Episode 1 / Gabe, Director at Apex Management
/by Roj Whitelock
London-based photographer and HSM Associate Member
Gabe, Director at Apex Management, talks about the importance of headshots for actors and what makes a headshot stand out from the crowd. Apex focus on nurturing and supporting their talent and he covers both the role of an agent, well-being and why you need representation in the industry today.
Why do headshots matter?
Note: View on YouTube for captions.
"Each individual actor is an individual first and foremost. They are a human and so it's really important for me, as your agent, to create really safe spaces for you, make sure that you are equipped in every situation to feel that you can give your all without there being many barriers to entry."
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Why Do Headshots Matter?
Okay, so you've got - I guess you've kind of got to imagine it from the casting director's perspective. So imagine that they're receiving thousands of submissions as they do. It's your kind of first real chance to stand out across maybe even you know 1,500 submissions. That small photo that would say a lot.
What Makes A Great Headshot?
So, I would say for me the the key thing is authenticity. So you know you should never be kind of portraying a character in your headshot. They should still be you. However with that being said I think they should have a glimmer of something a little bit I guess extra that will really pull the casting director's attention. I also think that something really important is your eyes. Your eyes tell a story and so being able to really kind of look not just look at the camera but look through the camera and try and convey some sort of story emotion is really really helpful from a casting perspective
What's The Role of An Agent?
100%. So I the way that I kind of see the relationship between an agent and an actor is that agent is almost like the portal to the industry especially during downtime we are the key to unlocking opportunities but also being able to go okay this is what's going on in the world. And so because of that something really really important to me is communication So being able to feel like I can pick up the phone and talk to you you can pick up the phone and talk to me and we can have a really open dialogue is is really important. That kind of also leads on to well-being So obviously as we all know the industry - it's a crazy industry - but being able to be open and frank and honest with your conversations really, really helps the well-being of my clients, of everyone that we kind of work with. And so that's really really important for me to be able to be open.
Why Do Actors Need An Agent?
So there are a few kind of key things I guess. Obviously you've got the logistical side. So we as agents, we spend our lives working. I always think you know we work for our our clients. We're there to unlock those opportunities and those opportunities that are sometimes harder to find and harder to come across. So that's a very key thing. On top of that as well like I say it's very very important to have almost your kind of right-hand man in the industry to be able to work together, feel like you're working with someone to achieve your goals so we can celebrate the good and the things that need to be worked on. Okay, so something that I find really really important is kind of noticing that each individual actor is an individual first and foremost. They are a human and so it's really important for me as your agent to create really safe spaces for you, make sure that you are equipped in every situation to feel that you can give your all without there being many barriers to entry.
