DMA/Donna Michelle Anderson asked:


A short while ago, I was invited to speak at a casting event. I replied with an enthusiastic yes (I love a good workshop, panel, parking lot…anywhere I can talk passionately about the biz)! I immediately sent the organizer my current bio, with links to more information and pictures online. The organizer was very surprised by my speed/efficiency and sent a nice thank you.

That SAME DAY, I was helping a friend of mine put together materials for an upcoming production. We requested a bio from one of the participants three times, and it finally arrived a few days later, with typos. At that moment I thought, “Sometimes Hollywood hopefuls are so focused on what they hope employers are going to give them, they aren’t prepared with what they’re supposed to give US.” So here are the five marketing materials, at minimum, you need to always have on hand to advance as a professional in show business.

AN UPDATED RESUME

Nothing is more important than a résumé that accurately reflects, at least:

*Your job titles;

*The project name;

*Your employer;

*Any production partners (e.g., choreographer, production company, director, etc.);

*Your dates of employment.

For example (all fake!):

- Principal Dancer | THE NUTCRACKER | Lompoc Ballet | Chor: Justin | 12/2006

- Background Dancer | LOVE MY BABY (Baby Tee) | Paramount Music | Chor: Jayn J | 10/2006

This really is just a credit list, so employers can instantly see not just what you have done, but FOR WHOM. Those names are the ones that will get you hired more often than your titles! If I know someone on that list, and I call them, and they rave about you, my job hunt is over.

Also include degrees, professional affiliations and awards.

Let’s talk about the format for your credit list:

*It must be ONE PAGE ONLY;

*It must include, at least, your legal name, professional name (if different), mailing address (not home! City, ST only if you don’t have a separate address), contact number, e-mail address and Web site (if any);

*All names must, must, must be spelled correctly (check online - these could be established shows or friends of your potential employer);

*Create your list in a table (in Word, that’s Table/Create Table) with columns (skip tabs and spaces!) so you can easily line up columns, update and move things around;

*Stick to one format for each credit and make it uniform throughout the rez (e.g., if project names are in caps once, they should be in caps always);

*Include your name, professional title and year in the title of the document. That way, when you e-mail it to a potential employer, they can save the file and always know what and whose it is. So you might call it: “Rez_LeeBryant_Producer_2007.doc”

Organize one credit list by job title and another by date (most current down).

You might end up needing a more extensive rez that includes job descriptions for some submissions. But your current credit list is an absolute must for all job submissions - update it on the last day of every job.

A CURRENT BIO

A bio is not a two- or three-page brag sheet. It is a one- to five-paragraph summary of what you have done and why it makes you stand out from your peers (check out my bio for an example. Don’t re-list every job from your rez here. Summarize and sell. So your five directing credits might be presented as: “Over the past five years, Corrinne has directed several acclaimed regional and off-Broadway productions, including the Lucent Award-winning production of MacBeth at New York’s Ventana Theatre.” (Yes, I made all of those names up.)

If you are kind of weak in the spelling and grammar area, please send your bio to someone who is excellent at it. No typos. No grammatical errors. No syntax errors. Let it put your best foot forward for you!

Celebrate each new professional milestone by immediately updating your bio. That should be the final thing you do to signal the end of a gig. A call could come the next day, and you’ll be ready with current info.

A CURRENT PHOTO

Even if you are not a performer, on many occasions, you will be asked to submit a photo with your written marketing materials for promotion, including Web sites, brochures, event programs, etc. You should have a current, accurate photo in both 8×10 print format and a small, digital file (say, 100px x 150px, 72 dpi, JPEG).

A CURRENT E-MAIL ADDRESS

Hey, we work in entertainment; we’re expected to move around the world! Addresses and phone numbers change, but make sure you have an e-mail at a free service you know will be around for a while (Yahoo!, G-Mail, etc.), and use that as your permanent address (don’t rely on your current DSL or cable address; buyouts happen too often). If someone tries to reach you three years down the road off of a submission, know that they can at least find you there. If you don’t have a computer, go to the library and get online for an e-mail account. It is not an option to NOT have one.

A WEB SITE

In 2007, Web presence is REQUIRED! Having a Web site markets you 24/7. They don’t cost a fortune, and they are worth every dime you spend, especially if you are selling your services. At the very least, MySpace and other social networking sites* are free, or you can create a blog on sites like mine at Google’s Blogger for FREE. You want to expand your visibility in the industry? Get yourself onto the Internet.

*If you currently use MySpace as a social network, please create a second page that’s a professional site ONLY, with your pictures, video, music, credits, what-have-you. You are using this site as a selling tool; keep it clean and simple to navigate.

