Kevin Spacey - Advice to Aspiring Actors & Actresses

If you consider yourself to be an aspiring actor or actress, or if you're a working actor or actress -
Watch this clip from Kevin Spacey and see if you are doing what it really takes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-stA68drYSk

Steve Snowden
www.Route66Photography.com

Headshots for working actors, actresses, and models.

Modeling Scams

Thought I'd follow up yesterday's blog posting with a link I found while surfing around the Screen Actors Guild website.

http://www.modelingscams.org/modelingconventions.html

If you're an aspiring model and/or actress, there is lots of valuable information on the web that will educate you on how to avoid the many scams out there and the people who run them.

Don't be rushed into paying thousands of dollars for a crash course in acting or modeling. You don't need to pay thousands of dollars to travel across the country to attend a modeling convention to maybe 'win' a plastic trophy.

There are wonderful actor and modeling agencies right here in New Mexico. Get a nice portfolio of headshots and start sending them around. Read the local casting calls and go to some auditions. Try your hand at local theater.

There are several reputable acting schools in Albuquerque that are owned and operated by experienced actors and models who are now sharing their knowledge about the business. Many welcome you to sit in at no charge to classes that interest you.

Here's the bottom line. The hard cold truth... A legitimate agency only makes money when YOU make money. They earn a commission / a percentage of your earnings. That's the ONLY way a legitimate agency can stay in business. So, they have a reason to keep trying to find you work. That's how they earn their commission.

If they make their money by having you write them a check for a promise of future work.... that is unethical and in some places illegal.

Do your homework. Take advantage of the Google search engine. And stay smart -

Best,

Steve Snowden
www.Route66Photography.com

Info from SAG / Screen Actors Guild

According to the Screen Actors Guild, a legitimate talent agency does not charge an advance fee for registration, resumes, public relations services, screen tests, photographs or acting lessons.... consumers should always pay the photographer and the printing company directly for any work done.

This is excellent advice!

This is traditionally a slow time of year for filming but don't let that slow you or your goals down. Keep up with your acting lessons and practice, practice, practice!

Also some good news for fans of "IN PLAIN SIGHT", filmed here in Albuquerque. It has been renewed for 2 more seasons... and they will be shooting both seasons back-to-back starting in January 2011, about a month away. That means shooting on "IN PLAIN SIGHT" will go on for almost ALL of 2011. Lots of opportunities for local actors and actresses.

I'll be posting links to upcoming casting calls as they are available.

Happy Holidays to everyone and we hope to see you on the tube or screen soon!

Best,

Steve Snowden
Route 66 Photography
www.Route66Photography.com

Rising Star Hannah Contrucci -

Hannah recently signed with A&M Agency. Congratulations, Hannah!

Read more about Hannah and see her resume at -

http://hannahcontrucci.nowcasting.com/

Route 66 Photography recently updated Hannah Contrucci's Headshot Portfolio during a morning visit to Old Town Albuquerque, New Mexico.

A former student of Steve Willmon at Albuquerque's Ovation Actors Studio, Hanna is an experienced SAG actress whose Hollywood credits include "MONK". After working for several years in Los Angeles, Hanna and her family returned to Albuquerque to attend to some personal and family obligations.

Hannah is staying busy with Disney Channel casting calls and auditions and has most recently been working on the new movie BLOOD BROTHERS.

If it's time to update your head shots or modeling portfolio, give us a call. We can accommodate and work around your school and work schedule.

Follow your dreams!

Steve Snowden

505.401.6358

http://www.route66photography.com/

Great News for Fans of BREAKING BAD

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We just got word yesterday that BREAKING BAD has been renewed for a 4th Season! That's especially great news for all of the local cast and crew of the series.

And BREAKING BAD has now taken over AMC's #1 spot beating out MAD MEN.

Congratulations to Bryan and everyone associated with the show!

And as a side note, we're especially proud to have help create the Headshot Portfolios for over ½ dozen cast members of BREAKING BAD.

Steve Snowden
Route 66 Photography
http://www.route66photography.com/

Headshot Portfolio Session for USC Film Student

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We worked with University of Southern California Film Major Lupita this morning in building her first professional Headshot Portfolio.

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Lupita is back in New Mexico for the Summer and is spending some of her time continuing her writing and studying her craft. She plans someday to both direct and act in Hollywood films.

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Best of luck to Lupita with her studies and future career both behind and in front of the camera!

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If it's time to update your actor / actress headshot portfolio or take that first step and create your first one, give us a call and let's get it on our schedules. If you've lost or gained more that 10 pounds, or cut or colored your hair since your last headshots, give us a call at 505.401.6358. We can schedule your headshot session and make it fit with your work and school schedule. And, if you call now and schedule before July 15th, you'll lock-in our current rate of just 100.

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Thanks!

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Steve Snowden

Route 66 Photography

http://www.route66photography.com/

Current Casting Calls!

There are several upcoming casting calls posted at http://www.crewnewmexico.com/moviejobs .

Good Luck!

Steve Snowden
www.Route66Photography.com

A Great New Talent for New Mexico's TV & Film Industry

We had a great head shot and modeling portfolio session last Saturday with Veronica Wilson of Albuquerque. Veronica is a college-level music educator nearing completion of her PhD. She's got a great look and energetic personality and has been encouraged by friends and family to investigate New Mexico's growing film industry.
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Veronica contacted us and in addition to creating a great headshot portfolio for her, we also shot a clothing catalog-style modeling series. Several of the larger national mail-order catalogs will be shooting in Albuquerque this year and it's good to be prepared with some photographs showing a variety of poses.
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Now Veronica has a great assortment of photographs to mail and email around to agencies in the area.

