More than ever, your headshots are your first impression.
Think your LinkedIn or other social profiles, your personal website or your company marketing materials.
People buy from people. This means your first impression is key to getting ahead in business.
This means that your headshot should make the impression you want to make.
Do you want to look approachable? Authoritative? Assured? We’ll help you to make a great and crucially, authentic first impression with your headshots.
For most of us, our headshots are a big part of our first impression but there are other ways of doing things.
While we would encourage you to ring in the New Year with some new headshots, the likelihood is that you’ll spend at least some of the festive period on the sofa watching some cinematic classics.
The idea of making a good first impression got us thinking – what were some of the most memorable entrances that we could get together?
Here are some amazing first impressions from the world of cinema.
James Bond
‘The name’s Bond. James Bond’.
Not much more needs to be said on this one!
You immediately think glamour, sophistication and foreign travel. Nowadays, some of the classic Bond characteristics are sometimes seen as anachronistic but the writers now play with his past reputation while maintaining the Bond image. The idea of Bond precedes the films to such an extent that we all anticipate the familiar phrases and theme song with glee, all thanks to this iconic introduction.
Darth Vader
The Imperial March playing as an enormous black-clad figure strides through the smoke. He commands obedience from his men and abject fear in his enemies, picking up a Rebel crew member by their throat with ease.
Ominous, threatening and mysterious, Vader’s introduction is a seminal cinematic moment, introducing the audience to a unique and timeless villain.
Colonel Hans Landa
This is memorable for introducing both the hypnotic, menacing politeness of the character and the versatility and language skills of the actor.
Christoph Waltz was unknown to Western audiences before Inglorious Basterds – everyone knew who he was afterwards.
The opening scene has him interrogate a farmer who he suspects of hiding fugitives. The scene sets up both the character as a clear thinking and charming psychopath and the actor as a major talent. It’s masterfully done.
Tina Carlyle
Cameron Diaz kicks off the plot of The Mask but really, she made her whole film career take flight with her own entrance scene. She comes into the bank and flirts with the awestruck staff who don’t notice as she cases the place for a robbery.
Although the camera leers at her, Diaz is totally in command of her physical presence, using her first impression to advance the plot and her professional career through her incredible charisma.
Diaz saw that the door was open and went on to become one of Hollywood’s biggest and highest-earning film stars off the back of her killer first impression.
Trinity
It’s hard to believe that The Matrix is 20 years old! This entrance is almost cliche now but at the time it was revolutionary.
Trinity begins the scene seated in an interrogation room but when she’s about to fight her way out, the camera pauses and swivels around her, giving us our first glimpse of bullet time. She dispatches the guards in short order.
This scene introduces the character Trinity as a no nonsense action hero, the goth/punk/sci-fi aesthetic of the film and lets the audience know that they’re going to watch something that they’ve never seen before.
In terms of first impressions, this one is tough to beat as audiences jaws would have been on the floor, unable to believe what they’re watching.
Hopefully you’re inspired to revisit some cinematic classics over Christmas and we hope that you have a restful, reflective festive period.
See you in the New Year!
