Photo and Resume Information for Daytime Drama Submissions

*** IMPORTANT NOTE ***

Unsolicited phone calls and personal visits to Daytime Drama offices are prohibited. Not only does it display a huge level of non-professionalism, it is extremely inconsiderate of the soap's casting directors time. They receive hundreds, and even thousands of photos and resumes every week. They certainly can not accommodate being inundated with phone calls from actors, and aspiring actors. Talent Agents who know soap opera casting directors can call them if it is for a very important reason such as rescheduling a client for an audition. The only exception is if a soap has an "extras call-in line" to check in for work.

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I have been receiving some inquiries regarding what type of photos and resumes to send to a soap opera casting director or agent. Here is a sample of a professional actors resume and photo. The photo should not be a school photo, glamor shot, or a snapshot taken by a non-professional photographer. The photo should be color and professionally taken. Just remember that your photo is your calling card for Soap Operas. It should represent the "real" you, the way you look in everyday life. If your hair is long in the photo, then your hair should be long when you walk in the soap casting office. If your skin is fair, then you should not come to the casting office with a dark tan. Always keep your photos up-to-date according to your look.

Also, there is no such thing as an "application" to fill out for acting jobs. Just the 8"X10" color photo and resume.

The photo can be taken either horizontal or vertical.

Sample Headshots:

Actress Cheyenne Logan

Sample Resume:

Always write in your AFTRA membership number on your resume for soap opera work.

Click Here for a sample Beginners Resume .

One last note about your photos:

If you can't afford to pay a professional photographer to take your photos right now, you can try something else. If there is a school nearby that has a photography department, go there and see if you can do "testing". Testing is when you exchange your time posing for a photography student in exchange for them taking some theatrical headshots and giving you some prints.

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After you get your photos done, get an original 8"x10" print from the photographer, then have that duplicated. Here is where I recommend (you can do it by mail):

Argentum Photo Lab

Your name and any union affiliations should be printed on the bottom of the photo, either on the border or on the corner of the photo itself. Both the photo and resume should be exactly 8x10" and stapled back-to-back on all four corners. Do NOT paper clip the resume, but staple it on all four corners. That way if by some chance the photo does become detached from the resume, the casting director can match them up again. I use a light blue, light grey, or sand color parchment paper, it looks good and is stronger than regular thin printing paper. Paper clip your cover letter to the front of the photo and resume, and have that trimmed to 8x10 so they are all the same size. Send it out in a large clear (transparent) 9"x12" envelope.

Include a very brief cover letter with your submission, stating that you are interested in auditioning for an acting role, or that you are seeking representation by an agent.

SAG-AFTRA

The Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is an American labor union representing over 150,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. The current organization is the result of the March 30, 2012 merger of the Screen Actor's Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

According to the SAG-AFTRA Mission Statement, the union seeks to: negotiate and enforce collective bargaining agreements that establish equitable levels of compensation, benefits, and working conditions for its performers; collect compensation for exploitation of recorded performances by its members, and provide protection against unauthorized use of those performances; and preserve and expand work opportunities for its members.

The Screen Actors Guild was founded in 1933 in an effort to eliminate exploitation of actors in Hollywood who were being forced into oppressive multi-year contracts with the major movie studios that did not include restrictions on work hours or minimum rest periods, and often had clauses that automatically renewed at the studios' discretion. These contracts were notorious for allowing the studios to dictate the public and private lives of the performers who signed them, and most did not have provisions to allow the performer to end the deal.

SAG-AFTRA is the primary performer's union in the United States. The union is affiliated with the AFL-CIO. SAG-AFTRA claims exclusive jurisdiction over motion picture as well as radio, television, Internet, and other new media. Internationally, SAG-AFTRA is affiliated with the International Federation of Actors.

How Soap Operas Are Cast

The soaps writers and producers agree on new roles they wish to add to the show. Then they give the script with the new roles to the casting directors, who in turn send out "breakdowns" of the new characters being cast.

These "breakdowns" actually are sent out by a service called "Breakdown Services" and are only available to licensed Talent Agencies.

Then the agents at these talent agencies submit photos, resumes, and sometimes "demo-reels" to the casting directors. Then the casting directors call in the actors that fit the roles they are casting, usually many many actors are called in.

Then they narrow it down to the best actors who came in and "call back" these actors to read again for the director, sometimes the writers, producer, etc. Then they narrow it down further, and sometimes there are 3 - 4 "call backs" before an actor is finally hired.

Soaps Operas generally do accept submissions from actors and extras directly. The casting director will call in an actor who sends a photo and resume on their own without an agent if they fit the look of the role(s) being cast. But they really do like to see soap opera credits on the resume.

Headshots

What a good headshot is NOT:

1) Your high school yearbook picture.

2) What you think you look like.

3) What your Mom, Dad, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandparent, priest girlfriend or best buddy thinks you look like.

4) Something created at Sears, Penny's, Glamour Shots or Willie's Weddings Unlimited.

5) A display ad for Cover Girl Makeup, Fashion Gal, Jim's Jewelry, Adidas sportswear, Garfield, The Simpsons, Harley Davidson, ad infinatum, etc., and so on.

A Good Headshot:

1) Really looks like YOU.

2) Doesn't hide the dime-sized purple birthmark on the bridge of your nose.

3) Looks like the camera caught you unaware that you were being photographed, and that you were really thinking about something specific, not just trying to look good for the camera.

4) Communicates your "essence" through your eyes, so that whatever you were specifically thinking about when the photo was snapped is something that will attract the viewer of the photo in a powerful way, so that the viewer will think, "Who is this person?"

How To Memorize Your Lines

1. First use a pencil and write down or each page of the script (you can also do several pages at a time as opposed to the entire script).

2. Take the page into a quiet room, shut the door, and eliminate all distractions.

3. Look at the first line in your notes and read it out loud. Then, close your eyes and say the line without looking at it.

4. Repeat the step above, this time with the first 2 lines.

5. Next, try it with 3 lines. Then 4. Repeat until you have memorized every line in the pages/script/sides.

After a study session, take a quick nap. New memories are very vulnerable, but studies have shown that sleep helps your new memories stick. After your nap, repeat the memory technique once more for maximum retention.

Important Safety Information

I always recommend using a PO BOX instead of your home address when submitting to television shows. This is another good reason that getting an agent as soon as possible is of utmost importance. Then your agents contact information is all that is listed on the resume, cover letter, and envelope. There is an earlier post about how to get an agent in my blog archives (or table of contents).

Also, NEVER meet someone outside of a professional environment such as a studio or casting/agents office. Do NOT meet someone at a restaurant, private residence, etc. You should ALWAYS let someone else know EXACTLY where you are going, WHO you are meeting, and WHEN you are going there.

And a parent or guardian must ALWAYS accompany minors. A parent or guardian should NEVER be out of eyesight of the minor, whether it be at auditions or on set.

Soap Auditions