How to Take a Central Casting Profile Photo

JUNE 10, 2024

Profile photos are one of the main tools Casting Directors use when determining the types of roles you can portray. Having clear, well-lit, and well-framed photos that accurately reflect your current look is key to being successful with Central Casting. This guide will help you take the perfect photos for your online profile.

Why profile photos are important

Background Actors are cast based on their appearance and their ability to portray a role. That's why it's extremely important that your profile photos fit within Central Casting's photo guidelines and always reflect your current look. Adding additional photos to your profile is another great way to show Casting Directors the different types of looks you can portray and the unique wardrobe you own.

How to take a profile photo

Your profile should always have a current headshot and full body shot. When we say headshot at Central Casting, we don't mean professional photos. These are often retouched and altered and cannot be used when considering you for background work. Your photos do not need to be taken professionally, but these guidelines will help you take great photos that will help our Casting Directors when booking their shows and will be a high quality to show to production.

Headshots

Have a friend or family member take your photo in portrait orientation so you're framed straight on, head to mid-torso with your shoulders at the edges of the frame. Your head must be facing the camera straight on (not tilted or angled) and the top of your head cannot be cut off. Your arms should be at your sides, not posing next to or covering your face.

Casting Director Sara V. posing for a headshot

Examples of good headshots

Examples of unusable headshots

Full body shots

Have a friend or family member take your photo in portrait orientation so you're framed straight on, head-to-toe taking up the majority of the frame. Your whole body must be directly facing the camera, not angled or posed to the side.

Casting Director Sara V. posing for a full body shot

Examples of good full body shots

Examples of unusable full body shots

Photo do's

Take your photo against a white or solid light background free from clutter and busy patterns. Nothing in the background should distract from you.
Photos should be well-lit and in focus so your face is clearly visible. Photos that are too bright or dark or that have harsh shadows cannot be used to determine if you can portray a role.
Wear your hair down or styled in a way that Casting Directors can clearly see your hair length. Hair length is used often during casting, especially for period roles and when casting doubles.
While we understand that personal expression and artistic expression are important, we encourage you to infuse your personal style while dressing in a professional manner that you would like to be seen by Casting Directors, Production Staff, and other Industry Professionals. Please wear clothes that cover your torso and chest in your headshot and full body shot. Additional photos, including bathing suit images, can be uploaded to your profile once you are onboarded.
Only photos that reflect your current appearance should be added to your profile. Please remove any outdated photos that no longer reflect how you look right now.

Photo don'ts

Photos should not include other people. Remember, the purpose of your profile photos is so our Casting Directors can determine the types of roles you can portray; they will not guess which person in the photo is you.
Do not wear hats, sunglasses, or anything that will obscure your appearance. Casting Directors need to clearly see your face.
Do not include props in your headshot or full body shot. You can upload additional photos with props after completing the onboarding process.
Photos should not be edited or filtered. When you're cast based off the look in your photo, you will be expected to show up to set with that look. Altered photos cannot be used when considering you for background work, including professional headshots.
Do not upload screenshots or photos of pictures. Photos you upload should be high quality original files.

Uploading profile photos

Headshots and full body shots are uploaded as part of the onboarding process. After creating your profile, photos can be uploaded to the "Photographs" section of your online profile. After uploading a photo, you must choose a slot (category) for your picture. You do not need a photo for every slot, these are just options for different ways to classify your pictures.

When adding photos to your profile, quality over quantity is key. Too many photos only clutters your profile and makes it harder to find the photo needed to consider you for a role. Casting Directors recommend:

A current headshot and full body shot
A casual, business, and formal look
1-2 unique looks, like a uniform you own or a period role you can portray

Don't forget to update your photos any time your look changes. To learn more about how photos are used in the casting process, check out our guides Do's and Don'ts for Submitting Photos to Casting Directors and 5 Things to Consider When Adding Additional Photos.