Case Study: Eric Michael Gillet

Eric Michael Gillet was looking to capture some great photos that could help him break into the film industry. Within just a few months of shooting with us he booked over twelve great film roles that allowed him to create a strong demo reel!

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Background

Eric Michael Gillet used to work at HB studios as an acting coach and had been a theater actor for years. He was at a point in his career where he wanted to transition to more film work, and his goal was to capture some film-style headshots that could hide a few subtle features he was concerned with on his face. He hoped the photos would allow him to break into the film industry and capture some footage to begin building a great reel.

Martin, who shot with Eric the first time, had been a guest speaker at one of Eric's classes to talk about marketing strategies for actors. Eric decided to check out City Headshots' website since he was in the market for new headshots. After speaking with Martin about his goals, Eric decided to give it a shot and reached out to schedule a shoot with us.

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"I go through periods where a generic headshot is useful for me - a shot that captures who I am in a general way as a person. And then every few years I like to get very specific by shooting "type" photos. In this case, I was specifically looking for shots that would show me as what I’m most likely to be cast as in film - a white collar CEO or another powerful person such as a judge, senator, etc. I tend to play fewer blue collar characters."

The Challenge

Eric's biggest challenges were based on both his concern with age and how he looked on camera and also on how to capture his type exactly as he needed it:

1. He needed to capture two primary photos - a friendly CEO who has some very dark secrets, and a happy, approachable generic commercial shot that would allow him to do commercial auditions. These both required a very specific focus on expression.
2. He was very concerned with the fact that his left eye had started dropping in recent years. He wanted to see whether there was an angle that we could find that would hide it a bit so it wouldn't need to be photoshopped. It's generally distracting in photos but hard to see on film, so he was OK with having us adjust for it.
3. He wanted one of his looks to be for a music album he was releasing. He needed a great shot with a goatee.

As a lifelong actor, Eric had done many headshot sessions in the past, but he felt his sessions were starting to become very similar each time. He wanted to capture a new energy and vitality, and felt that the depth of field and overall aesthetic of the photos on our website were exactly what he was looking for.

"I felt like you understood what it was like to shoot a face that wasn’t just a young attractive person. The photos on your website showed you could work with me. Your depth of field is amazing in the shots. Casting directors have commented on how the blurred background helps them focus on me instead of the background. You also caught my droopy eye - you mentioned it during the shoot before I even brought it up! At that point, I knew we were on the same page."

​The Solution

Eric booked a three-look headshot session with us and, during his pre-shoot consultation process and the shoot itself, we made a few key recommendations to ensure we'd capture the best possible images:

1. He should primarily focus on wearing suit and tie looks to support the characters he was going for. But during the shoot, he should definitely do a few big smiles to capture a more friendly CEO - this would give him more range than just focusing on intense shots.
2. He should angle his head a bit to the side and down, or we could position the light at a slightly lower angle to open up the droopy eye.
3. He should shoot his images on a blurred background outdoors to capture natural lighting and a more complementary background for the intensity of the CEO look. This would also help him avoid that typical "LinkedIn portrait" shot that many people use for business purposes, and keep looking like an actor headshot.

With these tips, we began his shoot. We directed him and helped capture a set of great expressions by being ultra specific about body and head positioning and relaxing certain features on his face. We also let him see the images throughout the shoot so he could ask for any adjustments and check to be sure he was happy with the way his eye was looking.

We captured a series of different shots at different locations, and then we sent all the high-res photos to him. Eric asked us to suggest a few favorites, and it just so happened that the images we recommended were his favorite photos too. We did natural-retouching to fix some minor blemishes and discoloration in the skin, and within two business days we sent the final color-graded images back to him.

"The entire process from initial call to appointment was less than a week. After shooting, I sent the goatee photos to my concert managers and they were thrilled and used it immediately. The other shots went to my talent agents and they also started using them immediately, commenting on how great they were."

​Results

The final photos helped Eric start booking more consistent film and TV work, which quickly got him the footage he needed to build his demo reel. Here are just a few of the results he's had since shooting with us:

1. He's landed numerous big pharma commercial jobs.
2. Within a few months he landed roles on Daredevil, The Blacklist, Quantico, Kimmy Schmidt, and The Mysteries of Laura.
3. He's been able to much more clearly define his image so casting directors see him as the exact type he wants to play. Instead of being handed generic sides, he is now always handed sides that are for the exact types he loves to play.
4. He attributes more than half his IMDB credits to the headshots he has taken with us.
5. He booked 12 very specific roles using his headshots that allowed him to significantly improve his demo reel to the point that he's now consistently called in for roles he is most skilled at.

The Final Verdict?

Headshots pay off, and we'd like to congratulate Eric on her success!

Before his headshots, he was unable to book roles that were specifically for his type, and had very few film credits. Since doing his headshot session, he has booked 12 very specific film/TV roles that have given him exactly what he needs to move his career forward!

​A Quote from Eric (a few years later):

“For years, Martin Bentsen and City Headshots has been my go-to place for character and type-specific head shots. Martin and his colleagues ‘hear’ you when you explain what you're trying to target in terms of roles and projects, and the images they capture have helped me book most of the work I’ve done in television and film for the past few years. It doesn’t hurt that they’re also professional, courteous, prompt, and truly fun people. ”

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