entertainment industry coach question 708: How do I generate Union work without Union contacts?

In general- you don't. If you want to work union jobs, it's imperative that you have relationships with people who hire union members. I have clients who have been working non-union for over 20 years. When I look at their list of contacts, everyone they know is non-union.

The good news is, at least you know what's missing. Create a target list of people who can hire you for the types of union jobs you want. Don't concern yourself with "how" you're going to meet them. At this point, just become aware of who they are.

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entertainment industry coach question 705:How do I get contact information for potential mentors?

This was a question I didn't have time to answer on my tele-class call today. There are many different resources for finding contact information for potential mentors. It depends on their classification.

Start with the people you know to see if anyone is "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" to them and can get you the contact information. If not...

If they are in a union you can contact the union. You may be sent a directory, given information over the phone, or be allowed to send a letter which they will forward.

If they have a production company, you can get that information from IMDBpro, the Hollywood Creative Directory, and in some cases, Google.

Last resort would be to go through their agent if they have one. Before investing the time of researching them, call the agency to confirm that they DO forward their client's mail.www.theGreenlightCoach.com FIND ME

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entertainment industry coach Question 413: How do you find out if an acting agent is legitimate?

The internet is a great resource to investigate. When in doubt, have Sag check it out. There are SAG branches in so many cities across the country. www.SAG.org. For those of you who do not know what SAG is, it is the Screen Actors Guild, a union that represents actors. If you're a member, they have a list of agents. If you're not a member, you can still call, because if there is a suspicious person out there claiming to represent actors, SAG will want to know about it.

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entertainment industry coach Question 400: Do you have to be in a union to take pictures on set?

Not only do you have to be in a union but you have to be a still photographer. In some cases they let cameras on the set for continuity and wardrobe, but to take stills of the shoot you must be a still photographer.

Now if you are a still photographer and you’re not in the union, you can get your days toward getting into the union by working on non-union projects, but be sure to check with Contract Services to make sure you are saving things like pay stubs, etc. so your days will qualify.

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entertainment industry coach question 296: Should I let someone produce my feature film without paying me for the script?

I feel like I've answered this question before or maybe I've just lived it. Either way, you always want to create a win/win, without biting off your nose to spite your face. If given the choice, everyone would be paid for their art/talent. That said, if you are trying to build your credits, you have never had your writing produced, and you are suddenly given the opportunity, it may be worth it to you.

As I started with, you want to create a win/win. I'm assuming you're not being paid because it's a low budget, non-union production company. They want to produce your script because they believe in it. Therefore, talk to a literary agent, manager, or entertainment attorney, who can give you some advice on signing a contract to receive money should it sell. You may also be able to add a few more things to the contract in the event that the movie "takes off."

The reason I advise you to speak to a professional, is because, without contract experience, you could end up losing a lot of money. Number people can be very tricky, and it may not even be the production company you're dealing with now, but the one that they sell to.

Approach it like you would a pre-nup, with love, trust, and "a teensy need for insurance." You appreciate the opportunity, you believe in the producers, and therefore, you want to know that they are just as invested in your success in the end, since you're willing to sacrifice in the beginning. If a contract is going to be a deal breaker, you have to decide if getting your first screenplay produced is worth it. Either way, congratulations on getting this far.

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