A CELL PHONE NUMBER

I know you have one. Please remember to turn it on, carry it with you, check it regularly, and keep the message box clear so you can get messages about jobs, interviews, casting, go-sees, auditions, rehearsals and bookings. Also, take the pop songs off of your message, please, and let people get straight to hiring you! “Hi, you’ve reached Darwin Smith, please leave a message. Thank you.” Done.

Okay, that’s the minimum list. Add to that a current reel, a portfolio, spec scripts, references and more to show people who can advance your career that you are ready, able and worth every possibility they can present.



Erica

Matain asked:


My family and I are moving to southern California later this year. My main goal is to be a successful actor, and I am ready to go out on auditions and try to get an agent. My family is going through some financial troubles and we need to find a town/city that has low renting prices, good schools, and is safe. It needs to be close enough to Hollywood for me to go out and do the acting thing also. I looked at Sherman Oaks and Studio City, but the crime rate is too high. Thanks guys!

Lillie

mrs.kevinjonas4ever asked:


so i am planning to move or remodle my house and i plan on designing my bedroom a vintage hollywood or old hollywood themed room. do u guys have any pics of rooms that look like those themes?? i would really appreciate it. o and also, i want a walk-in closet. are there any closet pics of those themes as well, please let me kno. thanks a lot!!

Patrick

Adrianne Sedgwick asked:


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Live it up

Being single, you need to live within your means - in style. It does not mean that being single you have to be miserly and shabby. Nights do not have to be cold and lonely because you need a sweet loving man to warm you up. To know how blessed you are read the ballad of a wife:

When I was single, Lord I dressed so fine

Now that I’m married, Lord, I go ragged all the time

Lord, don’t I wish I was a single girl again.

Sometimes women make the foolish mistake of saving things for special occasions. A dress kept in a box, waiting for a blitz in the Ritz which never comes, or a slinky little black dress waiting for the big night that goes pffttt are sad memories of what could have been.

So, single girls have fun and live it up. You don’t have to be rich to be a star in your own boudoir and rule. Well girls, you don’t have to have a guy in your life to enjoy Fredericks outfits from intimate apparel to costumes. Grab those Fredericks of Hollywood coupons and get as much as $15-$75 off from a $100 to $250 purchase.

The marvels of single blessedness

This is a standard question asked of any single girl. You shouldn’t dread this question. There is no hard and fast rule that, by 22, you should raising kids and doing the laundry. It is not also against the law to be single - man or woman. But it is a crime not to enjoy life because you are single.

One of the best things in life single girls enjoy is shopping without the guilt. With Fredericks of Hollywood coupons, they can be Angelina Jolies, Jennifer Anistons, Hillary Duffs, and Ashley Judds. What’s there to stop them?

You can wake up to a morning without the hassle of preparing breakfast for a hungry army of children. Have a sandwich and drink a cup of coffee, shower, dress-up, and you’ll be ready for a long day ahead.

After work, you can stop at the bar with friends or grab a bite. At home, you can latch on to your PC and hunt for jewelry or Fredericks of Hollywood coupons. If there’s a concert, leave your computer, go out, and join your friends and swing.

Life is uncomplicated for single girls if they play their cards well. So, worrying about not being hitched or wondering when the right man is going to show up at the door is a waste of time and energy.

Enjoy your show

Dress up and be merry. Enjoy all those beautiful lingerie, gowns, and accessories with Fredericks of Hollywood coupons. While life is still uncomplicated, have fun. Being single and young happens only once in a lifetime, so make the right choices in matters of the heart and shopping.



Nellie

ADRIANNA C asked:


I am producing a reception for lawyers at Sony Studios. The first part of the event is an awards reception (honoring 2 distinguished law school alumni and those who serve(d) in the military) and the second half is a reception. I am looking for other theme ideas besides the usual hollywood, redcarpet, celebrity.

Any ides for themes, decor, etc?
The event will take place early November.

Joy

heavysarcasm asked:


I think if only the great minds of Hollywood where left alone to choose our country’s leaders, this would be a great country, one worth being proud of. After all, most Americans are too busy watching movies, sit-coms and reality TV to know any better.
Could our next president maybe mandate that only Screen Actors Guild card carriers be allowed to vote in future elections?

Fernando

Paul Ingersole asked:


(c) 2008 Paul Ingersole

A lot of time we think that if we have a fresh hairstyle and trendy clothes we look great. Little bumps on our face are getting hidden away as much as possible with the help of the cosmetics, but many of us do not know that we might actually be hurting ourselves by using cosmetics for a long time and not trying to look young and fresh through different methods. This does not mean that we should never wear make-up, but excessive use of cosmetics cannot be a good thing for the skin. Just imagine wearing a lot of make up all they long to hide those little imperfections. Most of the cosmetics, especially the cheap ones contain all kinds of chemicals that can help us on short term and hurt us on long term. You use a foundation base or a powder to hide your skin blemishes and you get so used to the face you see in the mirror that you start believing it’s yours. Then one day when you decide to undergo a deep cleansing of your face you see that you still have the blemishes but you also have wrinkles. Now you start panicking and use even more make up to use those wrinkles too. Then you start thinking about some creams, lotions or gels that promise anti-ageing, about plastic surgery and how to regenerate your skin.

