My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Publisher: Perfict Books
About the Book:
This text shares all of the current information an actor needs to have a successful career in film and television today.
Proofed
and edited by over forty top Hollywood professionals, the book covers
basics like headshots and resumes, but flows quickly into hundreds of
more intricate and rarely revealed topics like audition protocols, how
films are financed, how TV shows are created, how and where to network,
SAG-AFTRA contract categories, on-set terminology and behavior, where
legitimate film and TV auditions are sourced, and literally hundreds
more pieces of knowledge that are vital for anyone seriously pursuing a
film and TV career.
It is a tell-all of the insider secrets that
author Kym Jackson (Criminal Minds, NCIS: LA) spent nine years
researching and compiling into this one resource guide for anyone hoping
to navigate the rough seas of the film and TV industry.
This
352 page text is currently in over 80 bookstores and in ebook and
hardcopy via Amazon.com and sold in over 30 drama schools worldwide.
While writing this book over the past years, author Kym Jackson has
worked consistently as an actress, playing lead and supporting roles in
film and television.
Excerpts:
TRUST ME... THIS IS GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME
Which
actors most frequently book work in LA? The talented ones? The
passionate ones? The attractive ones? Absolutely. However, there are
many talented, passionate, attractive actors here. The actors who are
hired repeat- edly are also methodical, consistent, diligent, confident,
and professional.
It’s
often said that the key turning point for most actors in LA is three
years. I agree. Allowing a year for visa and Greencard paperwork, let’s
in- crease that number to four years for most international actors.
Furthermore, it seems to have taken most working actors an additional
three or four years before they were able to support themselves
financially from acting alone.
Eight
years is a long time. How old are you now? How old will you be then?
I’m not saying you’ll be famous in eight years, or even rich. I’m saying
that if you are a talented and consistently proactive actor, four years
from the day you arrive in LA is when you will probably have solid
mid-level rep- resentation, be on the radar of the ‘CDs’ (casting
directors), and frequently doing union auditions. I’m saying that eight
years from the day you arrive in LA, with the help of the advice
contained within this book, you might just be a working actor. It also
takes a whole lot of luck.
An
overnight success is a rarity. Lindsay Lohan and Scarlett Johansson
were competing for roles when they were (respectively) eight and ten
years old. Even Kristen Stewart and Zac Effron were working in
lesser-known movies and television for years before Twilight and High
School Musical came out. In the majority of cases, it’s not just about
having one hit role. It’s about having many roles over time so audiences
and industry members begin to know and trust your ability to create
great characters and engage an audience. It’s about building a body of
solid credits to help you book that one hit role, and following that
role up by attaching to high quality projects.
The
reason it takes so long to get into the game is that Hollywood is built
on trust, or (more specifically) nepotism, familiarity, and referrals.
You need to work hard over time to earn the trust of the filmmakers,
representa- tives (agents and managers), and CDs around town. Investors
are spending a heck of a lot of money on these projects, so the
producers need to know that the people they are hiring can do the job.
Trust
takes a great deal of time to earn and prove. Each legitimate film or
TV credit on your resume helps convince CDs and filmmakers to trust you,
because if you’ve worked with professionals before, it is likely that
you will behave and perform like a professional. Having an agent or
manager who is trusted by CD’s around town is a vital commodity for up
and coming ac- tors, as the reputation they have built for providing
solid talent is what will get you into the audition room. When you show
your ‘demo’ (demonstra- tion reel) or do an audition, you’re giving the
filmmaker evidence that they can trust you to do justice to their
character.
Once
you gain the trust of the industry and become a public figure, you must
earn and maintain the trust of audiences by doing solid performances in
well-written, well-produced projects. When an audience watches a film
“because celebrity x is in it”, it’s because the audience trusts the
celebrity to bring them a story that is worth the cost of the movie
ticket or DVD rental. After several bad movies starring the same
celebrity, the audience has their trust broken and will be less likely
to see the celebrity’s next film. This is why stars must be very careful
about which films they select and with which directors they choose to
work.
Working
consistently in Hollywood takes time because earning people’s trust
takes time. If you’re in this business to succeed, make sure you’re in
it for the long haul.
My Thoughts:
So, I've never really had any big dreams of being an actress. Yes, everyone for one small moment has that thought of how awesome it would be to see their name in lights, but that's never been me. For some reason, though, I was prompted to read Kym's book. I thought, hey, maybe I will be able to provide some feedback on the overall feel of the book, and not the actual content--if that makes sense.
I was surprised, however, as I read further because I felt like the advice displayed so pleasantly by Kym could actually be put towards many aspects and careers, not just the acting profession. This book actually didn't read as preachy to me so much, well, fun. I honestly picked it up and couldn't quit reading, much like a favorite fiction book. If I ever know anyone wanting to be an actor or actress, this is the book I will recommend. It is easy to read and doesn't have that feel of this is what you HAVE to do to be a good at acting. It just gives pleasant advice from someone who has been there and knows what she is doing. I highly recommend for anyone who does have dreams of acting. For you, it's a MUST READ!
About Kym:
Kym
Jackson was born in England, moved to Logan City, Australia at age 3, Sydney at 21, and
Hollywood at 22. She spent her first six months in LA working in film
finance and production for an eccentric billionaire, followed by three months
living in a storage room with thirty cases of Arizona green tea and a noisy but
lovable cricket. She
eventually got a real job: buying stuff for a post-production company.
She was so good at haggling million dollar contracts that they let her leave
whenever she wanted for acting auditions. She got laid off during the
writer's strike of 2007, which worked out well because she has since performed
supporting and leading roles in over twenty-five Hollywood feature films and TV
shows.
As an actress, Kym's 2013 releases included a recurring guest star role on NCIS: Los Angeles, lead and supporting roles in feature films Snitch
(Dwayne Johnson, Susan Sanrandon, Barry Pepper), Iron Sky (Udo Kier,
Julia Dietz), Redline (Nicole Gale Anderson, John Billinglsey), Dark
Power (Sean Patrick Flannery, Kristanna Loken), Fatal Justice (Frances Fisher, Bryan Krause, Cynthia Watros).
Her 2014 upcoming releases include Cardboard
Boxer (Terrence Howard, Thomas Haden Church), Bordering On Bad Behavior
(Tom Sizemore, Bernard Curry), Jonestown (William Russ, Leandro Caine),
The Half Dead (John Rhys Davies, Tasma Walton), Aussie indie feature Breeding in Captivity, and several other film and TV roles.
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