Sunday, January 13, 2008


My Second City audition is later this week. I'm supposed to wear "Second City attire" and bring a headshot.

I don't have headshots. I don't audition for commercials. I don't audition for anything. I don't have headshots.

I'm not too worried about it. I thought maybe I'd just use this stupid photoshopped picture of myself(/myselves) that I once gave to Young as a gag gift.

Young: Don't.
Sarah: Don't.
Me: Why not?
Young: It's unprofessional. You'll come off as some random person from, like, Toledo who doesn't have headshots.
Me: That's not so far from the truth.
Sarah: They'll think you're trying to be funny.

They have a point. There are few things worse in comedy than trying too hard to be funny. It's more forgivable to simply not be funny than to try too hard. Still, for lack of anything else, I may use it anyway.

Me: It's headshot shaped.

14 comments:

Young said...

Don't use it. You don't even look like that anymore. Blow some picture you've taken of yourself recently for the blog and blow it up to 8X10 and get printed on photo paper at kinko's.

I'm begging you not to use it.

Unknown said...

You are right, trying to be funny is a coffin nail. I think this is hilarious, and I'm all about defying some bullshit standard (you know, from my lofty position) but listen to your peeps. They want what's best for you, and what you are no doubt deserving.
Plus if you make it, in a month or three show this pic to other players, they will think it's genius, and really funny, and not trying.
Happy New Year
cicci

Anonymous said...

What Young said. It is way too easy now to print out 8x10s to not come up with at least a passable version of a headshot. I'll even be happy to photoshop a border and your name on to it before you print it, if you want it to look more like a real headshot.

Shaun said...

Is this is for touring company, I would submit a serious headshot of yourself that is slightly desperate and pleading, like you are willing to get paid very little to perform in hotel ballrooms and sleep in cramped vans.

Anonymous said...

You can always paperclip a benja' to the headshot...then it doesn't really matter what the picture itself looks like.

stonelake said...

Hm. If there was a third, tiny Arnie standing on the shoulder of the smaller Arnie, I would say go for it. As it is, no.

Anonymous said...

Young, Stonelake and everybody else are right. I'm just adding my voice to the (hopefully overwhelming) chours: don't use it. Just use a regular picture of you. That'll be fine. If you can blow it up to headshot size, great. If not, just a regular picture. Good luck, Arnie. You will do very well.

John P. Glynn said...

Don't listen to these squares, Arnie.

As someone who has performed with you every week for most of the last four years, I can confidently say that photo is the funniest thing you ever did. Please don't rob the Second City judges of their opportunity to enjoy it.

Regards,

Someone Whose Girlfriend Also Auditioned for TourCo

Anonymous said...

Don't listen to Stonelake. Clearly, the smallest Arnie should be photoshopped onto the shoulder of the _largest_ Arnie.

Like a parrot.

Personally, I think you'd come off like a "guy who used a wacky headshot to see if he could get a blog post out of it."

Ryan said...

I say use it only if you're going to also wear a name tag to the audition.

Anonymous said...

I don't even know you and I beg you not to do this to yourself. They might not remember you otherwise, but better to not be remembered than to be remembered as "that douchebag trying to be funny with his headshot." It just shows a lack of respect for the people you are auditioning for.

Arnie said...

The people have spoken. I'll use something else.

In my defense, I never thought anyone at Second City would look at that picture and say, "Hilarious! We must hire this guy!" I never thought of the picture as my "secret weapon."

I guess the idea of badly faking a headshot turns me off. I didn't like the idea of someone saying, "Oh look, he thinks we'll think this is a real headshot." So my brain over-corrected with, "Well NO ONE is going to think this is a real headshot."

I'll probably, as Martin suggested, just use a plain old picture.

Maybe I have some weird issue with headshots.

Anonymous said...

Eh, this is probably all leading back to your generally flippant dealings with any audition for 2nd city, and the need to establish the audition as unimportant. It's a defense mechanism, Arnie. That picture of you with your hand on your shoulder is a symbol of everything you're afraid to dream about. Maybe Little, Smiling Arnie is afraid to go off into the world without Big Tall Arnie there to put his hand on his shoulder, eh?

well, I've given you a lot to think about. good sesh.

Young said...

I should also mention that outside of using it in an audition setting, this photo is one of my favorite things ever. Ever.