Actor's Survival Guide : How to Make Your Way in Hollywood.

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Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page CONTENTS LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 1 MOVING TO LOS ANGELES What Should I Do Before I Move? What Should I NOT Do When I Move? 2 LIVING IN LOS ANGELES What is the Difference Between Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles? Where Should I Live in Los Angeles? 3 SURVIVING IN LOS ANGELES: EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION How Should I Begin to Implement My Business Plan? EMPLOYMENT Who Hires Struggling Actors in Los Angeles? Where Do I Look for Employment Notices? Are There Jobs I Should Avoid? What is Better, Employment or Entrepreneurship? HOUSING How Do I Rent an Apartment? Should I Rent, Lease, Sublet, or Live With a Roommate? Where Do I Look for Housing Notices? What Should I Look for When I Inspect the Unit? What Application Fees May I Be Charged to Rent/Lease an Apartment? Are There Additional Fees I Can Be Charged if I am Approved? What Are My Renter’s Rights? TRANSPORTATION Do I Really Need a Car in Los Angeles? What Are Transportation Corridors? What Is With the Freeway Names? What Are My Public Transportation Options? Public Transportation vs Private Vehicle? Is Parking a Problem? 4 THE BUSINESS OF HOLLYWOOD What Is Meant By the “Media and Entertainment Industry”? Who Are the Players? What Is the Product Being Bought and Sold? How Well Do Minority Actors Do in Hollywood? Is There a Gender Disparity in Casting? Is There Bias Towards Disabled Actors? Is There Bias Against the LGBT Community? Can Senior Actors Still Find Work in Hollywood? 5 MARKETING YOUR CAREER What Marketing Materials Do I Need? How Do I Find a Good Photographer? How Do I Prepare for the Photo Shoot? What Should I Expect During the Photo Shoot? How Do I Choose a Headshot? Where Do I Have Headshots Printed? RESUME What Should I Put on My Resume? What if I Have No Professional Credits? How Should I Organize My Resume? What Should I NOT Put on My Resume? Do All Actors Lie or Exaggerate On their Resume? How Should I Format and Reproduce My Resume? How So I Get Clips of My Work? What If I Have No Clips? PERSONAL WEBSITE How Do I Establish a Personal Website? SOCIAL MEDIA What Social Media Sites Should I Use for My Career? What Social Media Etiquette Should I Maintain? What Other Computer Software, Extensions, or Apps Will I Find Useful? 6 TALENT AGENTS AND PERSONAL MANAGERS Why Do I Need a Talent Agent? What Does a Talent Agent Do for an Actor? Must an Actor Have a Talent Agent to Submit? What is the Difference Between a Talent Agent and a Personal Manager? How Do I Know a Manager or Management Company is Legitimate? Are There Different Kinds of Talent Agents? How Do You Become a Talent Agent? What is Meant By a Union Franchised Talent Agent? Are All Talent Agents SAG-AFTRA Franchised? What is the Difference Between a SAG-AFTRA Agency Contract and a GSA ? Why Would an Actor Sign a GSA? How Do I Find a Licensed Talent Agent? What Should I Expect When I Meet with a Talent Agent? How Do Talent Agents and Personal Managers Work Together? What Scams Should I Watch Out For? 7 THE UNIONS A Brief History What Led to the Merger Between SAG and AFTRA? What Have Been the Results of this Merger? What Are the Issues Still Before the Union? Are There Other Unions I Should Join? What Does a Union Do For an Actor? How Do I Join SAG-AFTRA ? Do I Have to Join SAG-AFTRA ? Can I Continue to Do Nonunion Work if I am a Union Member? 8 THE CASTING GAME Who Are Casting Directors? What Happens During the Casting Process? Are Casting Directors Licensed? Is the Casting Process the Same for All Projects? How Does an Actor Get an Audition in Hollywood? How Does an Actor Learn What Projects Are Being Cast? Can Actors Subscribe to this Service? Are There Legitimate Electronic Casting Websites an Actor Can Subscribe To? Are There Other Sources of Casting Notices? What Information Do Casting Notices Provide? How Do You Know if a Project is Legitimate? If Everybody Uses Electronic Casting, Why Do I Need Hard Copy Headshots? 9 AUDITIONING IN HOLLYWOOD What Information Should I Receive with an Audition Call? How Should I Prepare for an Audition? What Should I Do When I Arrive for the Audition? What Happens During an Audition? What Should I NOT Do During an Audition? What Should NOT Happen During an Audition? What Should I Do After an Audition? Can I Self- Tape My Audition? What Equipment Do I Need? How Do I Self-Tape a Professional-Looking Audition? Are There Audition Scams I Should Avoid? 10 HOLLYWOOD CONTRACTS What is the Difference Between a Union and a Nonunion Contract? What Kind of Contract Information Will I Receive for a Booking? What Should I Expect of a Union Contract? What Changes Occurred With the New 2017 Theatrical/Television Agreement? What Are the Contractual Differences Within the Various Kinds of Projects? What About Background Actors? Are There Other Legal Documents an Actor Must Know About? 11 WORKING IN HOLLYWOOD What Should I Bring With Me to the Set? What Should I NOT Bring? What Should I Do When I Arrive On the Set? What Set Etiquette Should I Observe? What Different Work Environments Will I Encounter? What Can I Expect From Nonunion Projects? What Kind of Nonunion Projects Will I Encounter? What Workplace Issues Might I Encounter? 12 FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING Do Actors Have Any Special Tax Liabilities? Does the IRS Offer Any Special Tax Incentives to an Actor? What Deductions May Actors Take on Their Income Taxes as an Employee? The Cost of Looking For Employment Unreimbursed Expenses What Additional Deductions May Actors Take on Their Income Taxes as an Independent Contractor? What Should I Do if I Am Audited? What Mistakes Should I Avoid? What Items Are NOT Deductible? 13 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Why Should I Continue With My Education or Training? What Are The Different Training Options for an Actor in Los Angeles? What Other Kinds of Research Resources Will I Find in Los Angeles? 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