entertainment industry coach Question 432: There are so many classes in Los Angeles, how do I find the best?

This was asked by an actor who was writing about acting classes in Los Angeles. The answer, applies to any classification that offers classes to improve skills/art, in any location.

You can interview different teachers on your own, though many teachers are sales people as well, and can be very convincing that they are the best.

When I first moved to LA, I found myself some mentors, an agent, a working actress, and a casting director. I asked them which they felt were the top acting schools/teachers in LA. Based on their answer there were 4 schools that were on all three lists. I interviewed each and made my decision.

Choosing a good school/teacher is important to many casting directors when they look at your resume.

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entertainment industry coach Question 431: How do I work when I'm uninspired?

Maybe you don't. Maybe you're uninspired because you need a break. Or maybe you are inspired but are afraid of what will happen if you work through the fear. You reached out to me, therefore you want answers, you want more. Know what your big picture looks like. Where do you want to be in ten years? Who do you want to help? What change do you want to create? What is your purpose? Knowing these answers may not inspire you at the moment, but they keep you reaching out to people like me. They keep you in the game. Maybe that means that you take a break, or maybe it means pushing through even when you're uninspired. Just because you're not inspired doesn't mean the journey is wrong. Continue to ask for help and for answers. You may find them in the most unexpected people. And have faith that you will be inspired again.

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entertainment industry coach Question 430: Can anyone work in entertainment?

I would imagine the answer to that is yes. It depends on what you want to do, but if you have no specific preference, there is something for everyone. The more into a craft/art/skill you target, the more of an education/natural gift/tools you need. But there are plenty of positions that don't require an education, natural gifts, or extensive tools if you just want to be a part of the team that makes the magic happen.

The one thing I will say is that anyone can work in entertainment if they are willing to be located where movies/TV etc., are being made. You can't expect to work in entertainment if you're living in a small village in a third world country and you're not willing to move. That's even extreme. You can live in a small town in the US, and never work in entertainment if you're not willing to relocate.

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entertainment industry coach Question 429:Is it possible to have a full time job and pursue a career in entertainment?

Is it possible? Of course. You definitely have to master the art of the 80/20 principle in that you want to be doing 20% of your work for your entertainment career and have 80% results coming from that focused work. I had a full time job for 11 years and wrote screenplays, auditioned, produced 1 pilot and 4 episodes of a television show, acted in projects, directed a short, and on and on.

It's about time management. When you get to the point that your entertainment career needs more time than your full time job permits, that's what I refer to as an A-list problem. Give me a call then and we'll work it out.

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

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entertainment industry coach Question 428: I'm a mom and I wonder if it's unprofessional to bring my baby to commercial auditions?

I know of a few babies who have lofty college funds because their moms took them along on an audition and the mother and baby both got cast.

If you audition a lot commercially and you're in the "mom-range" I'm sure you see babies all the time. But since you're asking this question, I'm guessing you don't audition a lot and you're afraid to put yourself out there because now you have a baby.

The best solution is to find a friend who can come with you and take care of the baby while you're in the room. This way if the baby gets fussy, your friend can go for a walk outside of the casting office. BUT, just in case they're looking for a mother/baby team, it could be a great opportunity having your baby there. And you'll certainly feel a lot more comfortable auditioning with your own child than a strange baby.

Disclaimer: If you do not have a friend who can come with you, it would not be professional to tote your baby into your audition- especially, unannounced. Nothing worse than improving with a guy who's supposed to be your husband and you're deciding if it's time to start a family and your baby in the corner starts crying.

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

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entertainment industry coach Question 427:Your newsletter on self sabotage was great! Can you explain Secondary Gains better?

Absolutely. In my newsletter, I first had you look at the obvious ways that you self-sabotage. What's not always obvious are the unconscious ways you self-sabotage. These may be the "secondary gains" you're getting from sabotaging yourself.

For example:

Someone who can hire you, tells you to follow up with him in a month to see if he has anything available. A month goes by, you procrastinate (possibly telling yourself stories about why this isn't the right time to follow up). A month and a week goes by and finally, you call. He tells you that he's disappointed that you didn't call the week before because he had a job available. Now you beat yourself up but good.

But why didn't you follow up? The secondary gain is the "thing" that you are getting that feels better than the possibility of getting the job. Now you may be thinking, "but I really wanted the job." You can think and say that all you want, but if you didn't make that call, you sabotaged yourself, and there was something that was a stronger pull that you gained, by not making that call.

So dig deep. First you'll discover the fear: maybe it's rejection, or change, or success. Then you'll have to look at what's underneath the fear.

Why would someone be afraid of success? Perhaps he/she is worried about how personal relationships would change, or not having enough time for family, or not having it be everything he/she expected. The secondary gain, is keeping you status quo. You'll never know those answers because everything is staying the same.

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

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Hollywood Careers Part 1

entertainment industry coach Question 426: Why don't people help each other in Hollywood? They're always looking out for themselves!

Wow! That's a limiting belief if I ever heard one. Who are these "people" to whom you refer? Because I've met lots of people who like to help and aren't looking out only for themselves. A typical coaching question is: What are you doing to attract people who don't want to help you? Or who are you being that people don't help you?

I know, I know, you don't want to hear that. You don't want to take any responsibility for what's happening because these "people" to whom you refer are awful and only looking out for themselves.

As a "person" in Hollywood, who not only looks out for others but has blogged for 426 days straight, to help you (I don't get paid for this), who has interviewed people who want to help you (and didn't get paid for it), and who's met hundreds of people who've helped me along the way, all I can say is this: YOU'RE HANGING OUT WITH THE WRONG PEOPLE!

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

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entertainment industry coach Question 425: Is now a good time to go after an agent?

Traditionally, May has been an excellent time for actors to pursue agents. This is because pilot season is basically over (though now, pilot season is pretty much all year round), and they are letting go of those who didn't get good feedback and looking for people to replace them.

For other classifications, it's a good time as well, because hiring season is about to begin and some agents may need more clients on their list.

All that said, there are ways to get to an agent that are better than just going after them "cold." So have a strategy.

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

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entertainment industry coach Question 424: Did you say not to put workshops on my resume?

Yes, I did. The difference between looking "green" and looking experienced is how you format your resume. For example: John took a workshop on the Red camera.

If John puts "Red Camera Workshop" under his education, he looks green.

If John puts "Red Camera" under his special skills, he looks like a professional.

The people hiring you don't care that you took classes to learn Final Cut Pro, how to audition for camera, or make-up for HD. They expect it to be one of your skills.

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

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entertainment industry coach Question 423:Is choosing a medium like choosing a major; once you're in it you're stuck with it?

What this person asked in more detail was if he were to start his career in reality TV since it's easiest with his connections to break into the medium, if that's his best place to start. Ironically he compared it to being stuck in a major. The irony being, that once you choose a major you can either switch majors, double major, and even graduate with that major and go into a career having nothing to do with the major.

It's the same thing with a medium. From what many seasoned mentors have told me, it wasn't always that way, but in the last decade we've seen a lot of classifications moving from TV to film to commercials and back again.

What you have to ask yourself is, if you start in Reality TV and your goal is to be in another medium (such as scripted television), how long are you willing to wait to achieve that goal? I ask because each medium has different relationships to be created. Therefore, while working the long hours and possible distant locations of Reality TV, you must also be building your contacts and deepening relationships with people working in scripted television.

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

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