The Actor's Survival Guide

How to Make Your Way in Hollywood

Jon S. Robbins

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9781350039384
• eBook ISBN:
  9781350039391
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Acting & Auditioning

The Actor's Survival Guide: How to Make Your Way in Hollywood is a handbook and essential guide to the business of living and working as an actor in the Los Angeles area.

Exploring the experience of relocating to L.A.; the casting process; and how to identify – and find work with – the key players in the film and television industry, the book offers a business-centered road map through the industry. It seeks to navigate the challenges and identify the pitfalls and wrong-turns that hinder too many promising careers and frustrate even the most dedicated of actors. In doing so, the book seeks to provide an extra-competitive edge of experience and know-how for those actors who have the skills and determination to persevere.

This second edition features a number of new sections and topics including:

Recent census data for the Los Angeles County Neighborhood Statistics
Updates on casting diversity with the most recent SAG/AFTRA data
Changes in contracts for film, television and stage, including information on AEA's new Hollywood Equity Waiver policy
Details on new contracts for film, television and new media; ongoing contract negotiations for video game content; and the ramifications of the SAG/AFTRA merger
The role of computer-generated images (CGI) and motion capture (MOCAP)
Renewed emphasis on set safety, especially for stunt performers
Audition workshops
Recent prosecutions of casting directors for "Pay for Play" violations
Emerging role of social media in an actor's marketing strategy
Dos and don'ts of video self-taping of auditions
Expanded glossary to include new media and performance capture vocabulary

Written from the perspective of working actor and experienced career-guidance teacher Jon S. Robbins, this unique guide will help aspiring actors bridge the gap between training in drama schools and working in the epicentre of the film and television industries.

1 MOVING TO
LOS ANGELES

I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advanced confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

HENRY DAVID THOREAU—Walden

ACTOR’S RESOURCES

Discover: Los Angeles—“Explore the Neighborhoods of Los Angeles”

The City of Los Angeles / Housing Department—Residential Housing Information

Bing Maps—Los Angeles—Detailed map of Los Angeles

Sigalert Traffic Map—Real-time traffic information

Los Angeles Metro—Public transportation and maps

The LA Beat—Entertainment, Dining, and the Arts

IMSDb—Internet Movie Script Database

Los Angeles Almanac—Reference Guide to Los Angeles

Okay, you have decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television. You have taken classes, trained, and paid your dues performing in the regional and community theater ecosphere that exists in whatever corner of the world you hail from. You are ready. You have the chops. No one can talk you out of it, and no one should; otherwise, you risk becoming one of the, what Thoreau identified as, “men who lead lives of quiet desperation” (Thoreau, Walden, 111). And, if you truly have the fire in your belly, then nothing will change your mind. But you do need to know that you will be one of thousands of “wannabe” professional actors who each year move to Los Angeles to follow that dream, nine out of ten of whom give up within their first year.

Dreamers fail for many reasons, but lack of planning ranks high among them. Los Angeles has grown to a megalopolis of over 12.9 million people, crammed into over 4,751 miles of suburban jungle. Dorothy Parker called it “seventy-two suburbs in search of a city.” Raymond Chandler described it as “a big, hard-boiled city with no more personality than a paper cup.” You will probably invent your own epithet, but before you can call it “home,” you will need to do some serious planning. To maximize your efforts planning should start at least six months before your move.

IN THE BOX

Years ago my weekly jogging schedule down a narrow Hollywood Hills street often coincided with the jogging schedule of television star Ed Asner, of The Mary Tyler Moore Show fame. One day, as we stood recovering from a run, I gathered the nerve to ask the Emmy award-winning actor why he thought he had finally succeeded after so many years of trying. Between gasps of air he told me that the entertainment business was nothing more than a merry-go-round. “Everybody eventually gets their chance at the gold ring” he explained. “The secret is to stay on the merry-go-round long enough to get your shot at it!”

What Should I Do Before I Move?

