Force them to have an opinion about u
Have you ever been inside a talent agency/modeling agency/casting agency? If so, then you’re aware of the thousands upon thousands of headshots they have representing every possible character: Hot girl, Old man, Fat kid, Foreign dude, Bad guy, etc.
I’ve cast people in videos and tv shows and in each casting session I’ve made choices based on the same criteria. It all starts the same way. I look at reels from 10-20 of the “top picks” from the casting agent. Each reel is accompanied by a host of pictures and a bio. I’m always looking for actors whom I feel have the most range, but how can I be so sure? A 3-5 min reel and a few pictures can only tell you so much. By the end I’m forced to go on my gut. And my gut always tells me to go for people who take chances. I like people who force me to have an opinion about them. Let me explain.
In just about every photo shoot, there’s a point when the subject takes a few chances and does something offbeat; something different than a standard pose. A funny face, a weird gesture, something that makes them look “ugly”, etc. However, when it comes time to select their headshot, they gloss over these pics. They only have ONE shot, why should they take a chance with a crazy picture, they figure.
You take a chance because in doing so, you force someone to have an opinion about you. It’s okay if 9 out of 10 people tell you that you didn’t get a role because of your silly headshot! Because if 1 out of 10 tells you GOT the job because of your headshot, you’re doing better than 99% of people in Hollywood!
People constantly want to know how to stick out. How to get recognized amidst the clutter. It’s no different in everyday life. How do you get noticed by that girl/guy? How do you get the interviewer to remember you? How do you get people to shop in your store?
The answer, I believe, is by taking the path less taken. So cliche, right? Yet so few us are willing to try. Believe it or not, when given a choice, an overwhelming majority of us choose the path MOST taken. why?
Comfort I suppose. It’s so much easier to go with the flow than step aside. Because Heaven help you if you step out of line and then you fail! You will be seen as such a loser! Right?
Wrong, if you ask me. But maybe I’m biased. Ever since I was a kid I remember thinking a little bit differently. I was all of 14 when my mother asked me & my bro why we couldn’t be like the “so & so boy” (well-mannered, good grades, you know the drill). I remember telling my mother that if I followed in that kid’s footsteps, the best I could ever do was be behind him, but if I went my own way, there would be no one in front of me.
People stick out in myriad of ways. In 1995, Jaron and I played the most smoking gig of our career up to that point. We opened for a band called Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ in Panama City Beach during spring break! It was amazing. Not only was it a band we absolutely loved, but it was in front of over 2000 people!
After the gig, Jaron and I got a chance to meet the band’s manager, David Preschel. I’ll never forget that guy. Why? Let me tell you why…
He came over and told us we weren’t bad. (You gotta picture Andrew Dice Clay talking, very similar mannerisms). He then handed us his business card and told us to give him a call. It occurred to me at that moment, being the savvy little businessman that I was, to give him one of our newly minted business cards that we made for our band. So I eagerly reached into my pocket and handed David one of our four-color graphic wasted pieces of cardstock. “Here ya go,” I said.
He handed it right back. “Kid, what do I need your card, if you’ve got mine?” Good point, I thought.
As I proceeded to put the card back in my pocket he had a second thought. “You know what,” he said, “gimme the card”.
He took my business card, brought it up to his mouth and proceeded to floss his teeth. A moment later he handed the card back. “Here ya go.”
In that moment, David forced us to have an opinion about him. We were either going to hate this guy for being so rude, or love him for being so hilarious. We chose the later and actually became friends over the years.
But make no mistake, David took a bold chance. And I’m not necessarily advocating such bold chances. David’s actions could have easily resulted in creating two enemies. There’s no telling how many people he’s angered by pulling the same stunt.
The bottom line is, it’s okay to have people pass on you or not like you. They’re entitled to their opinion. But don’t make the mistake of playing every shot safe. Because while that may work in golf, in life it just makes you a another picture in a pile.
Love me or hate me… just don’t forget me.
-Evan Lowenstein
