HOW TO SUCCEED IN HOLLYWOOD WITHOUT REALLY ACTING (2014)

How to Succeed in Hollywood without really Acting by Peter Skagen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you want to work in the movies as an actor, get a copy of this book right now! Even if you are just curious about how things work in the industry, you should read this book!

Every business has its own language, rules, and etiquette. Unless you have contacts (i.e. family) already working on films, you are apt to make mistakes that label you as a newbie. In most cases, they aren't looking for untested talent. Everyone connected with a film wants people who can make them money by KNOWING WHAT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO DO, DOING THEIR JOB, and NOT WASTING TIME. And that, according to the author, is more important than talent. Movies cast types. Do you know your type?

You can avoid a lot of missteps and be ready when opportunity knocks using the information author Peter Skagen has shared. Kagen, an actor, writer, and producer, explains necessary audition skills and how to behave on set once you are cast. Highly detailed, the book is also very readable, full of personal anecdotes and stories about well-known actors with some great quotes thrown in. The fact that there is a lot of repetition underscores the importance of some of the guidelines being shared.

I have worked in live theater all my life and had no idea how different working in film was. The reader also gets some insight into the variety of jobs that make up the team necessary to get a movie made. I have already shared this book with several talented young friends who want to 'make it' in Hollywood. This is required reading.

BOTTOM LINE: Great information and advice in a readable format that you can't get anywhere else. This book is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to those interested in film acting. 

Title: How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Really Acting

Author: Peter Skagen

Genre: Non-Fiction

Publisher:  Poubelle Publishing

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

No. of Pages: 332

Copyright: December 30, 2014

ISBN-10: 099376570X

ISBN-13: 978-09937657047

Disclaimer: An advanced copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher/Net Galley for review purposes. 

"Peter Skagen – the un-acting coach -- is a working film and theater actor, screenwriter, playwright, producer, director and coach with an MA in screenwriting from California State, Northridge. Through his wildly successful in-person courses, he has helped countless actors achieve their dream of becoming not just screen actors, but working screen actors. He focuses on story, craft, business, and real-world technique -- the 90% of the business that doesn't take talent." (From GoodReads)