Tammy Lynn is the Founder and Head Publicist of Spotlight PR Company, a boutique public relations firm that offers ‘a-la-carte’ services to entertainment professionals. Spotlight PR works with actors, filmmakers, musicians, comedians and other creative types to craft a public image, name recognition and industry buzz.

Tammy has nearly 15 years public relations experience providing her the opportunity to build long-standing relationships with a variety of media outlets. Starting her career at Medialink, the leading broadcast PR company in New York, Tammy was responsible for overseeing PR strategy and cultivating media contacts. Taking her knowledge and skills out on her own, she has worked on a variety of projects spanning the entertainment, lifestyle, technology, medical, non-profit, consumer product, and publishing fields.

At some point, and sooner than later if you’re taking your career bull by the horns, someone is going to say to you: “Send me your press kit” or “Email me your EPK (electronic press kit).” You’ll probably nod your head and reply “no problem” while secretly panicking inside because you meant to put one together but haven’t had time, and you don’t really know what it is or what goes in it, and blah…blah…blah. While I can’t drag you over to your computer to start packaging your materials, I can tell you what steps you need to take to get that kit together. In other words, your excuses end here!

First, I like to start by figuring out what the purpose of the kit is. Are you sending it out to the media or to potential agents & managers? This is important because they don’t necessarily contain exactly the same thing. I like to refer to a package you’re sending to the media as a “press” kit and a package you’re sending for self-promotion as a “personal” kit.

Second, are you sending out hard copy kits or emailing it? With hard copy kits, the more pages you create the pricier the printing costs get. You’ll need to compile everything into a folder and factor in the cost of postage, courier, or gas if you’re delivering it yourself. Another option is having the kit available as an E.P.K. (electronic press kit), which is an electronic version that you can either attach to an email or make accessible as a download from your website. It contains the same information as the hard copy kit, and the only distribution cost might be hiring someone to help you format it for delivery. Make it as compressed of a PDF file as possible without losing quality because no one likes waiting too long for downloads. Along with this file, you can also attach your demo reel or teaser footage to support the information in the kit.

Now that you know there’s more than one kind of kit, let’s figure out what goes in each of them.

The Dreaded Bio

Every kit needs a biography. I know, I know — you hate your bio! But, this is probably one of the most important pieces in any kit, so you need to create one you love…or at least one you can live with. There are different types of bios depending on its purpose: press kit, IMDB, personal website, promotional package, theatre program, etc. For this article, the type I’m talking about is a ‘full length’ bio for inclusion in a press kit. This is often the most difficult to write and the basis for all the others.

Craft a bio that tells your story, something we wouldn’t have known from just reading your resume. It can be more than one paragraph, but not longer than a page; and it doesn’t have to be told in chronological order. You can start with your biggest successes and head backwards into how you got to where you are today or you can create a theme that explains how your personal life experience has helped you in your professional career. You don’t need to reveal anything that makes you uncomfortable or that you wouldn’t want to see in print and it never hurts to inject a little bit of your personality into it either. For a examples of a good actor bio and a not-so-good, click here.

Please Release Me

A press kit can include a press release that highlights you or your current project. If you’re sending a kit to the media, it’s because you’re looking to gain coverage of some sort. Whether you’re seeking a feature story about you or a review of your latest theater production, a press release contains all the basic information: Who, What, When, and Where, along with a news-hook to grab the reader’s attention. A reporter will also consider the urgency of your story idea. If you think logically and ask yourself “why is this important right now?” you’ll begin to understand how a reporter approaches story ideas. Typically, they like to cover stories either before or as they’re happening, not two months after your show airs, so keep your releases about future events.

A release can also be included in a personal kit, even if it’s highlighting something that has already occurred. Releases written for this use can be longer in length, incorporate additional background details, and help to fill out a package if you don’t have a lot of other stuff to include.

For sample press releases, click here.

One-Sheet…or Two

Personal kits often include ‘one-sheets’. Just as a movie poster is a one-sheet for a specific film, you can create one-sheets for yourself or any of your projects. These are literally one-page in length, crafted to highlight a specific project or success, and they usually contain more pictures, logos, and elements of eye-candy than actual written text.

