Description
Book SynopsisHollywood Drive: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry is the essential guide to starting and succeeding at a career in film and TV. The completely updated second edition features new interviews with industry professionals, information about the changing social media landscape, the wide array of distribution platforms that are available to aspiring filmmakers, and much more. Honthaner''s invaluable experience and advice give those attempting to enter and become successful in the entertainment industry the edge they need to stand out among the intense competition.
Hollywood Drive explores the realities of the industry: various career options, effective job search strategies, how to write an effective cover letter and resume, what to expect on your first job, the significance of networking and building solid industry relationships, how a project is sold, and how a production office and set operate. You''ll learn how to defi
Trade Review
"Eve hasn’t lost her touch! In this updated edition she’s retained her conversational style, making this an easy read as well as the go-to guide for anyone trying to break into the entertainment industry. The book is full of invaluable insights, such as the fact that being successful in this highly-competitive business isn’t just about talent and luck, but also about having the right attitude. Hollywood Drive will continue to be required reading for my film and television students and should be for anyone serious about a career in show biz."
—Professor Jerry Gibbs, Curry College, Milton, MA
"Eve's common-sense writing tells one story after another about how our business works and continues to evolve. Her experiences in the real world and passion for teaching has motivated her to craft a book that is a must-read for anybody who wants to understand our business from the inside out. Real stories from real people about how things really work with hundreds of suggestions to keep you focused, motivated and 'driving through Hollywood.’"
—Jay Roewe, Senior Vice President, West Coast Productions, Home Box Office, Inc.
"For anyone seriously considering a career in the entertainment industry, Hollywood Drive is an indispensable resource. Eve takes a pragmatic, hands-on approach, breaking down a complex industry into easy-to-digest segments. Getting a foot in the door can be an arduous challenge, and this book is a godsend!"
—Amy Lemisch, Executive Director, California Film Commission
"I enthusiastically recommend Eve Honthaner’s book Hollywood Drive to every aspiring filmmaker who is ready to hear solid truths, helpful hints, an accurate description of the current business, and Eve’s rock-solid advice. I believe your time and financial investment will begin to pay off immediately.
This is a wise and practical book for filmmakers who want guidance and structure – whether you are in film school, never went to film school, or graduated ten years ago and are still trying to get your foot in the door. There are specific exercises within the book to help you identify and market "your brand" and understand how to better present yourself, your work and your potential. Eve devotes a chapter to the issue of diversity in the industry, both the shameful statistics AND the ways in which women and artists of underrepresented ethnicities NEED to take their rightful place in Hollywood.
Eve has wide experience of the Hollywood industry and has laid out both her knowledge and the realities in easy-to-read-and-digest chapters. She comprehensively and economically covers the industry, the tools you need to succeed, the obstacles (from without and from within), and many other considerations for making your dream your career. I’ve been in the business (and a professor) for twenty years, and I was still inspired reading Hollywood Drive!"
—Becky Smith is Vice Chair & Head of Production in the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Emmy-nominated for directing (her show won an Emmy the same year), she has been working in television and features for over twenty years. She's a graduate of the Directing Workshop for Women at AFI, Stanford Film School and a member of the Television Academy and Women In Film.
"For years, Hollywood Drive has been required reading for my clients and students. It is far and away the finest resource on how to get and—equally important—keep a job in the industry. The level of detail is phenomenally useful, from how to figure out what you're best at, to which notepads to use, to phone etiquette, networking, diversity issues, and everything in between.
Now it's updated with bushels of new information, strategies, and oh-so-necessary pep talks. Job hunting is fraught with peril, and Hollywood Drive is a miraculous guide through the deep, dark woods of starting and maintaining a career.
If I'd had Hollywood Drive when I moved to Los Angeles, I'd live in a much nicer house."
—William M. Akers, WGA Lifetime Member, Author of Your Screenplay Sucks!
Table of ContentsTable of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Fade In On Reality
Chapter 2: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Chapter 3: No Two Paths Are Ever The Same
Chapter 4: Key Ingredients To A Successful Career
Chapter 5: Understanding How The Industry Works
Chapter 6: Career Options
Chapter 7: Some Other Interesting Choices
Chapter 8: Going It On Your Own
Chapter 9: Life Will Not Go According to Plan if You Have No Plan
Chapter 10: Starting Out
Chapter 11: Job Search Strategies
Chapter 12: The Resume & Cover Letter
Chapter 13: Interviews & Meetings
Chapter 14: No One Ever Said It Would Be Easy!
Chapter 15: Networking & Schmooching
Chapter 16: Getting Through The Next Door
Chapter 17: Pitching & Selling
Chapter 18: Reel Production
Chapter 19: You’re Not In Film School Anymore, Toto
Chapter 20: Show Biz Survival Techniques
Chapter 21: Advice From The Experts
Chapter 22: Remembering Why You Got Into This Business To Begin With
Chapter 23: Eve’s Recipe For Success
