College Theatrical Resume

BiGismama
Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:41:53 +0000

The changes in business and more frequent electronic submissions were the reason I asked my original question about paper size yesterday. In just a few short years color photos have become the norm for head shots (although OF COURSE black & white are still perfectly acceptable), so I wonder if the norm for the size might change as well. If a casting director asks for (and receives) resumes and head shots electronically, it stands to reason that they might have a need to print them. Standard printer paper is 8 1/2 x 11. Traditional PHOTO paper is 8x10 (that’s why head shots have always been 8 x10) 8 1/2 x 11 is what everyone has in their home printers, office printers etc. (No one goes to Office Depot or Staples and buys anything but reams of 8 1/2 x 11 paper stock for their printers, do they?) Surely the casting director will quickly print out the file on the handy office printer and it will be on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Seems unlikely to me that they would then want to go to all the trouble to trim it to 8x10 size to “match” their other more traditional submissions.

I suppose my question SHOULD have been: in the digital age, is using traditional 8x10 photo size paper really that important anymore, when everyone has access to their own personal printers! I am hoping not, because that really might be kind of antiquated! LOL

Disclaimer: I am not intending to ruffle anyone’s feathers here with my question. I am asking this question in earnest, to discern if/when the size of the resume/headshot will change, to reflect the massive changes in the (printing) industry which has traditionally produced these materials.

BTW, I know of no filing system, file folders, etc. in which an 8 1/2 x 11 print would stick out. 8 1/2 x 11 has been a standard business size forever :)