Conduct a Personality Audit

Hundreds of new recruits to the acting entertainment industry arrive in Los Angeles on a daily basis to try their luck at the gold ring. What makes you different from them? Why do you think you will succeed when so many of them don’t? You will need more than a “fire in your belly.” Actors succeed in Hollywood by developing themselves into a marketable commodity. So, start by making a list of the personal attributes that will help you stand out from others: personality quirks, skills, talents, hobbies, special training, personal experiences, or accomplishments. Figure 1.1 provides a template to follow. Actor profiles utilized by talent agencies and electronic casting sites also provide checklists that specify the useful skill sets in everything from sports to technical skills. The more skills you have, the more marketable you will be. Evaluate your weaknesses as well. What will be the obstacles to your success, and how can you ameliorate them before making the move? If you are graphically inclined, design a logo for yourself as an exercise in developing your brand, that special quality that sets you a part from others.

Gather Your Resources

Your career move will require certain resources; a personal computer or laptop, a printer/scanner, a cell phone, and reliable transportation remain a necessity. A digital camera and/or video camera, along with a tripod and selfie-stick will be useful although they are not essential. Make a list of every friend, relative, acquaintance, or business contact you have in the Los Angeles area. Your local talent agents, casting directors, coaches, teachers, stage directors, or producers may also suggest contacts or friends in the business with whom you might connect. No contact is too brief or too insignificant to be explored. Gather as many names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses as possible.

Join One of the Actor’s Unions

Joining an actor’s union is, admittedly, easier said than done. Actor’s unions are closed organizations with restricted portals for membership. Success at joining actor’s unions varies. Many actors in Los Angeles struggle for years before scoring a principal role and an invitation to join SAG-AFTRA, whereas others manage to solve the problem before ever leaving home. It is also true that film and television production is now more regional as many states offer tax incentives for production companies to film their projects locally rather than in Hollywood. Actors living near a major city may find opportunities for union casting which are less competitive than in Hollywood. But, if you find professional television and film work slim or nonexistent in your neck of the woods, you are likely to find that professional stage companies thrive in most regions. Equity’s Membership Candidate Program permits actors and stage managers-in-training to credit theatrical work in an Equity theater towards eventual membership in Equity. After a year as a member of Actors Equity, or any of SAG-AFTRA’s other sister unions (such as the American Guild of Musical Artists [AGMA] or the American Guild of Variety Artists [AGVA]), you qualify for membership in SAG-AFTRA.

FIGURE 1.1 Actor’s Skills Checklist

Do Some Research

To prepare for your journey, learn as much about the City of Angels as possible. Discover Los Angeles’ website (LA Tourism, “Discover Los Angeles”) offers comprehensive tourist information on all matters Los Angeles and offers the perfect starting point. The City of Los Angeles and the many independent municipalities that exist within the Greater Los Angeles area, all maintain websites that will furnish residents with useful information, including information on renter’s rights. Online maps can provide geographic familiarity with 4,751 miles of Los Angeles County’s various regions while real-time reports can be monitored on Sigalert’s freeway traffic map. Public transportation routes and schedules can be found at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s website. Other websites, such as LA City Beat or LA Weekly afford windows into the regions’ culture and life styles.

Prepare Two Contrasting Monologues

Anyone with any formal training in theater is likely to have two monologues honed and polished. Certainly every Hollywood actor should have theirs prepared at all times, even though they may not be requested very often. While professional theater directors still initially screen actors through prepared monologues, it is unlikely that anyone in film and television casting would ever ask to see them. Talent agents usually do ask to see a prepared scene before deciding whether or not to represent an actor, and so for them, an actor should commit two scenes to memory; a dramatic scene and a comedic one. These do not necessarily need to be from stage scripts. As this is the film and television industry, a cutting from a film or television script is permissible. Consult the Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb) online for downloadable scripts. Work on your scenes with a coach until they are consistent, honest and present your talent.

