A new monthly series and Actor Headshot Scholarship from CONNECT/CREATE aims to eliminate a fundamental barrier to opportunity
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, July 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — While regularly reviewing talent submissions, Maxine Torosian notices a recurring pattern. Skilled performers are submitting self-taken photos, outdated headshots, cropped group images, and low-quality files. In numerous instances, she cannot confidently put them forward for roles. The issue isn’t their ability—it’s that they lack the fundamental materials that casting directors anticipate.
“That was the moment I realized things had to shift,” remarked Maxine Torosian, who founded CONNECT/CREATE. “I kept seeing talented individuals miss out on chances before anyone ever saw them perform. No one ought to lose a potential role simply because they couldn’t pay for a photograph.”
This issue extends well beyond a single application. Casting platforms and agents generally decline submissions that lack up-to-date professional images, and a quality photo shoot can run several hundred dollars. At the same time, the industry is evolving rapidly. Vertical series are generating fresh demand for on-camera performers, self-produced content is becoming an expected career route, and artificial intelligence is transforming how actors’ likenesses are used. Performers require updated materials and more robust professional connections now more than ever, precisely when traditional opportunities have become harder to find.
CONNECT/CREATE was established to address that divide. CONNECT/CREATE is a monthly gathering for networking and professional growth, spearheaded by Maxine Torosian through GranVia Studios. The event assembles actors, directors, producers, and entertainment industry professionals to help creatives forge connections, refresh their professional marketing assets, and uncover new avenues in a changing entertainment landscape.
Central to this initiative is the Actor Headshot Scholarship, which grants fully complimentary headshot photo sessions to selected performers each month. IndieMe.ai, a tech firm dedicated to safeguarding talent likenesses during the AI era, sponsors this scholarship. Those who attend additionally receive one year of Indie Me‘s Tier 1 likeness protection plan at no charge, along with continuous tracking of where their image appears online.
“A performer’s likeness goes beyond a simple picture. It represents their identity, their profession, and their future income potential,” stated Dion Johnson, founder and CEO of Indie Me. “The very headshot that lands a role might also show up in places the actor never approved. Safeguarding your likeness is now just as essential to a career as having one.”
About CONNECT/CREATE
CONNECT/CREATE is a monthly networking and professional development series launched by Maxine Torosian under GranVia Studios. This series unites actors, filmmakers, producers, and entertainment professionals to support creatives in building connections, improving professional marketing materials, and finding new opportunities within an evolving entertainment sector.
About Indie Me
Indie Me is a technology enterprise focused on protecting talent likeness during the AI age. The platform enables actors and creators to locate where their likeness appears, shield it from unauthorized use, and license and monetize it according to their own conditions.
Maxine Torosian
CONNECT/CREATE
+1 747-329-8122
maxinetorosianllc@gmail.com
