entertainment industry coach question 218: "are you concerned that the content of your movie is going to make people rethink having kids?"

This was a question asked of Viggo Mortensen tonight at the Q & A after a screening of THE ROAD, I attended. I chose to address it, because we are all in this industry to tell stories. The choice of stories we tell vary. I didn't know anything about the movie I was going to see, and without giving any spoilers, I'll just say, it was not a movie I would have chosen to see had I known the content. In fact, about half way into it, I asked my friend, "why would anyone choose to tell this story?"

And then Viggo came out and spoke. And his answers about the depth of the relationships, and the choices that we make, and how people all over the world (not to mention in some of our own back yards) live desperate lives everyday. Did the movie make him sad? Yes. Did it also give him an ironic sense of hope? Yes. I didn't fully get the hope, but perhaps that was just the state I was in today.

I guess I chose to blog about this because no matter the subject of the story, or why people choose to tell them, they have their reasons, and I respect them for it. I'll never see a Saw, even though a good friend is the DP, but some people get something from it. What I really took away from tonight was the gift of hearing a passionate artist talk about his craft. I'm always encouraging you to get mentors. This is why. As sad and bleak as I felt after the movie, I was uplifted by hearing his passion, and passion's what keeps me going.

Final note: Viggo answered the question by saying that he personally would not be influenced by the book or the movie on his decision to have kids. That's not an exact quote, but I'm sure the woman who was filming him on her phone will have it up on YouTube tomorrow. (Not cool in my opinion by the way. Keep that up and people won't feel comfortable volunteering their time to come speak to screening audiences anymore... I'll get off my soap box now.)

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

entertainment industry coach question 217: How do you make money in this business?!?!?

He went on to discuss that he is the "King of the freebies." Well, there is lots of money to be made in this business, and the industry is also ever-changing which means that less money is being divvied here and more is being taken over there...

What this means to you, King, is that you have to be creating relationships with people who can hire you for money in conjunction with doing the freebies. In a past post I listed reasons why freebies are right for some people. What's important to remember is while you are working on freebies you MUST be building relationships with people who HAVE money, otherwise you get dubbed "The King of the Freebies."

This is what coaching does. You learn the strategies to target the right people, get in the door, make a great impression, maintain the the relationships, get first paid job, market it, get hired for paying jobs from that point forward.

I don't normally plug my events in this blog, but literally my "Greenlight Your Career Bootcamp" happening in Los Angeles, October 24-26 gives you the tools, strategies, and blueprints for exactly that. So, if this is the next step for you, which it sounds like it is, contact me for more information and how you can get a discounted rate.

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

entertainment industry coach question 216: How do I make it as a filmmaker in NY?

The same way you make it anywhere else, including Los Angeles. The difference is, you have to work harder to find the entertainment community. When I lived in NY, I could be walking down the street next to an investment banker, an accountant, a magazine editor, a shoe designer, a PR person, a florist, a hotel manager, a taxi driver, and on and on...

In LA, you can be walking next to the same people BUT, the people are ALL 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. NY is big, and not revolving around the entertainment industry the way LA revolves around it.

So what that means for you, is that to be a filmmaker, you need to:

1. work on your craft

2. build your resume and reel

3. join entertainment industry networking groups

4. get mentors

Plenty of amazing filmmakers come out of NY, so take advantage of the fact that you are in a city where incredible talent is accessible.

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

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

question 214: How do I know which clips to use for my reel?

I get this question a lot. I usually like to discuss the client's objectives before giving an answer so we can tailor the reel to the direction the client wants to go in.

Because I don't know you, what you want to do, or how you want to market yourself, I'll give you some basic tips:

1. Decide what type of work you want to do and choose clips that reflect that

2. Choose only GREAT clips (you only get one chance to make a first impression)

3. Use current clips whenever possible (definitely nothing over 15 years old, hair styles and wardrobe always give it away)

4. Put recognizable talent up front so people immediately see you can work with name talent

5. Show range within the type of work you want to do

6. Keep the clips short and the reel length current and consistent with the marketplace

7. After doing the previous 6, get feedback from people before duplicating. Sometimes we fall in love with our own work but it doesn't necessarily sell us the right way.

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

question 213: What is a blog?

This was asked of me from an older generation of camera operators, who were interested in the topic I was presenting on yesterday, yet, unclear on what a blog actually is. Here is the definition of a blog:

blog (a shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies) "postings on a blog are usually in chronological order"

I'd like to add "professional experiences" to that definition because it ties into the topic I was discussing.

Free resources for setting up blogs are www.blogger.com & www.wordpress.com (there are more, those are just the two I use)

Do your research before starting a blog, with the end in mind. While it was easy for me to set up this blog on blogger, many of the marketing strategies I have access to are only compatible with Wordpress.

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

question 212: If I'm just breaking into the biz should I quit my job?

My personal opinion is not unless you have enough contacts to hire you in the "biz." There is nothing wrong with maintaining your financial stability while building relationships. The key is to find the time to build new relationships and maintain them while in a job. You are basically using the same time management skills you'll be using once you're working regularly in the entertainment industry, and need to maintain your relationships while you're working.

If you have more questions about breaking in and who to target, let me know.

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

question 211: If I've been an actor for 10 years and now want to direct TV but I haven't had a hit show so no one knows me, can I do that?

The beauty of this industry is anything is possible. There are no rules. That said, breaking into tv as a director is a HUGE undertaking. You will need:

1. An outstanding director reel

2. A-List TV director mentors

3. TV Studio Executive advisors

4. A clear understanding of the job and the politics

5. (The outside-of-the-box method) a hit show that you direct independently

Obviously, there is a lot more than this simple answer, but if you're not committed to fully going for those 5, there's no point in going into it further. If you are committed, contact me and we can get you started on a plan of action!

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

question 210:What is the easiest job to get in the entertainment industry?

I can't really say there's an "easy" job to get in the entertainment industry. Even seemingly easy to get positions like a production assistant or gofer, are in great demand, and therefore quite competitive.

My clients hear me say over and over that while ours is a competitive industry, every industry is competitive if you want to make it to the top. So my question to you is do you have a strong passion for a particular area of the entertainment industry?

If so, find out what the entry level position is for that area and focus on getting that specific job.

If not, and you just know you want to be in the industry, research the different areas/department and narrow it down to 5-10 jobs that appeal to you. Then, if possible, have conversations with people in each area so you can narrow it down to an entry level position you'd like to pursue.

It's better to focus on a path that you choose rather than getting stuck on a career path that doesn't suit because you chose an "easy" way in.

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

question 209: You said something about a business card barrage at your speech. What were you talking about?

Ah yes, the "business card barrage." I was referring to the time at the end of an event or a Q &A, when the "guest(s) of honor" stays after to meet & greet. There is a large portion of the audience who hand the guest(s) their business card, sometimes without even a "hello."

It also happens at networking events, when certain people walk around the room and hand their card to every person, without an introduction. Now if someone was doing that with hundred dollar bills, it would be welcome. Business cards are another story. They are NOT a substitute for you. The purpose of a business card is so that a person can follow up with you AFTER you create a relationship. Handing someone a business card who doesn't know you serves no purpose. People have to know you, like you, and trust you before they'll hire you, so to hand them a card and walk away is like making a cold call, not to mention unprofessional.

Instead, focus on meeting a smaller number of people and spending time talking to them before exchanging cards.

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

question 208: What's the best compliment you can give someone about their work?

A truthful one. A compliment from the heart. Never compliment someone on their work if you haven't seen it, because if they question you, you'll look terrible.

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