Formulate a Business Plan

Business insiders caution that professional actors take, on average, five years to establish themselves in Hollywood and, thus, tempt failure if they are not able to sustain themselves while struggling to establish their career. Similar to any small businesses, you need a business plan, a strategy for establishing a physical workstation, a funding stream and access to the market. Banks require businesses to present an extensive plan, documenting goals, products, services, marketing analysis, organizational management, and finances before loaning them money. I recommend an actor draft their own five-year career action plan that delineates each year’s objectives and action steps (see Figure 1.2). Like any other start-up company, you will need to take time and carefully consider your resources. This careful planning may mean the difference between success and failure! Your business plan should include the following:

A Funding Stream

A consistent and adequate source of income from a flexible form of employment represents the ideal. You should not be faced with choosing between attending an audition or going to your job, unless it really is a lousy job! Develop as many marketable skills as possible: clerical, technological, customer service—anything that one can rely on for a steady source of income.

FIGURE 1.2 Five-Year Career Action Plan Outline

Location

Locate a temporary place to land when you arrive, such as a relative or friend’s home, or as a last resort, a cheap hotel room. Having established a funding stream, you can find a suitable and affordable location to establish a home/office, but only then will you know how much you can actually afford to pay. Are you single or do you have a family? The average rent in Los Angeles is now over $1,900 a month (Curbed Los Angeles, “For Rent”). Housing will represent your biggest expense but should not cost more than a third of your monthly income.

Accessibility

Mastering the physical obstacles of transportation over approximately one hundred squares miles of urban landscape remains the most difficult challenge in Los Angeles. It was custom built for the automobile, but now that has become the city’s nemesis. Savvy drivers know precisely where and when to travel to avoid gridlock. Others rely upon the puzzle of Metro buses, subways, and light rail that have become the Los Angeles public transportation system.

Save Lots of Money

Moving to Los Angeles will take considerable financial resources so count your pennies carefully before determining a plan of action. Los Angeles sucks the life out of a nest egg and can be either affordable or overwhelming in direct proportion to how complicated you make it. One sagacious truism to follow: the more possessions you bring, the more expensive it will be to live. The fewer needs you have, the more likely it is that you will live comfortably without compromising career goals. Thoreau advised, “Our life is frittered away by detail … Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!” (Thoreau, 173).

Develop an Employable Skill

If you have already lived the life of a starving artist in college or elsewhere, and learned at least one service profession such as server, chef, retail clerk, bartender, or office assistant, then you are eminently qualified for the actor’s lifestyle in Los Angeles. Those jobs are always in demand. They may not pay as well as professional positions, but they do provide one very important feature—flexibility. If your work experience tends more toward the professional, seriously consider a brief stint of employment in any of the above-mentioned service jobs before making your move. Employment in these positions is plentiful but competitive, and employers will opt to hire someone with experience before considering a greenhorn.

Whatever work you pursue to accommodate your artistic bent, it must provide adjustable hours and few responsibilities, something that professional and managerial positions rarely do. So, if you have thus far lived a life of leisure and privilege, I strongly suggest that you gain some working-class skills quickly, unless you have the resources to finance your lifestyle indefinitely. Once established, you will find more lucrative alternatives through networking or entrepreneurship, but make certain you have at least one easily marketable skill before moving to Los Angeles.

Contact Relatives and Friends in Los Angeles

Securing a landing pad in Los Angeles helps immensely. It takes time to acclimatize to the city, find employment, and establish a career, as does finding a suitable long-term living space. Motels in Los Angeles are pricey, hostels less so. Apartments may require three months’ rent in advance, equal to several thousand dollars. Craigslist has sublet listings as many residents are bi-coastal, bouncing between two locations, and they need to sublet a space while they are away, which is perfect for someone moving fresh to Los Angeles. If someone does offer temporary housing, think seriously about taking their offer. T...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• List of Abbreviations
• 1 Moving to Los Angeles
• 2 Living in Los Angeles
• 3 Surviving in Los Angeles: Employment, Housing and Transportation
• 4 The Business of Hollywood
• 5 Marketing Your Career
• 6 Talent Agents and Personal Managers
• 7 The Unions
• 8 The Casting Game
• 9 Auditioning in Hollywood
• 10 Hollywood Contracts
• 11 Working in Hollywood
• 12 Finance and Accounting
• 13 Professional Development
• Appendix A: Los Angeles City Neighborhood Statistical Data
• Appendix B: Los Angeles Extra Casting Agencies
• Appendix C: Documents
• An Actor’s Film and Television Glossary
• Bibliography
• Copyright