And BONUS - she's got beautiful new photos of herself for her Facebook account!
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Aspiring actresses and models need current photos so they 'look like their photographs'. If it's been more than 6 months since your last photo shoot; if you've gained or lost more than 10 pounds or if your hair is longer or shorter or a different color than your present promotional photos - give me a call here at Route 66 Photography. If you've been sending out the same photos for more than 6 months, they've already seen you. Give them a fresh new look! Schedule an appointment to update your portfolios. We can schedule to fit a session around your school and work schedule.

If you already have headshots, update them. If you've never had professional headshots taken, take the first step and call now to schedule an appointment.

Best of luck to Veronica. If she does the necessary leg work and starts making contacts, I predict one of the larger agencies in New Mexico will sign her before Summer's end.
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Steve Snowden
http://www.route66photography.com/

Good Luck to Mrs Albuquerque - Adriane Callinan

We had a great time last weekend roaming the streets of Old Town with and photographing Mrs. Albuquerque 2010, Adriane Callinan. Adriane is married to a career U.S. Navy officer and is mother to an 11 year-old son.

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We were working with Adriane in updating her modeling and head shot portfolio. Albuquerque has the perfect representative in Adriane! Turns out that she was a 'natural' and we got some beautiful poses and photographs with her.

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We thought Adriane has a striking resemblance to TV actress and Golden Globe® Winner Kyra Sedgwick from "The Closer" as did some of the tourists who happened across our photo session!

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On June 19th Adriane Callinan will complete against dozens of other New Mexican women from across our state for the title of Mrs. New Mexico. Mrs. New Mexico 2010 will then go on to the national competition for the title of Mrs. U.S.A. I hope you'll join Route 66 Photography on June 19th to cheer Adriane on to the State title.

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Best of luck to Adriane Callinan!

Albuquerque is #1 in MovieMaker Magazine

As you may have seen in this morning's Albuquerque Journal, MovieMaker magazine has named Albuquerque the best place in the nation to make a film. MovieMaker magazine is targeted at independent filmmakers across the country.

Albuquerque outranked all of the other cities in the U.S. in their annual listing of the Top 10 U.S. cities to live and work in the film industry. We've made MovieMaker's Top 10 for the past four years but this is the first year that we've been in the #1 position.

Keep working and studying - there are a lot more film projects coming to New Mexico this Spring!

Steve Snowden

Route 66 Photography

http://www.route66photography.com/

Lucky for You, Most Actors and Actresses Don’t Become Successful.

There are hundreds of actors and actresses in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe area, but the reality is most of them are sitting on their hands thinking they are going to be "DISCOVERED".

The movie and television industry is a business, and you have to market yourself accordingly. You and your talent are a product that you have to merchandise, improve, and sell everyday.

Most hopeful actors and actresses don’t budget ANY of their time merchandising themselves. Lucky for you, most actors and actresses don’t become successful. There are too many other easier and rewarding careers in the world. If you aren't committed to your acting career, then you might as well choose a different career instead of wasting your time, waiting to be discovered while you walk around the mall.

If you really want a full or part-time career in the Albuquerque / Santa Fe movie and TV industry, you need take it seriously. You've got to want it more than the 100's of other men and women out there who want the same thing.

The lucky thing for you is, most of them will not take to time to sign up for acting classes. Most of them won't practice their facial expressions in front of a mirror for 15 minutes a day. Most of them won't volunteer at local theater groups for a chance to be on stage and improve their presence. Most of them will rely on a Polaroid or a cheesy shot from their MySpace page instead of taking professional 8x10 glossies to their casting calls.

So get to work! Call and get information on acting classes. Steve Wilmon at Ovations Film Actors Studio www.OvationsFilm.com offers a variety of both evening and day and weekday and weekend classes.

Visit my website at http://www.route66photography.com/ and see a sampling of my headshot work. Call me today and schedule a head shot session. I can accommodate your budget and your work and school schedule.

Make 2010 the year that you take yourself, your dreams, and your aspirations seriously!

Steve Snowden
http://www.route66photography.com/

Another Satisfied Headshot Client

We recently updated the headshot portfolio for actress Jenna Brooks.

Jenna is perfecting her craft at Steve Wilmon's Ovations Film Actors Studio here in Albuquerque. Give Steve a call at 505.319.7780 for a complete schedule of the classes he offers.

We offer friendly, unrushed head shot sessions that include 5 high resolution edited/retouched images along with web-optimized versions for email and web site use, all for $95. Your edited images are given to you on CD along with a signed Photographer's Release. Print and distribute your images without restrictions.

There are a lot of exciting new and continuing film and TV projects now in the area. Set building is underway for the blockbuster new movie THOR up North of Santa Fe right now. Check out the local casting calls and start 2010 with a great new series of headshots.

Give me a call anytime at 505.401.6358 to schedule a headshot session that will fit YOUR family, work, and school schedule. Visit our website http://www.route66photography.com/ to see more headshots of Jenna and other recent clients.

TTYS,

Steve Snowden

Route 66 Photography