Getting Started
Fasten your seatbelt—your career is cleared for takeoff! Let’s ensure your onboarding is as seamless as a well-planned journey.
The Actor’s Help Desk is a digital platform designed to empower actors. Our services are tailored for actors of all skill levels and ages. Our focus is on training, developing, and strengthening actors' abilities through a diverse range of interests. Each employs intimate and collaborative methods designed to align with an actor’s unique career journey.
The platform aims to streamline you with more visibility within the industry. Looking for an Agent or Manager and Casting opportunities? You’ve come to the right place!
We play a critical role in the entertainment industry, providing a platform for talent discovery and career development. By connecting aspiring actors with industry professionals, the platform is helping to create a more inclusive and diverse industry.
Let’s jump into the first thing you need to get started - getting your materials and where to place them.
Essential Materials to Launch Your Career
Breaking into the acting industry requires more than just talent—you need professional materials that showcase your skills and get you noticed. Whether you're a beginner or refining your toolkit, this guide covers the three essentials every actor needs:
Headshots – Your calling card
Demo Reels – Proof of your talent
Casting Profiles – Where opportunities find you
Let’s break down how to create and optimize each one.
Headshots: Your First Impression
Why They Matter
Headshots are the first thing Casting Directors see. A great headshot:
Captures your essence and versatility
Looks professional (no selfies or filters!)
Matches the roles you’re right for
Headshot Skills
For Headshots, you want 4-6 character specific looks that can suggest multiple roles or essences! For example, a business suit look can suggest FBI, lawyer, detective, secretary, business person, etc.
A casual look (jeans and t-shirt) can suggest high school, college, blue collar. An upscale JCrew/Banana Republic look can suggest young parent, preppy, white collar, etc. The looks you choose should be based on how you know you realistically will be cast. If you're a man or woman in your late 40s you're most likely not going to win dressing like a college student.
If you're in your late teens or early 20s, a full business suit won't help you that much, maybe a slightly unbuttoned dress shirt with an undone tie and no coat.
Expression is key!
Think of your photo shoot as an audition. If you want to play the sweet mom, the dad, the crazy ex or the murderous un-sub you have to look the part with your facial expression and eyes.
With each different character, you are "playing" you should think of what expression you are going for. A good way to "rehearse" is by watching shows that have the type character you’re aiming for and watch their expressions, practice your look in front of a mirror. When you are in front of the camera it should be as if production called "Action".
If you follow this advice you will have headshots that will definitely capture a Casting Director's attention.
How to Get the Best Headshots
Hire a Professional Photographer – Look for someone experienced in actor headshots (lighting, angles, and industry standards matter).
Choose the Right Looks – Include:
Commercial (friendly, approachable)
Theatrical (dramatic, neutral)
Character-Specific (if you have a niche, e.g., "cop," "doctor" , “nurse”, “military”)
Keep Your Photos Updated – Refresh every 1-2 years especially if your appearance changes.
AHD collaborates with many different photographers to provide your photo experience. We provide Theatrical headshots, Stage/ Theater headshots, Commercial photos, and Editorial Ad looks.
Demo Reels: Show, Don’t Just Tell
Why You Need a Reel
A demo reel is a short video (1-2 minutes) that proves you can act. Casting directors often skip submissions without one.
Read more on this on the Member Blog.
Difference Between a Clip and a Reel
A clip is a single, short video segment (usually under 1-2 minutes) showcasing a specific scene or performance, while a reel is a compiled montage of multiple clips (typically 1-3 minutes total) that highlights an actor’s range, versatility, and best work across different roles or genres.
Clips are often used for targeted submissions (e.g., a dramatic scene for a drama role), whereas reels offer a broader snapshot of an actor’s abilities. Both should be high-quality and curated to leave a strong impression.
A Clip is usually 30-45 seconds
The clips can be created in many different ways:
1. Self-Tapes
2. Shoot scenes with friends
3. Hire a production company
4. Create your own short film
5. Get Footage from projects you book.
A Demo Reel is 3 minutes or less
The Demo Reel consists of multiple projects:
1. A comedy Reel
2. A Drama Reel
3. A Skill Reel
Creating Actors Breakdown Accounts
What is a Breakdown Account?
A breakdown account is where Casting Directors (CD’s) place roles that need to be filled. These services are used by a majority of CSA Casting Directors (Casting Society of America).
For actors there are three major services for Self-submissions:
For Background Work:
(For Los Angeles Actors ONLY)
What is IMDB?
The Internet Movie Database (abbreviated IMDB) is an online database of information related to films, television programs, and video games. The database lists everyone involved including: actors, production crew, fictional characters, biographies, plot summaries, and trivia.
This is important to you as an actor for many reasons.
This is where your acting career shows up, when you work on a job that is credited you will have a profile page that shows what roles you have done. It is also space for you to add your resume, headshots and Bio. You can link your team; Manager, Agent and Publicist on IMDB as well. There is a star meter which rates your popularity with fans and sometimes this meter can help you get the coveted role that is a tie between two actors.
Only when you have all of these completed your headshots and reels, you can begin setting up your Acting profiles above on Actors Access, Casting Networks, and Casting Frontier.
Talk to us today about getting your materials completed if you have not already done so.