You Win!

Hooray! You're the winner! You followed all the links to the Archetype blog and for that, there's a great prize!

For the first week in October, just mention that you've been to the blog, and you'll receive a full package for just $100.

That's a 75% savings off the full, regular price.

Appointments for this offer will be taken through October 5, 2007, cannot be combined with any other offer, and must be completed in the month of October, 2007.

It's our way of saying thanks for giving us a try!

And keep checking back for random unadvertised specials.

Larry Neumann, Jr.

The Joseph Jeff Awards are nothing new to Larry. Many of the productions that he's lead have received nominations and been identified as outstanding by the Jeff committees, but his performances have been recognized three times over the years. Now, he's been nominated for his work in The Puppetmaster at Lodz. But another nomination for an award is not news for anyone who follows Larry's career.

Larry Neumann, Jr. has been described as a "Chicago treasure" or with similar praise in virtually every review he's received. When I sent out the notice that I was looking for talent to work with, I was thrilled when Larry expressed interest. What better way to start a venture than with a treasure?

I first saw Larry perform in an adaptation of Oedipus. A few years later, I saw him play Iago, but I didn't get to know Larry though until he married Sandy Borglum (who is also a brilliant, passionate performer.) I've seen him perform several times since those initial, classical roles, but his performances are so specific, so fresh, that I remember details from both all these years later. And it doesn't hurt that Larry is one of the nicest people I've ever met in the Chicago performing industry.

We met in a coffee shop to talk about career goals and how we might update his marketing images. He started off by modestly calculating that he works an average forty weeks a year as an actor. Those are paying weeks! He's listed exclusively with Geddes and he's very happy with the number and quality of auditions they set up for him. If there's something filming in town that needs a homeless man, a crazy man, or a world-weary detective, Larry seems to be the go-to guy. He loves to play the characters that are out on the edge, and we definitely needed an image that keeps in those markets.

But, by nature actors are dreamers and every successful actor I've ever worked with has set goals in terms of roles they want to play, companies they want to be part of, industries they want to crack, and Larry's no different. Larry loves working in Chicago and he recognizes that he'd be a fool to complain about the roles he gets, he has a definite taste for the classics and feels like he's just at the point where he'd love to tackle the great classic roles again. We talked briefly about Iago. He performed that role at The Theatre Building, and as was my habit for that show I sat in the front row on the aisle. I remember all of the actors in the lead roles. It was a simple production, and for some reason I'm remembering it all in blues and greys. At one point, Larry as Iago appeared next to me, startling me, and began one of his soliloquies. He was electric.

I think there isn't a great Shakespearean role that Larry in which he wouldn't be brilliant. He mentioned Richard III as a particular favorite. I'd love to see his Lear.

As expected, Larry showed up for the shoot simply, and fully prepared, open for anything. His existing shots, in my opinion, were over lit and lacked color. We did several set ups and lighting arrangements. We still had about thirty shots left and that's when I suggested something darker, what I called "the Iago shot." Of all the shots we took that day, and there were a lot of great ones, I'm particularly excited about it because it captures Larry's depth and showcases him in a light quite different from his current headshots. I think it shows Larry to the Chicago performance community in a way that they might not ordinarily think of him. Wouldn't you cast this actor as Iago? Yet, it is absolutely and completely Larry.

That's the goal of any good headshot, especially one as established within a market as Larry Neumann, Jr.

Brian Coleman

Do you remember your senior year in either high school or college? For me it was the year that everything came together and all my hard work starting paying off. I was getting the roles I wanted, I had freshmen looking up to me. The world was just waiting on the other side of the diploma and I just knew I was going to conquer it. And frankly, I'm pretty pleased with my success so far.

Brian Coleman is a senior at Northwestern and he's just bursting with enthusiasm and ready to take on the world. Brian had heard through a mutual friend that I was setting up shop and expressed an interest in working with me. Not apparent from the shot above, but Brian has an amazing smile. I have yet to see him perform, but I've been around long enough to know talent when I see it, and Brian is the real deal. He is one to watch.

As with all my consultations, we quickly settled on the topic of Brian's career goals. Initially after graduation he intends to work in Chicago. He's already performed with About Face, which is not a bad debut credit for any actor. Brian intends to do it all. He's a dancer, so he's very interested in musicals. He's an actor and doesn't limit his ambitions to the stage. And he's practical. He realizes he needs to make money, so he's after the print and modeling work. He's going to do it all.

We talked about a lot of things, but when we talked about print work, I asked Brian what types of products he imagined he could sell. Toothpaste was his initial response. But for me, I told him there was something about that glorious head of hair that said Gap to me. He laughed. He's fully aware that he has Gap hair.

So, or our shoot among other things I studied the pictures in a Gap ad. This shot isn't meant to mimic those ads so much as it's meant to evoke them. Couldn't this kid sell you a T-shirt?

Brian Coleman: remember that name.

Congratulations, Larry Neumann, Jr.!

Archetype actor Larry Neumann, Jr. nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award!

Welcome to Archetype Images Blog!

How is this different from the website?

Well, here we will feature information about the actors and share the experience of the shoot. This space is all about the talent who consult with Archetype Images to help them develop marketing tools to establish their presence within their selected market segments.

That sounds pretty intense, doesn't it? All that formal rhetoric for a simple actor headshot?

Yes. And here's why.

In the more than twenty years that I've been part of the Chicago performance community, I've seen it happen time and again. Performers who approach their craft with a business discipline establish success at a higher rate, and more quickly, than those who do not. Frequently, performers with unbelievable talent simply languish, performing year-in and year-out in humble storefront productions for five people. They do it for the love of the craft and that is an admirable and noble cause.

But we live in a materialistic society, and rent (like attention) must be paid. Life must be lived and to do that, for the vast majority of people, that means a living must be earned. Discipline, dedication, and communication are the key tools for advancing a career.

Archetype Images is dedicated to helping Chicago-area performers develop the marketing tools, and primarily photographic tools, to focus on the communication aspect of the business.

Simply put: The Archetype Images website is about us. The blog is about you!

So, we will be featuring artists here and helping give them a boost in the performing community. We've just started and already we worked with some amazing talent! Check back often for updates to see what people are doing in the Chicago area.