NEW YORK — Headshots are both a comedian's business card and their resumé.
Every day, thousands of headshots are exchanged in person and electronically between casting directors, agents, managers- and every other conceivable person along the entertainment food-chain.
"A great headshot is vital," says Gordus Dungerson, Big time Comedy Agent and Famous person. "It's how you are seen, it's how you are recognized. A bad headshot will cost you the gig."
Mark Vigeant, Famous Comedian from New York, has been performing, writing, and doing everything he can to get noticed by the Industry for the past five years. "It can be a bit exhausting at times," said Mr. Vigeant in an interview 19 days ago. "There's no right way to do it. That's, I guess, the biggest problem."
Mr. Vigeant was just another white straight male comedian in his mid-20's. Nothing was working. That is until he tossed things up a little bit.
"I was printing off my headshots and as I was looking at them I was thinking 'Ugh, how do they even know I'm funny? That I have talent?' And that's when it hit me," said Mr. Vigeant. "Two days and 1400 dollars later, I had a new headshot that was getting me in the room."
The new heashot is bold. It's unique. The careful placement of Mr. Vigeant's hand on his face is indication that he knows what a hand is, and he's not afraid to use it. His eyes are fierce for some reason, and he explicitly asked not to have his skin photoshopped. "I want people to see my pimples, so they know I'm not afraid."
Since adopting his new headshot, the gigs have been rolling in. "I can't tell you how successful I've been. Just the other day I got a phone call from Chris Kattan."
Mr. Vigeant is hoping to adapt his new headshot into a pilot and film, both of which already have prospective buyers. But he's not resting on his laurels. "I know how things work in this Industry. The sparks fade. That's why I've got my eyes on my next big move," said Mr. Vigeant, referring to his freshly rewritten bio that refers to himself playfully in the third person.