entertainment industry coach question 352: How am I supposed to keep up with all the TV shows when they get cancelled so fast?

Actors are told to know ALL the shows because they need to know the tone when they audition (this was sent to me by an actor). Every classification that works in television needs to keep up with the shows so that you know the tone, the crew, the genre, etc.

How do you keep up? Bottom line is, if you watched every show you'd have no time to pursue a career. Watch the pilots. That will give you a pretty clear idea of the show. Don't get too caught up with keeping detailed notes on everything. Target 20 shows to begin with and if 2 get cancelled, add 2 more.

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

entertainment industry coach question 351: Somebody told me there are writers on reality shows. Is this true? Is it all fake?

I could tell you... but then I'd have to kill you. Here's the thing, Hollywood is all about fantasy and creating imaginary worlds. I don't want to burst anybody's bubble, so if you're interested in writing for a reality show, there may be some possibilities out there for you. Email me privately for a more detailed answer. I'd hate to have all of my college friends screaming, "What?!?!? It's not ALL 100% real?!?!?"

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

entertainment industry coach question 350:What would be the best way to revive contacts without coming across as flaky or too needy?

The background of this question is of a person who has been traveling back and forth from LA due to family emergencies. The contacts in this person's life think that she just disappeared. Because the emergencies will continue taking her to and from LA, she wants to know how to re-establish and maintain her relationships.

In a situation like this, as long as you're not begging for work and feeling needy, you won't come across as needy. Flaky people are those who say they are going to do something and then they don't do it. Hence the term "he flaked."

The concern your contacts will have is that if they hire you, you will be unable to fulfill your duties because you may be called away suddenly for a family emergency. Therefore, you have to decide with whom you have a strong enough relationship to share what's happening in your life, in the hope that they will be understanding and hire you for short term and day playing jobs to keep you working.

For the rest, you can re-establish by sharing the good things that have been going on, complimenting them on something they've worked on, and seeking advice on basic things like networking events to join and charity organizations to get involved in. This way the maintenance of your relationship can be set around your involvement, as opposed to trying to get work from them.

When your family issues reach a resolve that you feel comfortable committing to longer jobs, you'll be in touch with enough people to reach out to.

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

entertainment industry coach question 349:How old is the oldest person you've ever helped into the industry?

I've coached people of all ages. I know you want to know the "oldest," and I'd ask you why it matters? Whether you're breaking in for the first time or re-entering after a long hiatus, as long as you have talent, a great work ethic, and a willingness to do the "business work," why should age be an excuse?

Notice I did not ask if it would be an obstacle. There are certainly obstacles to breaking into the industry and competing with people your age who have a long work history, but if your DREAM is to work in this industry, then don't let age be an excuse.

Instead ask the question, "What tools do I need to break into the industry at my age?"

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

entertainment industry coach question 348: How do I bring up my "career" with someone I work for as a nanny?

Upon elaboration this person shared that the woman whom she's a nanny for is a big producer and her husband is in the industry as well.

I would suggest testing the waters first. Ask, "Would you be open to answering some questions I have about the business side of the industry, or do you prefer to keep that part of your life separate because I work for you?" Then you're being polite and respectful, making it comfortable for them to answer truthfully. This is a business "request" which means you must be prepared and okay with getting 'no' as an answer.

Should you get a 'yes', have questions prepared incase he/she wants to answer questions right there on the spot.

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

entertainment industry coach question 347: Is it appropriate to ask out someone on set or could I get in trouble for sexual harassment?

I'm not an expert on sexual harassment laws/rules... I'm a little concerned that you're associating asking someone out with it, but perhaps I'm naive and there are far more lawsuits going on than I know about.

If you are on a show that has an end date, maybe you can wait until wrap. If you're on a long-running episodic, trust your instincts. It's about intention. As long as you ask politely and can accept the possibility of "no" as an answer, you'll probably be okay. BUT I'M NOT A LAWYER.

Nor am I a dating coach. You're asking someone whose only dates are with Mac, and yes, I'm referring to my laptop. If only he cooked, he'd be perfect.

