"Self-Management for Actors will guide you through the process of taking control of your career from the business side of things. There is no secret method, there is no password entry system to the Working Actor Club. What does exist is a simple, self-management concept that allows you to handle the business of your acting career without losing the ability to be a creative artist."--BOOK JACKET.
Guiding actors through the process of taking control of the business side of their careers, the author maintains there is no secret method for joining the Working Actor's Club. What does exist is a simple, self-management concept that doesn't eliminate one's ability to be a creative artist.
Author Bonnie Gillespie has done it again! Her wildly popular "Self-Management for Actors: Getting Down to (Show) Business" has spawned a series of classes, a podcast, an online course, an app, and a worldwide tour. Actors all over the planet are learning how to control what few things they do control in pursuit of a creative career. Using the SMFA principles, this pocket guide encourages actors to embrace their power as storytellers, to "lurk then lead," to strengthen the Web of Trust, and to remember the love in this pursuit. So many actors block their own success by focusing on other actors' journeys, by dwelling on rejection, by not celebrating what they can do--daily--to rejoice that their creative path is filled with the opportunity to change the world. Look, we're not curing cancer in show business, but maybe we're bringing relief to someone as they're going through chemo, through the stories we help tell. "SMFA: The Ninja Within" is filled with short reminders about the mental game you're facing. Flip to a page, get a quick shot of badassery, and then get to work!
The Actor's Business Plan is a self-directed practical guide for actors graduating from formal training programs, as well as for those already in the business whose careers need to move ahead more successfully. Using the familiar language of acting training, the book offers a method for the achievement of dreams through a five-year life and career plan giving positive steps to develop a happy life as an actor and as a person. It assists performers to flourish using the same kind of business/career planning that is a necessary part of life for entrepreneurs and business people. This introduction to the acting industry provides essential knowledge not only for how the business actually works, but also describes what casting directors, agents, and managers do, demystifies the role of unions, discusses how much things cost, and offers advice on branding and marketing strategies. It differs from other such handbooks in that it addresses the everyday issues of life, money, and jobs that so frequently destroy an actor's career before it is even begun. While addressing NYC and LA, the guide also gives a regional breakdown for those actors who may wish to begin careers or to settle in other cities. It is loaded with personal stories, and interviews with actors, casting directors, and agents from throughout the US. The Actor's Business Plan is the answer to the common complaint by students that they were not taught how to negotiate the show business world while at school. It is the perfect antidote for this problem and can easily fit into a ten or a thirteen-week class syllabus. Offering support as a personal career coach, empowering the actor to take concrete steps towards their life and career dreams, The Actor's Business Plan: A Career Guide for the Acting Life is a must-have book for actors who are determined to be a part of the professional world .
A notable contribution to our understanding of ourselves. This book explores the realm of human behavior in social situations and the way that we appear to others. Dr. Goffman uses the metaphor of theatrical performance as a framework. Each person in everyday social intercourse presents himself and his activity to others, attempts to guide and cotnrol the impressions they form of him, and employs certain techniques in order to sustain his performance, just as an actor presents a character to an audience. The discussions of these social techniques offered here are based upon detailed research and observation of social customs in many regions.
The essential handbook for actors—a modern classic—in a newly updated edition. Since its original publication, Acting as a Business has earned a reputation as an indispensable tool for working and aspiring actors. Avoiding the usual advice about persistence and luck, Brian O’Neil provides clear-cut guidelines that will give actors a solid knowledge of the business behind their art. It’s packed with practical information—on everything from what to say in a cover letter to where to stand when performing in an agent’s office—including: -- Tactics for getting an agent, including preparing for the interview -- How to research who will be casting what—and whether there is a role for you—well in advance -- Examples of correspondence to agents and casting directors for both beginning and advanced professionals -- A detailed analysis of the current trend of paying to meet industry personnel -- How to communicate effectively with an agent or personal manager -- Creative ways to use the internet and social media O’Neil has updated Acting as a Business to keep up with the latest show-business trends, making this fifth edition a reference no actor should be without
For anyone who has ever wanted to take an acting class, "this is the best book on acting written in the last twenty years" (David Mamet, from the Introduction). This book describes a technique developed and refined by the authors, all of them young actors, in their work with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet, actor W. H. Macy, and director Gregory Mosher. A Practical Handbook for the Actor is written for any actor who has ever experienced the frustrations of acting classes that lacked clarity and objectivity, and that failed to provide a dependable set of tools. An actor's job, the authors state, is to "find a way to live truthfully under the imaginary circumstances of the play." The ways in which an actor can attain that truth form the substance of this eloquent book.
Real conversations with working actors at all levels --Broadway darlings, feature film heartthrobs, commercial pitchmen, sitcom series regulars, standup comedians, and on-air personalities. These candid stories focus on the creative process and maintaining emotional balance in a difficult profession and are humorous and motivational. A photograph and biography accompany each first-person account. Includes: * how they got their first agents * how they prepare for roles * who their favorite actors are Acting Qs is both an inspirational volume for aspiring actors and a delightful peek into the personal lives of the actors whose work we know so well.
