Task 1D

The world around us is constantly changing and we are more frequently using the web as a resource. This is particularly prevalent in the performing industry right now. Casting directors and agents immediately look at who you are and what you look like to see if you will fit into their books or desired role. Websites such as Spotlight allow you to have several pictures to represent yourself immediately. This reminded me of when we were having CV talks during my time at drama school. They kept re-iterating that you must have headshot on your CV and some agencies wont even look at you application - never mind consider you - if you don't have a show reel. This just shows that we are in a digital world where the book of equity members is no longer looked at, but instead their online database. With the development of apps, the use of images is growing world wide. Apps such as the Daily Mail have pictures which show what the article entails without you even reading it. What ever happened to 'don't judge a book by its cover'?

Something Amanda recently mentioned in a blog rings true for this task as well 'an actor/performer is a person who can be anything or anybody regardless of sex or age or another perceived boundaries'. Without a set of images to showcase how we can mould ourselves as performers (before auditions) how are people to believe that we can live up to their expectations?

An interesting quote from an article I recently read:
Ajay Jhaveri, owner of Argentum Photo, states, “In an age of HD quality, homemade auditions and low quality have simply become unacceptable . Yes, you can shoot your audition with an iPhone, but casting directors don’t want to see that. My biggest thing has always been, what’s the purpose of the product?  The purpose of the headshot is to sell the actor, nothing else. The only thing you should see is the actor. I’m taking the same approach with online casting.”

( http://www.dailyactor.com/acting-advice-columns/online-casting-actors-putting-themselves-on-tape/ )

As the digital world and technology changes so must we. This has to include some ethical considerations however, we must be careful how we portray ourselves online (in some cases try not to type-cast ourselves) anything written, posted or shared online should be done with the knowledge that anyone can find it, read it and perhaps even take it as their own. An article from Spotlight does also mention to remember the world outside of the web and mentions being able to juggle your online and offline presence together as one. Very similar to this course - being able to keep up to date with blogging but also taking the time to look at the world around you and how the things we write about affect us here and now.

http://www.dailyactor.com/acting-advice-columns/online-casting-actors-putting-themselves-on-tape/

So, a link to my set of 2D images on Flickr, I like to think of it as a digital portfolio
https://www.flickr.com/gp/146660310@N04/2vEEo8

Of course there are other ways of sharing images such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, but as I have previously mentioned I try to keep things of similar genre in one place, therefore I use Flickr as a platform on which to present myself as a performer. Instagram is something outside of that world (that doesn't mean I don't use it occasionally when I've been in a show) it's just not directly linked to my practise...or is it as everything online comes back to you as a person?