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

entertainment industry coach question 346: 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.

entertainment industry coach question 345:My friend is directing a pilot and I can't get him to call me back. How can I entice him?

Is it an emergency? My guess is- no, because no matter how busy someone is, if it's an emergency, they find time to return your call. Which leads me to my point. I'm not saying that you did this, but I know many people do. They wait until pilot season, see who's working, and then start making calls.

It's fine to let people know you're available, in fact, it's your job, but "I'm available" calls don't usually get returned calls unless there's a job for you. And "just checking in" calls, really don't get returned during pilot season. People get so pissed off about this. They say to me, "Who do these people think they are? No matter how 'big' I get, I'll always return people's calls."

Really? When a production report gets distributed, and a director (and other classifications) gets announced, he/she is bombarded with calls ranging from complete strangers, to people whom they met once (and now think they're friends), to people they know looking for work (who only call when they're looking for work), to good friends in the business (who are not in their 'top 10' top of mind calls.)

So now, the director has 127 calls in his voicemail, from people looking for work, 'just checking in,' or with an "enticing" reason for him to call back.

*note: if the enticing reason to call you back is so that you can build your relationship in order to get work- you should have made that call BEFORE pilot season.

The director is working on a pilot. This is one of the highest pressure jobs, with the most demanding hours, and usually an impossible schedule. On top of the pilot, he may have a family whom needs his attention on the few off hours he has, or maybe he needs to go to the gym to work off some stress, or have the 'check engine' light checked on his car so it doesn't break down on the way to the studio.

Do you see what I'm getting at? By the time a director books a pilot, he pretty much knows who he's hiring. If you didn't get called, left a message for him, did not get a call back, and it's not an emergency, this is NOT the best time to be persistent. He is BUSY. It's not personal.

If when you book a pilot and have 127 people calling you daily, you are able to return every call, PLEASE, write to me so I can interview you on time management.

Give your director friend a break, and let him concentrate on his very important task at hand.

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

entertainment industry coach question 344: is too crazy to post in the subject line so read on but be warned...

This just goes to show that I do read all entertainment related questions sent to me, although that doesn't mean I have the answer to them all. This one stumped me, but as I'm a fan of the show, would be curious to hear from any loyal readers who may have some insight.

ps. Please don't let this start a trend in wacky question asking (though once in a while I enjoy them). The question read exactly as follows:

"Dear Greenlight Coach, you are so good at answering questions every day, maybe you can help me with one that's been bothering me for a while. If Bear Grylls from Man vs Wild drinks his own pee because he needs to keep his fluids going in, (he said that it may seem disgusting, but your own urine is safe to drink) then why does everyone make such a big deal over washing hands after you pee? Clearly the germs can't be that harmful if drinking it is okay."

Well readers, there you have it. The first question the Greenlight Coach can't answer without doing a little research. Because I don't feel the question will help you move your career further along, I'm not going to bother with the research. BUT just in case I have some reality crew people out there who get themselves into a bad situation during a shoot of Survivor, perhaps someone can enlighten us to this mystery.

I'd have saved it for April 1st, but I don't think he was kidding.

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

entertainment industry coach question 343:Is it appropriate to connect to someone on Facebook who you don't know but share friends?

That's the beauty of Facebook, my friend. In fact you just reminded me to send a note to someone I met because I friended him since we had mutual friends. The irony was, I friended him based on the 3 people, whom I think the world of, so I figured he must be a great person too. Turns out he didn't even know them, but he was still a great person.

The key is to be professional. Don't just send a friend request, add a personal note saying that:

You share mutual friends and/or you're in the biz and/or something complimentary about something they've worked on.

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

entertainment industry coach question 342:Is the Super Bowl a good reason to reconnect with contacts?

This was a comment on yesterday's post that just came up, so I thought I'd better get back to it quickly since the Super Bowl is only hours away.

Absolutely! While not everyone in our industry is a "sports fan," everyone can relate to the competitive nature of achieving "the big goal." After all, the Super Bowl is really "the Oscars" of football.

So reach out in the spirit of going after that BIG GOAL!

I personally, will be rooting for the Giants, even though they're not playing. What can I do? They're in my blood...

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