Commercial vs Theatrical Acting Headshots for Children and Teens

In Orlando, Florida every child and teenage actor who wants to be on the screen needs a commercial headshot. The commercial market here is the third largest in the United States, so there’s loads of opportunity for young actors to get experience acting in front of a camera!

And —-> Kids often have a need for acting headshots that will be appropriate for theater, as most children are still involved on stage work.

So, how do you know if your child’s headshots are going to work for commercial work, or if they’re for theater auditions and programs?

What is the difference between Commercial Headshots and Theatrical Headshots for Child Actors?

There are a few main differences between acting headshots for kids in commercials and theater. Let’s look at what those are, and how you can know which type of child acting headshots in Orlando will work best for you!

difference between commercial and theatrical headshots for kids

Differences in Expression

Specific expression is vitally important to understand if you want your headshots to work for your child. The expression your child has in his or her acting headshots will communicate a number of things to casting directors:

If you are looking for commercial work, film/tv/drama, or theater roles
Your child knows how to act!
Eye contact and connection (can your child connect with a camera and audience?)

So, how do we know what type of expression is right for commercial vs. theatrical?

Commercial Headshot Expressions

For commercials, your child needs a friendly expression - always.

Your child’s smile must be natural and real.

If your child sometimes has a hard time offering genuine smiles for the camera, there are a few things you can do as the parent help!

Prepare a playlist idea that your child loves to dance to and that will help them relax to the music. We will play music during our session, and when they are songs that your child loves, those smiles will come much more naturally.
Practice in the mirror with your child.
Come up with a few fun or funny phrases that you can share with your child during the session. Joking and comfortable conversations will help.
Make sure your child has had plenty of rest before the headshot session. Coming in after a long day at school, for instance, may not be a good idea if your child is normally tired after school. In these cases, pick a Saturday session date, take the last hour of school off for a break, or schedule your session in the early evening after a snack break.

Your child’s expression needs to look like there’s nothing hidden, and that your child’s personality is fun, kind, and confident.

Expression in the face and the body language needs to communicate happiness and confidence in sharing who they are… that there’s no secrets or insecurities. We will accomplish this with younger actors through my bag of tricks and posing games, but you can prepare your child by practicing. Pick up your own camera - even your cell phone - and do a photo shoot to see what helps him or her feel most at ease during posing.

For the most effective commercial shots, the smile needs to be warm and real, but not forced, or false.

We may do a bit of laughing (especially with younger child actors), but casting directors and agencies prefer to see a nice, normal smile that shines with confidence. Practice practice practice!

Body language also matters!

Even though very little of the body is in your final actor headshot, body language still communicates, and a casting director can tell is your child is stiff or uncomfortable. We will work with your child to have comfortable positions, relaxed arms, and sometimes a sense of movement to make sure they are able to act from head to toe.

You can also have a few shots for child commercial headshots that are somewhat whimsical. These will not be your main commercial headshots, but they can be used for specific types that have a quirky nature like “class clown,” “geek/nerd,” etc. The benefit of capturing this look is that they can also be used for TV or film.

What about glasses?

Wearing glasses to enhance your commercial headshots is a wonderful idea if your child normally wears glasses. However, unfortunately we won’t be able to use your child’s real glasses unless you have the lenses popped out for the session, as they nearly always reflect the lighting gear.

We have a variety of “lensless” glasses here at the photography studio that we can use during the session to get you the look your agency needs to market your child.

If you are going for a comedic specific type, you can add glasses to the shot to enhance the character. For your general commercial shots, however, only wear glasses if your child actually wears them in real life.

Theatrical Headshot Expressions

For your child’s theatrical headshot, we can move between semi-serious and simple smiles.

Usually, a theatrical headshot should have a kind, but semi-serious expression.

Theatrical headshots can be used for both theater actors and for film/TV actors. When we talk about “theatrical headshots,” we are normally referring to the expression and communication of the headshot.

Eye connection is very important for theatrical expressions. Your child should seem like there’s wisdom and a senes of “knowingness” behind those eyes.
Because your child is still… well.. a child, we still need the expression to feel youthful and warm. Only when they become older teens will a very serious expression be appropriate for casting directors’ needs.
Match the outfit to the concept: Keep your child’s shirt simple, and medium to darker in tone. Black is ok for teens older than 14.
Hair should be normally down for girls, natural, styled nicely, but not too glam. Preparing the appropriate hair and makeup contributes to the expression and communication of these teen and child theatrical headshots.

Theatrical Expression for Acting Headshots - for Kids and Teens - tend to feel present, focused, calm, and kind.

It’s the type of headshot that showcases their expertise, and also captures a true nature when your child or teen is feeling calm and present-minded.

Theater auditions and programs love this type of look for headshots.

When your child is younger, however, a simple smile will also work!

Sometimes, we will take the photo front on, and sometimes from a slight side-angle. Both are ok for theatrical headshots.

Differences in Outfits

Your child’s outfit matters! All clothing should fit your child well, and when in doubt, pick one layer. Two layers is ok if they go very well together and don’t feel too heavy.

Commercial Headshot Clothing

Fun, bright, light, and youthful.
You can add a layer if it’s simple, and not too heavy. For instance, heavy denim jacket may be too much, but denim overalls are perfect for 14 and under.
If you opt for a pattern, keep it young and friendly! Stripes for boys, light flowers for girls, etc.
Even though you may think that pastel colors would be a good pick, they don’t photograph well. Avoid super light colors.
The clothing should fit your child very well! Nothing that will drown your child or teen, or that’s too tight.

Theatrical Headshot Clothing

It’s best to stick with medium to darker tones.
Color nearly always looks best, but if your teen is 15 or older, black and gray is ok!
One layer is best for theatrical headshots.

See if you can see the differences in what to wear for commercial headshots, vs. the theatrical headshots!