Actor's Survival Guide: How to Make Your Way in Hollywood Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Actor's Survival Guide: How to Make Your Way in Hollywood? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Actor's Survival Guide: How to Make Your Way in Hollywood. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Actor's Survival Guide: How to Make Your Way in Hollywood ReviewJust by looking at the contents of this book, I could tell this would be worth reading. Unlike so many other books on this topic, this book goes beyond the generalizations of other books.
In order to prepare for this book, Robbins returned to Hollywood after many years to rekindle his acting career, by applying the academic and professional advice he had received through his own experiences, interviewing qualified professionals and struggling actors and conducting research into the various actor friendly neighborhoods in LA. By doing this Robbins was able to discover what is truly effective.
This book is anything but just another book covering the general aspects for a career in acting. I would highly recommend that any Actor pursuing a career in Hollywood not leave home without it.
Karen JohnsonActor's Survival Guide: How to Make Your Way in Hollywood OverviewWhile college drama programs primarily focus on training and technique with western theater history and aesthetics providing the context, nowhere in those programs does one find the study of business or marketing skills to facilitate the serious young actor's transition to the world of professional work. Inevitably, many thousands of these aspiring actors each year end up in Hollywood.
But newcomers will find Hollywood a minefield and a maze, wasting limited resources of time and money out of ignorance of its business realities. The Actor's Survival Guide functions both as a business handbook and a guidebook for newcomers to Los Angeles planning to pursue a professional acting career.
From the experience of relocating to LA, to the casting process, to the identifying (and finding work with) the key players in the film and television industry, The Actor's Survival Guide offers a business-centered road map through the pitfalls and wrong turns that derail too many promising careers and frustrate even the most dedicated of actors, and-for those who have the skills and determination to persevere-provides an extra competitive edge of experience and know-how.


Want to learn more information about Actor's Survival Guide: How to Make Your Way in Hollywood?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

D.W. Griffith: An American Life Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy D.W. Griffith: An American Life? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on D.W. Griffith: An American Life. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

D.W. Griffith: An American Life ReviewThis is a lavishly detailed biography of the pioneering film director David Wark Griffith (following the prevailing custom of the time, Griffith typically was referred to by his initials and his last name, hence D. W. Griffith). Griffith is a controversial figure on account of his groundbreaking feature film success, "The Birth of a Nation." The film was set during the Civil War and Reconstruction and revolutionized movie making.
Griffith was the son of a last ditch Confederate veteran who served until Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox. As a small child, Griffith idealized his father, a gentle ne'er do well, for whom the War for the Confederacy was the singular highlight of his entire existence. When his father died, Griffith was still a child of tender years and this separation only served to romanticize Griffith's memory of his beloved father to a greater degree. The significance of these vivid memories of his parent's storytelling are to be found in Griffith's landmark film "The Birth of a Nation."
Key battle sequences in the film are precise recreations of events that Griffith's own father experienced firsthand such as subsisting on parched corn when the Confederates were unable to supply their dwindling army with daily rations. Likewise, Colonel Griffith participated in a heroic battlefield charge quite like the one shown in the film.
Ostensibly an adaptation of Thomas Dixon's sensational bestselling novel and the subsequent stage play, "The Clansman," Griffith kept the billing for publicity purposes, but freely reworked the scenario to suit his own preferences. One testimonial to the effectiveness of the drama, to my mind at least, is to see how much of Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind" simply built upon the structure of Griffith's film. The original was an overwhelming financial success and fixed innumerable cliches about the Civil War in the consciousness of a generation who had only read about the fighting.
The movie radically changed the nascent film industry and soon the public demanded more feature length films and exhibitors needed to erect large theaters as the flickers were no longer a novelty to be watched solely in nickle and dime arcades. Theater owner Louis B. Mayer, the future leader of the powerful Metro Goldwyn Mayer studio, financed his entry into Hollywood by underreporting the total box office receipts from "The Birth of a Nation" and shortchanging Griffith of his rightful share of the profits.
Griffith was such a seminal figure during the development of the film industry that many of his assistants became celebrated directors after apprenticing under the master. Raoul Walsh, John Ford, Tod Browning, Erich von Stroheim, W. S. Van Dyke and William Beaudine all worked for Griffith. Following the success of "The Birth of a Nation," Griffith staged a lavish four part film entitled "Intolerance" in partial response to efforts to boycott, censor or enjoin the showing of his previous film. The film was not profitable, but Griffith became increasingly interested in staging epic spectacles and lost his way when he was unable to bring pictures in on time and on budget. Frequently, he courted financial disaster. Studio executives wanted immediate profits while Griffith was engrossed in the art of cinema. Soon he was deemed to be unreliable.
Changing public tastes also were a factor in his decline. Griffith produced melodramas that could have been staged in the limelight era. Once audiences had become more sophisticated and other movie makers had mastered his techniques, there was a greater demand for more modern and realistic stories than Griffith's homespun rural romances. After the production of the biopic "Abraham Lincoln," in 1930, Griffith was effectively finished in Hollywood. Although he had filmed the crime drama "The Musketeers of Pig Alley" on the streets of New York, employing actual gang members, no less, Griffith was considered politely old fashioned not twenty years later.
There is one major fault that must be mentioned with respect to this biography. Schickel's seems utterly nable to come to terms with Griffith's racial attitudes and his oftentimes patronizing depictions of Negroes in his films (African Americans was not the accepted term in Griffith's era). As such, the book becomes Exhibit "A" as a definitive example of the historical error of "presentism." Presentism occurs when historical figures are judged not according to the prevailing attitudes and standards of their own era, but according to contemporary and, oftentimes, politically correct standards. Using these criteria, many past persons are found guilty of having failed to conform to the societal expectations of an enlightened future era in which they did not live.
In fairness, men such as Griffith are entitled to be judged based upon their own generations, not ours. While it is valid to compare and contrast differences in opinions and standards by way of explanation, it is unjust to condemn Griffith for failing to join the civil rights movement decades before such a movement came into existence.
The racist sentiments contained in Griffith's films are an accurate reflection of the biased opinions that were widespread in 1915. It should be remembered that President Woodrow Wilson was instrumental in segregating the District of Columbia at the same approximate time that "The Birth of a Nation" was being filmed. The newly established NAACP attempted to have the film suppressed and numerous lawsuits were filed seeking to enjoin its exhibition. In certain cities, their efforts were successful.
To Schickel's credit, he summarizes virtually all of Griffith's many films, including many short subjects and feature films that no longer exist. Griffith was a largely forgotten man when he died in a nondescript Los Angeles hotel. Hollywood's leading hypocrites belatedly staged a fitting memorial service to honor Griffith after neglecting him for more than a decade and a half. Not quite thirty years earlier, Griffith had founded United Artist Studios.
There is a wealth of information to be found in this book, but the biographer's liberal biases detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book.D.W. Griffith: An American Life Overview"This magnificent and important biography...is the best ever written on the man." -The New Republic "Mr. Schickel's excellent and important biography makes it clear that when the movers of our century are tallied, D.W. Griffith, flawed genius that he was, can never lose his eminent position." -Peter Bogdanovich, The New York Times Book Review

