The Actor's Survival Guide (PDF)

The Actor's Survival Guide: How to Make Your Way in Hollywood is a handbook and essential guide to the business of living and working as an actor in the Los Angeles area.

Exploring the experience of relocating to L.A.; the casting process; and how to identify - and find work with - the key players in the film and television industry, the book offers a business-centered road map through the industry. It seeks to navigate the challenges and identify the pitfalls and wrong-turns that hinder too many promising careers and frustrate even the most dedicated of actors. In doing so, the book seeks to provide an extra-competitive edge of experience and know-how for those actors who have the skills and determination to persevere.

This second edition features a number of new sections and topics including:

Recent census data for the Los Angeles County Neighborhood Statistics
Updates on casting diversity with the most recent SAG/AFTRA data
Changes in contracts for film, television and stage, including information on AEA's new Hollywood Equity Waiver policy
Details on new contracts for film, television and new media; ongoing contract negotiations for video game content; and the ramifications of the SAG/AFTRA merger
The role of computer-generated images (CGI) and motion capture (MOCAP)
Renewed emphasis on set safety, especially for stunt performers
Audition workshops
Recent prosecutions of casting directors for "Pay for Play" violations
Emerging role of social media in an actor's marketing strategy
Dos and don'ts of video self-taping of auditions
Expanded glossary to include new media and performance capture vocabulary

Written from the perspective of working actor and experienced career-guidance teacher Jon S. Robbins, this unique guide will help aspiring actors bridge the gap between training in drama schools and working in the epicentre of the film and television industries.