Breaking Into Acting For Dummies

Understand the business side of your showbiz career 

We all know acting can be a glittering whirl of glamour—plush red carpets, simply divine outfits, huge sums of money, and oh, the parties! But what a lot of wannabe actors forget is that it takes a lot of practical work to get to the flashbulbs of your first premiere, and that the savviest actors put as much stress on the business side of the profession as they do on the show. Breaking Into Acting For Dummies demystifies the behind-the-curtain side of showbiz to help you understand how it really works, who the decision-makers are, what they’re looking for when they’re picking talent, and how to get them on your side. If you truly want to be the next Emma Stone or Leonardo DiCaprio, you’ll want to have a well-thumbed copy of this book alongside your pile of scripts.   

Written by two friendly insiders, this guide takes you behind the scenes to help you map out your plan of attack, showing you how to open doors—and keep them open—and use your time wisely, so you’re not breaking a leg rushing from one random audition to another. You’ll understand how to flesh out your professional persona as thoroughly as a movie part, craft your resume as minutely as a script, and judge the angle of your headshots and webcam appearances as intimately as any director. Once you’ve mastered these skills, it’s time to go to market as your own publicity department, building your media and online presence until everyone who’s anyone knows exactly who you are.   

• Understand different acting markets—from theater to commercials 
• Network in-person and online 
• Build your image via resumes, head shots, and webcam 
• Keep a firm grip on the financial side 

Whether you’re studying, a hopeful amateur, or have been treading the boards for a while, this is your breakthrough script for succeeding in the business of acting, and for learning how to play your ultimate role: yourself.  

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Foolish Assumptions 2

Icons Used in This Book 3

Where to Go from Here 3

Part 1: Figuring Out the Business of Acting 5

Chapter 1: Staying on Top of the Changes in Show Business 7

Understanding the World of Acting 8

What You Need to Succeed 8

An attention-grabbing head shot 9

A five-star acting resume 9

Polished talent 10

Taking Your First Steps in Show Business 11

Marketing yourself 11

Finding your first ally: An agent 11

Showcasing your talent: Auditioning 12

Discovering the Many Ways to Make Money as an Actor 12

Managing Money (A Little or a Lot) 13

Knowing What to Expect from an Acting Career 14

Chapter 2: Discovering How Show Business Has Changed and Adapted 15

Understanding the Business of Show Business 15

Taking It “from the Top” — It All Begins with an Idea 16

Selling an Idea 17

Producing a Script 18

Going into Production 20

Action: It’s Showtime! 21

Cleaning Up in Post-Production 22

Distributing the Product 23

Chapter 3: From Agents, Managers, and Unions: Introducing the Movers and Shakers 27

Producers: The Champions of Every Project 28

Directors: The Bosses on the Set 29

Writers: The Idea Makers 29

The Studios: The Ones That Make Everything Possible 30

Financing a project 31

Marketing and distributing a project 32

Casting Directors: The Gatekeepers 33

Agents: Your Door to Show Business 34

Personal and Business Managers: The Guiding Forces Behind the Scenes 34

Actors: The Talent in Front of the Spotlight 35

Unions: An Actor’s Best Friend 36

The Screen Actors