1 – Use high quality images.

You’d be surprised at how much of a difference the quality and size of your photos can make in your website. It separates the amateurs and the pros and greatly increases your chances of really getting noticed. Believe me, most casting directors don’t have the time or patience to sit there squinting at your photos. They want large, high quality images.

Tips:
Be wary of using phone pics. While they may look fine on your mobile, this just does not translate onto a real computer screen – which is often 10x larger or more.

Use original images! I cannot stress this enough – I can’t count on all my fingers and toes the actors I’ve seen take a picture of their printed headshot and upload it to their gallery! Don’t do this. Any real headshot photographer will keep a digital copy of your headshots. Ask him for the original image.

Remember to keep it professional. I’ve often seen actors put many pictures of their personal lives. This is all right to a degree. Just remember – a casting director isn’t looking at your page to try and be your friend. They just want to see you. They don’t want to see you with your friends and family or Bill Cosby and a park bench or whatever else. That’s what headshots are for! So make sure these are the primary photos in your gallery.

 

Sometimes less is more. Even if MyActingSite gives you the ability to, try not to flood your gallery page with miscellaneous photos. It’s best to keep it to your 10 favorite photos.

2 – Have an awesome demo reel.

Good golly, some of the demo reels I’ve seen. I don’t think a lot of actors understand how important it is to have a quality demo reel. Here’s the important thing to know: a good demo reel makes an actor look really professional. But a bad demo reel does just the opposite: it makes an actor look really unprofessional.

Tips:

If your reel was made in 1994, it’s time to update. Yes, you can tell. No, don’t try and play this off. It’s way too obvious. With the onset of High Definition video, old timey videos just can’t cut it anymore.

Sound quality can be everything. Most anyone can pick up a DSLR Camera and start shooting some pretty decent video. There’s still a problem though. The sound! Crappy sound kills an otherwise great short film. If you’re going to shoot your own demo reel, then do your research, buy a cheap shotgun mic or lavalier and experiment a bit. It can make a huge difference.

Keep it on your home page. Many actors have more than one video in their demo reels page. Choose the best one and put it on your home page. It’s well worth it to ensure a casting director sees your video before bouncing.

3 – Keep it clean.

Here’s two words to live by when you’re building your website: clean and simple. Here’s what you want on your site: who you are (bio), your updated resume, your headshots, your demo reel(s) and your major accomplishments. These rules aren’t set in stone, but it’s a good rule of thumb to avoid clutter.

Tips:

No autobiographical novels, please. Keep your bio page short, sweet and to the point.

Avoid cluttering your homepage. I’ve seen some people put a news feed on their homepage. And they update it for years! It’s certainly not a bad idea, letting people see what work you’ve recently been doing. But it’s still clutter, and it’s nearly impossible to pull it off so it doesn’t look like clutter. Might I recommend embedding your Twitter feed into your homepage? Don’t have twitter? Keep an acting blog on your latest achievements and embed that. In my next post I’ll go over this.

Use badges. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, IMDb. Have 3 or 4 of them at the bottom of your page. You undoubtedly have at least one of these accounts. Linking them on your website is professional and it’s convenient for the visitor.

Remember, this is only professional opinion. While they aren’t laws that must be followed, from many years in the industry I’ve come to learn these things. Good luck to you!

-Nick