Had a fantastic shoot this week with rising star Honor Kneafsey. We got some brilliant natural light and studio shots of Honor really focusing on the eyes. Having starred in projects such as Our Zoo, Babs, Sherlock, Friday Night Dinner, Black Work and Benidorm the vast experience of this young actress really shone through and every shot told a different story. You can see Honor in her latest project, feature film ‘Crooked House’, on DVD and digital download now alongside Glenn Close, Gillian Anderson and Christina Hendricks.
Last few months have been busy. Its that time of the year again when 3rd year drama and musical theatre students need to get their head shots done. For many of them it’s the first time they have ever sat in front of a camera! So many things for them to think about, hair, make up, expression, do I smile do I look moody….
For me, there’s only one important thing. The eyes! Get them to say everything! It’s not easy to do but it makes the portrait work. If the eyes are dead, all the hard work with make up and hair will be wasted.
I shot student actress Jessica Bennett in natural light with just a reflector to accentuate her eyes, no need for anything else.
Another client of M.A.D is making waves in the industry; Tillie Murray has just been cast as Genevieve in Andrew Keatley’s exciting thriller ‘Alligators’ at The Hampstead Theatre this summer. Tillie comes to this role having already played Marta in the UK Tour of ‘The Sound of Music’. We had great fun working with Tillie to get a fantastic range of striking natural light shots.
School of Rock the musical has taken the West End by storm, most recently winning the Olivier award for outstanding achievement in music. M.A.D photography recently worked on a shoot with one of the musical’s young stars, Grace Schneider, who can currently be seen playing the role of Marcy. Grace has also appeared as a young Drew Barrymore in feature film ‘Miss You Already’.
Really enjoyed working with up and coming young actor Matthew Stagg, we got some fantastic natural light studio shots. Most recently Matthew can be seen in the feature film, Mum’s List starring alongside Emilia Fox and Rafe Spall. He will also play the lead role of Sam in upcoming Lionsgate feature ‘Marrowbone’.
Disney’s live action remake of Beauty and the Beast has been one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Young talent Nathan Mack was selected by Lucy Bevan casting to play the supporting lead role of Chip, the enchanted teacup, opposite Emma Thompson who plays Mrs Potts. The film has already broken five box office records in its first week and is the seventh biggest opening of all time!
Queuing up at a casting or heading to the post office with a printed, glossy, 10×8 black and white headshot is very quickly becoming a thing of the past. Technology has taken over and agents and casting directors want the quickness and ease of an emailed shot seen through a screen, be that a desktop in the office, a laptop in a trendy cafe in Soho, a smart phone on the Victoria Line or an iPad in the casting room. At the click of a button your headshot can be seen, sent on to a colleague and viewed by all the necessary people in an instant. It is fast and efficient meaning you are seen by as many people as possible and the image is crisp and clean every time. Black and White is also on its way out, current trend is to really see your vibrancy and personality in colour.
As a professional actor your headshot is one of the most vital tools to make your mark in the industry. Whether you are looking for an agent or trying to grab the attention of casting directors you need a shot that is striking, real and engaging. Your headshot is the first port of call for industry professionals and it needs to look like you in a natural way, capturing your personality and the spark in your eyes. Individuality and naturalism are vital and a great headshot is not about looking overly glamorous, it is looking like you – on your best day. At MAD we work in a very relaxed environment as we feel it is extremely important that you feel at ease and have fun during your shoot to really capture you at your best. We offer both studio and natural light shoots all in one place to give you a range of looks to really make you stand out from the crowd. We really want to capture that glint and energy in your eyes that tells just a glimpse of your story and personality, just enough to draw the viewer in to you and leave them wanting to find out more.
The summer release of the new Swallows and Amazons movie opened last week. Orla Hill, plays Susan Walker, to find out more about the film and their characters visit, www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/film/swallows_and_amazons .