Having beautiful skin is possible at all ages but it requires a lot of self discipline and will. It also depends a lot on the way you live your life and the changes that you are willing to make. If you think your skin looks really bad and you spend more and more time analyzing yourself in the mirror consider visiting a dermatologist and ask for a specialist’s opinion. You can also consider visiting a beauty salon and set an appointment with the cosmetologist, but one single session is not going to help you too much. If you don’t want to waste money by going to a beauty salon and you are thinking that Hollywood stars have beautiful skin because they can afford it, then well, the answer is both yes and no. yes, Hollywood stars can afford to keep their skin young looking, but they are all doing everything from skin treatments recommended by specialists to anti-ageing creams and to the more common advices like for example making masks at home from different fruits or vegetables.

Most of us want to stay young forever or grow old beautifully and all this mostly because we want to be like the Hollywood stars and look like them. The truth is that a lot of time they spend hours in a row in the make up chair to look they way they do and sometimes they use cosmetic surgery to change what they don’t like. The anti-ageing process is something all the people involved in the cosmetics industry and not only want to know. Every month new creams, lotions, gels or similar appear on the market and claim to be the best product available. One thing to remember is that not all the products will do the job they advertise and more importantly what works for one person might not work for the other one. Having the skin Hollywood stars have can be achieved by common people too without paying the amount of money celebrities pay, but by being more conscious about their skin and their body. While anti-ageing creams and other skin related creams can help us improve the way we look and feel, there are several lifestyle changes we need to make and like in most cases when it comes to our health these are eating healthy, drinking a lot of water and exercising.



Janet

The Bee asked:


I’m going on vacation to San Francisco, and we are planning on going to Hollywood. Except we don’t know how long it will take. How long would it take in hours?
If it takes REALLY long please tell me a safe and quick route. THANK YOU!

Larry

goldenretrieverlover asked:


i think tom hanks has many amazing things about him from the 1970’s tv show boosom buddies to big to da la vinci code do u think he should win a nobel piece prize ?

Richard Cunningham asked:


Did you know that the birth of Internet TV can be traced back more than 100 years ago? Incredibly enough, back in 1900, a man called Nikola Tesla had a vision in which he predicted that radio frequency could be used to show people moving images and pictures. This, he predicted, would make information valuable as well democratic.

The First Ancestor of Internet TV

His vision came true almost half a century later in 1939 when TV was broadcasted on radio channels. The 12 VHF channel on radio was primarily used to show TV or moving images which was the predecessor of Internet TV as we know it today.

The Next Stage of Internet TV

It took almost 30 years for the next stage of evolution which resulted in Internet TV. Cable TV was born in 1965 in the US but it took a few years longer to reach other countries around the planet. Cable TV allowed viewers to select more channels with better picture quality. However, in a shorter span of only 15 years, satellite TV was beamed to the common man’s personal TVs in 1980. The real revolution occurred a mere decade and a half later when Internet TV became feasible in 1995.

Internet TV as We Know It

In a real departure from its predecessors, Internet TV allows broadcasters to select the content being shown to viewers. Century-old concept of time slots, prime time, channels, etc was turned on its head with the arrival of Internet TV.

On the other hand, Hollywood enters online televisions market providing their own channel and the agreement has been intermediated by the ex executive of Walt Disney, Michael Eisner, according to the site Financial Times. The internet television operator Veoh, where Michael Eisner owns an important percent of shares has drawn an agreement with one of the biggest agencies seeking for talents Talent Agency (UTA), which represents actors like Johnny Depp, Ben Stiller and Harrison Ford.

The television channel, which will be created especially out of advertising, will introduce new talents and will try to discover the next Hollywood star. The channel will allow all the Veoh users to send and watch video content, like You Tube platform, owned by the internet giant Google.

The founders of internet telephone system Skype have announced as well that the program called Joost will be released. It is the first high quality service on the internet according to the site of BBC news.

PTV (Internet Protocol Television - television via internet) is a television service via broadband (broadband internet), instead of satellite, cable, or terrestrial network. Programs are loaded through the internet and the user receives two options to access them: live digital television (access to live programs) and Video on Demand (VOD).

These services will be released even in developing countries in approximately one or two years. Internet television will not be a secret anymore for anybody and it is a reliable source of entertainment and information as long as you are able to be selective and you have previous education concerning high quality programs.



Ruby