I checked recent discussion threads and can’t find these points covered anywhere.
I was reviewing advice from a college audition coach regarding the resume sent to MT programs; virtually all of it made sense to me, but two points made me go: “Really?” and so I wanted to check with the broader group. (I wish I could do a poll but either this functionality doesn’t exist or I can’t find it.)
List the applicant's weight. Is this something your D or S did or will do on the resume?
Use a colored font. Did your D or S eschew black, and if yes, what color was selected?
My gut was to advise not to do the former and to print using black ink.
@Twelfthman Being over 6’ and not small, my S did not include his weight. He listed his vocal range, height, hair & eye color. The only color in his resume might be the way the email address pops in…otherwise it’s b/w. we also included a tiny headshot in the corner. (And we printed his resume in black ink only…(this is his first resume, and not being used professionally…for school applications only…maybe for professional he would need to include weight…not sure).
We used black ink. The advice about the weight it for professionals but many students do the same, I would say skip it if your actor is uncomfortable.
The advice we got was:
Print the resume on 8x10 paper
List roles in order of importance, not chronologically
Make the name large
Staple the resume to the back of the headshot.
We had headshots printed online by a service that mostly does acting headshots and we had her name printed in the photo margin so her name was on both sides. They also shipped us the 8x10 resume paper. Super convenient. They would also have printed the resumes for us but I chose to do that at home.
I would not include weight if you are at all unsure about how it will cut - they can see what he looks like when he auditions, and they will not “expect” to see weight listed unless they expressly ask for it.
I think it’s completely fine to stick with a very simple, clear format all in black ink. My D has successfully auditioned for BFA programs and professional roles with a straightforward black ink resume, and a college coach asked her to share her resume as an example to use with other students. You do not need to get any fancier if that is not your forte or inclination.
Absolutely do NOT list weight on a resume. That is none of their business and it causes great emotional stress on students for no good reason. They can make their own guess from looking at you, and most of them are looking for whether the whole package makes sense or not. Meaning does this person have a good sense of who they are, do they know what kind of roles they are marketable for, and do they seem comfortable in their body.
As far as colored font, I wouldn’t. Sometimes it works, most times it looks weird.
Eye and hair color items are outdated. They were very helpful in the time of black and white photos, but with a color photo the information is all there.
The resume is not a deal breaker. It is a source of information that we might otherwise not know and it helps us look for connections and conversation starters. It should tell us a story about who you are and get us interested in learning more.
Thank you @VoiceTeacher - your comment about hair color made me laugh. I thought it was good to list my D’s because she was always dying it for fun or for roles and sure enough she had different color hair for prescreens and headshots than she did for auditions. Her resume read Hair Color: Blonde (Dyed Brunette). I think they would have recognized her anyway, but you get paranoid about details when you’re stressed.
I know some do like the height, weight, hair, color, etc and some do not. It really depends on which school. As evidence here. I would go with the industry standard. But in the end, as said here, the audition matters more than the resume
@Notmath1 - totally agree. I mentioned earlier that my D’s resume has weight listed, that was NOT the case when she was auditioning for schools. It got added when she started doing summer stock auditions - b/c companies started asking for it to be there. Whether that is just “tradition”, or there are places that have parameters based on specific costumes etc I don’t know - but it has remained on since
@VoiceTeacher@Notmath1@toowonderful@CaMom13@artskids@loribelle@lithpool@elsacc Thank you for sharing your perspectives on resume content and appearance. It’s so helpful to us who are getting ready to embark on this process for the first time. Sometimes, I wonder how much technology really helps humankind, but this CC MT forum is one of the best ways I’ve seen technology used to help people help people.
Wishing everyone happy year end holidays and @MTSongbirdMom our thoughts and prayers are with you and your daughter this season.
I think they would have recognized her anyway, but you get paranoid about details when you’re stressed.