Acting in LA: How to Become a Working Actor in Hollywood

by Kristina Sexton

Overview

Each year, hundreds of aspiring and experienced actors head to LA hoping to make it big in Hollywood. While many of them have their acting chops in shape, few realize what it actually takes to survive in Tinseltown. Even if they happen to make it onto a set, many are clueless about what’s expected of them and how they should behave. Acting in LA: How to Become a Working Actor in Hollywood is exactly what these actors need: a handbook to arriving, surviving, and thriving on- and off-set in LA.

Written by veteran Hollywood actor, acting coach, and acting teacher Kristina Sexton, this comprehensive guide takes no prisoners. With just enough snark to keep readers entertained—and on their toes—Acting in LA delivers solid advice on such topics as:

Headshots, resumes, and reels

How to find your “image” and market it

The SAG/AFTRA debate

Networking

Agents and managers

The importance of creating your own opportunities

Maintaining a life outside of acting

Setiquette

On-set terminology

And much more

A comprehensive guide that can be utilized by actors either inside or outside Hollywood, Acting in LA relies on Kristina’s real-life experience as a working actress and exposes the pleasures, pitfalls, and practicalities of pursuing a career in acting.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781621536222
Publisher:	Allworth
Publication date:	11/21/2017
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Kristina Sexton is a former working actress in Los Angeles with more than twenty years of experience in the entertainment industry, including a recurring role on the TV series Greetings from Home as well as roles on The Shield, Cold Case, Crossing Jordan, and other productions. She has trained in LA, New York, and London, and she earned an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts. In addition to her own acting, Kristina has worked as an acting coach, dialogue coach, and acting teacher around the United States and in Australia. She also teaches online acting classes through her own coaching company, On Set Coaching. She currently lives in Santa Monica, California but also has a home base near Brisbane, Australia.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Part 1 Getting a Life on Set 1

1 How Hollywood Works 3

2 Acting 7

3 Image and Marketing 15

4 Headshots and Resumes 21

5 Reels 29

6 Workshops 33

7 Creating Your Own Stuff 43

8 The SAG/AFTRA Debate 49

9 Breakdowns and Materials 53

10 Auditions 59

11 Networking 67

12 Representation 73

13 Social Networking 81

14 Day Jobs and Money 87

15 Normies 91

16 Get a Life 95

17 Before You Come to La La Land 99

18 Living the LA Life 107

Ready for Set! 115

Part 2 Keeping a Life on Set 117

19 Setiquette 119

20 How to Read a Call Sheet 125

21 Who Wants What from You and Why 131

22 Basic On-Set Terms 173

That's a Wrap! 197

Index 199