acting work you will get. A brand is more than how you appear, it is what you make people feel and when you learn to capitalize on that and market it, you amplify your chances of success. I meet with many New York actors that are completely unaware of what their brand is. They know the types of parts they would like to play but that is not always realistic. Your brand is a compromise between what you want to play and how others view you. The process of uncovering this takes brutal honesty with oneself.
One of the first things I do when meeting with New York Actors and discussing the direction of the headshot photo shoot and what we are trying to capture is to write a list of adjectives that best describe how they view themselves, then I have them write a second list of how others view them.. your brand lies somewhere in between. It is a very enlightening and clarifying process and it is amazing how different those 2 lists may be. Once we have clarified what that unique and personal brand is we talk about wardrobe. There are many photographers that will tell you to dress neutrally.. I am not one of them. I think your dress says everything about who you are and how you view yourself. There are also those who will have you "costume " yourself in several ways during one shoot.. I feel New York casting and agenting folk find that confusing. Focus on YOUR style and develop it. After settling on wardrobe, I focus on location. There's nothing more brandless than a brick or white wall. Your location is your backdrop. It tells a story..whether it be a desert, mountains, ghost town, country porch or the beach at sunset, it is cinematic and transports you and your audience and that my loves is what drama is all about. One of the most important elements in my shooting process is finding the location..it is what makes your brand jump off that 8 X 10.
http://www.timothiphoto.com
Most people go by their first impressions. I say find your brand..your vibe.. and stick to it...develop it and make it yours... and above all OWN it !!! It's your brand baby and actors who know their brand have more confidence. Confidence in yourself engenders other's confidence in you and that ultimately that means more auditions and more jobs coming your way. Is'nt it comforting to know that YOU are your greatest asset !
till next time...
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