entertainment industry coach Question 459: I'd like to work on movies as a costume designer & don't know how to start.

The first place to start is at the union. IATSE Local 892 www.costumedesignersguild.com/ You can call and ask a member services representative any questions you can't find answers for on their site.

The second thing I would suggest is to order their magazine.

These two resources should give you a good amount of information to start. Eventually, I would have you pursue mentors, but for now get yourself a strong enough base of knowledge to show any mentor you should choose to pursue, that you're serious and have done some homework.

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entertainment industry coach question 215: What books do you suggest for a beginner in the entertainment industry?

Obviously, my own And...Action! (you can buy it on Amazon or my site www.theGreenlightCoach.com). My book is about building the business side of your entertainment industry career.

And if you're looking for books on your craft, I suggest you go to Amazon and put in the keywords for what you want to do: directing films, screenwriting, acting, costume design, production design, script supervising.

There are books for everything and if there isn't, let me know and I'll have one of my people write one.

I feel that books are a very personal thing. I have my favorites for acting, writing, directing, producing, Hollywood biographies, etc., and if you really want to know what they are, I'll share them with you personally. Just email me. However, I think as a coach, it's my job to encourage you to seek out the authors who speak to you.

I do, on occasion, plug someone's book if I've thoroughly enjoyed it and feel it will help (and especially if I've met the author and think he/she is cool) Like: currently I'm reading "Think Outside the Box Office" by Jon Reiss. It's the "Ultimate Guide to Film Distribution and Marketing for the Digital Era." So if that's your thing and you want to support a cool guy I met at the DV Expo, check it out!

For more tips and articles by top entertainment industry career coach, The Greenlight Coach visit www.thegreenlightcoachblog.com