FOR ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE WISHED TO SEE YOURSELVES ON THE SCREEN, BIG OR SMALL, THIS PAGE WILL HELP YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WORLD OF MAKE BELIEVE.

THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FLOCK TO LOS ANGELES EVERY YEAR TO FIND THEIR PLACE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS. THE MAJORITY ARE ACTORS. EVERYONE COMES WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND DISILLUSIONMENT BY THE REALITY OF THIS TOUGH, UNRELENTING WORLD IS RAMPANT. BUT IF YOU KNOW THE ROPES, UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND WORK IT...YOU WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR YOU.

FIRST OF ALL, DON'T GIVE YOURSELF A TIME LIMIT. THERE ARE NO TIME LIMITS IN HOLLYWOOD. THE DAY YOU GIVE UP, IS THE DAY YOU MIGHT GET YOUR BIG BREAK. BEING AN ACTOR IS A LIFE STYLE NOT A QUICK WAY TO MAKE A BUCK. SO IF YOU ONLY WANT TO DO ACTING FOR THE MONEY, BUY YOURSELF A "GET RICH QUICK" BOOK AND LEAVE THE ACTING TO THE SERIOUS ONES. IF YOU LOVE THE PROCESS OF ACTING, THE SHEER DELIGHT IN CREATING A CHARACTER AND PERFORMING FOR AN AUDIENCE, THEN YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE.

LIKE ANYTHING IN LIFE, YOU HAVE TO LOVE WHAT YOU DO TO MAKE IT WORK. ACTING IS AN ONGOING PROCESS, A LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAT NEVER ENDS. IT'S EXCITING, AWESOME, DEEPLY SATISFYING AND IN MANY CASES VERY LUCRATIVE. CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING PAID MILLIONS FOR SOMETHING YOU LOVE TO DO? HAVE THE ADORATION OF FANS ACROSS THE WORLD? LIVE IN LUXURY? YES, I THOUGHT SO. BUT TO GET TO THIS PLACE, YOU MUST LEARN THE WAY TO GO ABOUT IT. DON'T GET CAUGHT INTO SCAMS AND QUICK PROMISES TO MAKE YOU A "STAR". THE ROAD TO STARDOM IS TOUGH. IT TAKES INTELLIGENCE, FOCUS AND INCREDIBLE TALENT. PLAN YOUR PATH CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW IT TO THE LETTER.

"MAKING IT IN HOLLYWOOD" IS A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO PLANNING YOUR ACTING FUTURE. ALONG WITH THE FREE INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE, YOU SHOULD HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO REACH YOUR GOAL OF BECOMING A WORKING ACTOR. GOOD LUCK.

CLICK on ACTORS LIBRARY for your copy of "MAKING IT IN HOLLYWOOD". Scene books, to practice your craft, are available.

So you want to be in movies, see yourself in the pages of glossy magazines, be in a television commercials! Great! Go for it. But be careful. Because show business is so desirable, it creates a ripe environment for rip offs and scams. There are several ways to fall prey to show business scams. Below are a few of the most popular. Read them carefully and take heed.

1) Phone solicitations - A 'scout' for a talent school will call you up and invite you or a family member to audition for a commercial. They may say that they got your name from a friend of yours or that you have been selected from hundreds of people to attend this 'special event'. Right! How did they get your unlisted telephone number? How do they know the names and ages of you or your children? Where do they get this private information? Do they ever mention the name of this 'friend'? Remember, you are just a name on a list of thousands of people. These phone solicitors are pros at getting you down to their offices and there's only one thing on their mind...taking your money.

2) Mail solicitations - A well known celebrity will be featured on the cover of a glossy brochure inviting you or a family member to be a part of the "talent search". The brochure will give you the time and date of this 'special event' explaining once again that you have been 'chosen' from hundreds to attend. Okay, you weren't born yesterday. You know that you are one of thousands that have been solicited to attend this event. But you go anyway...I mean, you never know, right? Wrong. We know that this is a quick way to sell you their expensive modeling program, acting program or photographers package. Do yourself a favor...don't take your credit cards. This way you can go home and think about everything and then make a decision based on rational thinking and not generated excitement. If they really want you, they will wait and not pressure you.

3) Personal solicitation - You might be walking in the mall when a "talent scout" will come up and praise the beauty of your child or yourself. They will hand you their card and convince you that you must come and visit their offices so they can discuss the possibility of getting you in show business. Little do you know that when you turn the corner of that mall, the "talent scout's" are giving the same line to the next person. Remember these people get paid to get you in the door. Make sure you ask these contacts a lot of questions before you decide to go to their establishment. If they are pushing classes, ask for the brochure and price schedule then call direct and see if the person on the other line will give you all the information before you get there. If they do, they are pretty much upfront, it's the ones who will not release any information over the phone that you have to watch out for.

4) Newspaper ads - Advertisements that say they are "looking for new talent" or "make up to $200 or more a day in television" etc., is a sure fire way to get pulled in to expensive photo sessions, classes or talent fees. Once you're in their offices, be prepared to listen to their sales pitch or don't bother to go.

WATCH OUT: All these pitches are ploys to get you in their door. They may put you on camera and do the whole 'audition' routine but know that this will ultimately lead to a heavy duty sales pitch on the virtues of their modeling or acting program. They only want your money! They will say anything to you or your child to get you to sign their agreements. At the time of the pitch, you are excited about the possibilities of being in television or your child making some extra money in commercials. You listen to the salesman do his most sincere pitch and you fall for it. Before you know it, your credit card is maxed out and you are left holding a contract that is non refundable. Read the fine print. Take the contract home and go over it carefully before signing anything.

RULES TO LIVE BY IN SHOW BUSINESS:

A) Never pay to be represented. - A legitimate agent or manager will never charge you to be represented. They only get paid after you've done a job they got for you. (It should be no more than 10% for agencies and 15% for managers).

B) Don't pay more than $350 for an acting class of 6 weeks or more. There are wonderful acting coaches out there that are legitimate and don't charge a fortune. Make sure you are allowed to 'audit' a class before joining it. If you're going for television and movies, make sure they have an "on camera" class.

C) Don't pay more than $400 for headshots. That amount should include at least two rolls of film. Unless you're heading for the modeling world, you don't need a portfolio. Even then there are test photographers in the modeling agencies that will do a roll for $75. Portfolios must have at least 4 to 5 different photographers work in then. Be wise about your choice of photographers, check out their work.

D) Be careful about getting pulled into expensive talent competitions. Many people don't realize that all you have to do is send in a picture of your child or yourself to one of the 144 legitimate agents in Hollywood and request to be seen. These 'talent competitions' are charging you thousands of dollars to be seen by the very agents you can contact yourself. After all, Hollywood is down the road, it's not like we live in the mid west somewhere. Don't throw your money away.

Most of all, be savvy when it comes to promises of fame and fortune. There is no such thing as an overnight success. Fame comes with a lot of hard work and dedication. Be smart in your choices of people to work with. Even though this is a dog eat dog business, there are some good people out there trying to lead you in the right direction. Trust your gut and don't be embarrassed to tell others about any rip offs or scams you may have been pulled into. The only way we can stop these people is to share our stories and make others aware.

Written by Jill Donnellan

Personal Manager for Inmotion Management

Published author with Samuel French Plays, Inc.

Script writer for "Power Rangers"

Acting Coach for "The Acting Workshops" in Agoura.

www.actorsinmotion.com