The Ins And Outs Of Making An Acting Comp Card

When you are an actor or model, you must be prepared to show that you can meld yourself into any part immediately. The problem is that you may not even get a chance to audition. It all comes down to a convincing resume, headshot, and comp card. Many actors fall under the impression that comp cards are only for models, but that's not really the case. Keep this in mind especially if you are trying to get work as a commercial actor. You should already be aware of the optimal acting resume format. This article will show you some of the ways that you can approach the task of designing a comp card.

First of all, you have to understand that you have a "type". Any career actor or model has to recognize the fact there are a variety of roles that you can potentially play and many parts you will not be able to. It is just a matter of your characteristic look. It's simple: if you happen to be very short and you also are pudgy, you will almost certainly not find yourself doing any kind of modeling on the runway. On the other hand, you could potentially end up being cast in projects targeted at average women. Which means it is important to appreciate the specific spectrum of parts that you'll be able to believably step into. If you haven't thought about this yet, check with your acting or modeling coach.

Next you need to pick out one photograph that represents each of your most marketable roles. The central photo on your comp card will speak for your best and most successful role. It should demonstrate to agents and directors right away what type of role they can definitely rely on you to play. The surrounding, smaller photos, should demonstrate subsets of your main type. This way, you'll be able to show that you have good range, so don't be afraid to mix things up a little bit in your supporting photos. But don't get greedy, either. Be sure that you could feasibly cast in each role that you are displaying, or else you are just wasting the precious space on your comp card.

The last real issue at hand is what size you want to make your comp cards. In the acting world, eight and a half inches by 11 inches is the standard size for both an acting resume and an acting headshot. A comp card should be really just the same as this. This makes everyone's lives a little easier. In the modeling world, people tend to mix things up a little more with sizes and shapes. Do yourself a favor and do some research and just view modeling resumes that are landing big jobs. This isn't like a fashion designer resume, where you can fit yourself into any mode of working. This will help you understand the best way to put together a modeling resume and a comp card that will be effectively for you as an individual.

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