For example, using a specific role you booked on a TV show: at the top of the page is a photo of you on-set and next to it a quick description of your role on the show; below that in the middle of the page you might have the networks logo and the stats on how the show did in the ratings that week; and at the bottom of the page another photo of you in costume or sitting in the make-up chair and a quote about your performance from the director or casting director.

Another example, using a web series you created and starred in: at the top is the web series logo and a brief description of your participation in it; in the middle of the page are a few photos of you on-set and some stats on how many viewers you’ve had or where it launched, and at the bottom of the page are simple descriptions or logos from any awards you’ve won, festivals you’ve screened at, or possibly quotes from press you might have received.

This is your opportunity to go crazy with Photoshop if you have the skills, but these can also be created in standard programs like Word. There are lots of places to view examples and get templates, just search online for ‘one-sheet’.

Clip-Clip-Clippings

I get asked all the time, “So, what exactly am I supposed to do with all these interviews?” Well, this is the place to strut your stuff. Gather them up, scan them into your computer and create pages of your clippings. You can reproduce an entire article or just pull out the best blurbs about you. Be sure to label the source or add the outlet’s logo next to each quote and arrange these in a visually stimulating way similar to a one-sheet. You can sort them by project if you have interviews that span over a number of projects; and you don’t have to include the date if some of your clippings are older. These are your bragging pages, so don’t hold back.

Now that you’ve create these pages, it’s time to think logically again about when to use them. As a general rule, the press doesn’t really care about what other press thinks of you or your project. You don’t usually see Variety quoting Entertainment Weekly…or Deadline.com quoting EXTRA! They want to make up their own minds without any outside influence, which means they’re not really interested in clippings that contain reviews or opinions about something they’re also going to review or cover. The exception is when a reporter is covering you for a feature about the entire body of your work. So, when do you use these clippings pages? In your personal kit, attach them to your website, send them to casting directors, or give them to your agent electronically to help them pitch you.

Say Cheese

Photos are a must with any press kit. Whether you work them into the one-sheets, embed them into your bio or keep them separate, a good photo is worth 1000 words.

When putting together your press kit, keep in mind that reporters love to get behind-the-scenes photos, even if you’re just sitting in the make-up chair. I suggest always taking your own camera with you to set even if you can’t use the photos until after the show airs. You might consider having a few posed shots available for reporters to print as well. Every actor has a headshot, so you can use these to send out, But you might go back and review the session again to find ones that you liked better than your agent…and use them.

Next time you get headshots taken, consider snapping a few shots for editorial purposes. Not sure what I mean by editorial photos? Flip through some of your favorite magazines and pay attention to the photos. Not the advertisements, but the ones that contain the people who are featured in the stories. Notice that a lot of the time they aren’t just your standard head. They can be simple or crazy, placing you in an environment that relates to your role in a specific project or your overall career path. These types of photos can always be cropped if the reporter doesn’t have enough room to print the entire scenario, and who know…you might just get a unique headshot out of it that you wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

Of course for personal kits, your photos really need to target the recipient. If you’re sending to an agent or manager, then be sure to send your best headshots; and don’t forget to attach your resume.

More Stuff

Create your kit to look like a cohesive package. You can use the same header design, logo, or color scheme throughout to make it feel like a single campaign.

Other stuff to think about: If you’re a director/producer/creator of a project, it’s perfectly normal for you to write and include a page of “Notes” that tell the story about how your project started or a behind-the-scenes account of the production. Also, a cast and crew list is a good idea to include for kits that focus on an entire project, but not necessary for an individual’s kit. If you’re an actor or musician, include a demo of your work in hard copy kits, but not always necessary when sending to the media.

Overall, the most important part of any kit is simply getting it done. Stop worrying about whether you have enough stuff or the “right” stuff to put in it…just get started!

Visit Tammy’s website at www.SpotlightPRCompany.com & sign up for her newsletter in which she shares PR tips, media details, and resources. She’ll be back next week sharing info on time-lines for your publicity outreach.