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how to get into the entertainment business How to Make Money
In the Entertainment Business
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Become an Actor
Celebrity Assistant
Become a Model
Become a Movie Reviewer
Become a Pop Star
Become a Recording Artist
Become a Screenwriter
Become a Songwriter
Become a Stand-up Comic

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Income Opportunities in the Entertainment Field:

  • How to Become an Actor
    What you need to know to get started - from preparation, getting hired and moving up in the field. Get answers to questions like, How to find an agent, How to find acting opportunities close to home, how to meet casting directors and other creative ways of "breaking in" to the field and lots more.

  • How to Become a Celebrity Personal Assistant
    Learn creative ways of meeting celebrities or people who can get you hired as a personal assistant, how to find job openings through word of mouth and how to get excellent references. Also find out how to avoid common mistakes and other first-hand advice from over a dozen celebrity personal assistants.

  • How to Become a Model
    You don't have to be tall, thin and young to make good money as a model. Discover the different modeling opportunities that are available to you and how to get those jobs. Learn what to expect when you get your first job, so you can attract future work opportunities.

  • How to Become a Movie Reviewer
    This is a perfect way to make money doing something you already do for fun. Find out hot become a movie "expert" and break into the field. Learn the best markets tor movie reviewers and how to approach them. Also tips on writing and selling a book about the movies as another source of income.

  • How to Become a Pop Star/Recording Artist
    How to create your own personal image and put together a impressive demo package that ladns you jobs. How to get publicity and media attention, get your foot in the door through music industry jobs and internships and find a manager.

  • How to Become a Screenwriter
    Comprehensive how-to instructions for writing your screenplay and selling it. Plus, information on multiple screenwriting opportunities, how to find out about new projects and finding independing producers to submit your scripts to.

  • How to Become a Song Writer
    How to copywrite your songs and produce an impressive demo tape or CD. Learn the most effective ways to submit your songs, who to submit them to and what to do when you meet with a potential client. Other opportunities for song writers, plus how to become your own music publisher.

  • How to Become a Stand Up Comic
    Tips for writing comedy, finding comedy classes and coaches to prepare you for jobs. Easy and inexpensive ways to put together a package that will get you hired. The best places to launch your career, and how to get started right where you live.

how to make money actingHow to Make Money as an Actor
100% Guaranteed

With this guide, you'll learn industy secrets from insiders - tips on how to get your foot in the door and how to accel your acting business once you've started.

Includes very insightful interviews with award-winning actors, casting directors and writers.

Excerpt from the 235 page complete guide:

Acting Agents

Getting an agent is probably the single most important thing a professional actor can do for his/her career. Although you can book professional jobs yourself (I have a few friends who got into Broadway shows without an agent), it is the exception to the rule.

What an Agent Is

An agent is an actor’s representative. Once an agent represents you, you are his or her “client.” They will submit you for roles and try to get you seen by casting directors. They will take 10% of your gross pay once you book a job. They will negotiate your fees and your contracts, and are your greatest professional advocate.

Agents represent lots and lots of wonderful actors. They’re busy, and they may not even be looking for new clients. Getting any agent is hard enough, so how do you go about getting a great one?

Getting An Agent

There are three basic ways an actor gets an agent. They are:

  1. The agent sees your work and calls you in for an interview.
  2. You are recommended to the agent by a casting director, director, producer or fellow actor who is a client of that agent.
  3. The agent calls you in for an interview because of your P/R (photo and resume), which he or she received in the mail.
Getting an agent to see your work is the best way to get representation, because they really need to get to know your work before they can represent you to the best of their ability. Even if you get an agent interested via another route, they’ll probably want to see you in something before they’ll represent you. The following is an excerpt of some of the ways to get an agent to see your work.

Scene Nights

Scene nights are events in which actors try to be seen by industry people. Rather than putting on a play, a group of actors will put together scenes that show them off. Hundreds of invitations are sent out to agents, casting directors, and directors.

Many times schools will have these nights as a wrap up for a course of study. (I mentioned some of these in Section 4.4). If you can get into one of these scene nights, I highly recommend it. They offer good opportunities for up-and-coming actors to show off their best work to industry people.

I’ve done two or three scene nights over the years, and they’ve been pretty helpful. It’s important to note that you may not get agent interest by doing just one scene night. You may have to do lots of them before someone calls you in. Don’t get discouraged. If casting directors also come to these evenings, they may see you and call you in without representation.

Scene nights, just like any other kind of production, have to be well organized to be effective. The evening should feature a limited number of actors (fewer than 20) with short scenes so the evening runs no longer than 70 minutes. That’s even pushing it.

Scene nights are not about putting on a play, they’re the equivalent of doing two-minute monologues for a mass audition. As an actor, you want to be featured in at least two scenes that show you off well. In a perfect world, those scenes will also be contrasting in style (comic/dramatic) so you can show a range.

All actors present need to put together their own “press kits” which means their P/Rs (photo and resume) and any reviews or notices of upcoming shows that are appropriate. All P/Rs should then be collated and put into folders, one for each industry professional.

After the show, actors can take a bow and say their names in sequence. This will allow the industry people to jot down any final notes they may have about a particular actor. A sheet should be provided in the press kit with a list of actors’ names for any interested agents to indicate which actor(s) they have an interest in. They may want an actor to call them, or they may indicate that they’ll call whomever they’re interested in themselves.

You should have a director work on all the scenes performed, and make sure that each scene flows quickly into the next. This is not like a scene study class, in which you can take five minutes to set up each new scene. Agents will get fidgety and want to leave. Rehearse scene changes, and use minimal sets. The work should be about your acting, not your props.

If you’ve worked with a theatre company, see if other actors in the company would want to organize a scene night. Or get a bunch of friends together and rent a space of your own to do one. The more respected the company you’ve worked for, the better. Try to band together with a name that will attract attention in order to advertise your show effectively.

A Caveat

I need to reiterate a point here about money. There are a number of theatre companies that list in Back Stage or elsewhere saying they are seeking company members. They will also mention dues that members will then be expected to pay. Tread very carefully when considering these opportunities. More often than not, they are scams. Companies like these often take your money before you even join. That’s not cool.

As a rule, you should be getting paid to work as an actor, not vice-versa. If you’re working for free, then you’re volunteering your professional services. That choice is up to you, but paying to act is an insult to you and your craft.

Agent Workshops

Some classes offer an industry night as part of their curriculum. They boast that many agents and casting directors will show up to see your work. Be wary of these boasts. More often than not these classes will be very expensive, and there is no guarantee that a lot of industry folk will show on any given night.

I took a class like that once. It cost about $400 and we were supposed to be seen by “at least 20 agents and casting directors.” If memory serves, six showed. A friend of mine in the class demanded a refund, which they wouldn’t give him, but they did let him take a different class for free. I would demand the same if it happens to you.

That said, there are workshops that are reasonably priced and feature wonderful industry professionals as guests. Actors pay a small fee to hear guests speak, and then the actors perform and get critiqued by these guests.

In New York, one of the best places of this type is:

The Actors Connection
630 Ninth Avenue, Suite 1410
New York, NY 10036
(212) 977-6666
The Actors Connection will send you a list of upcoming speakers and events. Speakers include agents, casting directors and directors. If you want to meet a certain individual, call to reserve a slot right away because spaces fill up fast. Prices are fairly reasonable, anywhere from $15 to $20 per session.

I did a couple of different nights many years ago and I felt it was very valuable. Both of the agents I saw gave great advice on pictures, audition techniques, and how to pursue representation. Then I performed a monologue or two, and they gave a brief critique of my work.

The benefit of this type of thing is that you get to be seen by great people who you pick yourself, but be aware that some people are more informative and open to actors than others. It’s a numbers game, just like anything else, but it’s worth a try. The drawback is the cost, since even reasonable fees start to add up, but don’t forget: tax deductible.

For other services like this one, check out the usual suspects — trades and Internet sites listed below. Talk to lots of actors before you pay ANY money for ANY service like this one. You want to invest in a studio that will advance your career, not just sugarcoat it.

  • Back Stage, Back Stage West
  • Hollywood Reporter
  • Ross Reports
  • Variety Magazine
The above is only a small sample of the valuable information in the FabJob Guide to Become an Actor. The complete guide includes detailed advice on how to become a successful actor in Hollywood, New York, or your home town.

What you'll learn >>


Advice for Your Entertainment Business:

Entertainment Business Plans:

If you want to know how to organize and plan your business, using a professional business plan "template" is the easiest way to get started. What you'll get >>

  1. The keys to your business success
  2. Easy start-up summary, competitive advantage and sales literature guidelines
  3. Help with you target market needs, trends & growth
  4. Easy marketing, pricing and sales strategy & forecast outlines
  5. Financial & organizational plan templates


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