Want to learn more information about D.W. Griffith: An American Life?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets ReviewSome excerpts from the book:
- A selection of remarks about God and quotes from the Bible in the front matter. Not a bad thing, just a bit unexpected in a book about marketing for the screen and stage.
- Half of the next page is about where to buy this book. If you're holding the book, the odds are good you don't need that information by then.
- Under 'Author Biography' on the first page: "No recognition is desired by the author. Displaying credentials serves no purpose." Well, yes it does. It tells you what experience the author has, his level of 'authority' on the subject matter, what point of view he's writing from - a studio exec will have a different point of view than a script reader.
- "No Chapter 13" (yet there's a page number for it)
- "Chapter 14 - Introduction to Trap Shooting" and "Trap Shooting Writing Opportunities." No, I am not kidding. The author is sure that you'll meet people here. You just might, but how many of them are Hollywood types who can or will actually do anything for you is questionable. It doesn't matter because this section isn't about shmoozing; it instead extolls the virtues of trap shooting as an obsession.
The author also names 5 "must-see" movies - which are actually six. Three are classics: "The Terminator" (which he calls "Terminator 1") and "Terminator 2" (which is actually titled "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"), and "It's a Wonderful Life." No, I'm not being picky. If you're going to write about screenwriting, it's lazy not to bother to get the titles right.
He includes "The Cormorant," and "England Made Me," which he "believe[s] were filmed by British prodcos." Shouldn't an author have done his research for a book on this topic? (The sixth one is "The Last Shout," a TV-movie made from a British comedy series. Draw your own conclusions on that one.)
- "The 7-Day Plan To Be A Better Christian!" (Not a chapter, just a page, but not relevant to the subject either.)
I'm not faulting the author for his obsessions, but the book needs better focus on the topic at hand. One doesn't pay [$$$] for a hodge-podge of script marketing, Christian prosletyzing, and how to get into trap shooting.
It's also surprisingly amateurishly formatted for the price. The entire thing is in Courier font with an extra space between chapters. The book has few charts or lists (learn to use bullets!), and no index. It needs better formatting, an index, and someone besides the author to edit it.
The quality of the book overall (poor formatting, mediocre editing, fuzzy focus, lack of credentials, sloppy research, lazy writing, and lack of accuracy in something as ordinary as a film title) make me question the value and credibility of the overall content.Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets OverviewWith "Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets, " readers can learn how to get an agent or sell scripts without one, save money on marketing expenses, write powerful responsive query letters, avoid script writing fatal mistakes, protect their work and submissions and more.

Want to learn more information about Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Hollywood Drive: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Hollywood Drive: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Hollywood Drive: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Hollywood Drive: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry ReviewI attended author Eve Honthaner's class at USC in 2004. Titled "Breaking In, Hanging In and Making It," the class gave me all the skills and tools necessary to make it into the film industry in Hollywood. Her encouragement and burning desire to help people succeed in following their dreams translates well from the classroom to the page. For those who don't have 6 weeks and $2,000 to spend on her enlightening course at USC, this book is a real bargain. If you are serious about pursuing a career in Hollywood, "Hollywood Drive" will teach you the importance of networking and all the other skills necessary to get your foot in the door. Using the tried and true methods of Eve Honthaner, I got my first job in Hollywood with Fox -- and many more to follow. I now recommend this book to everyone who dreams of Hollywood and has the courage to pursue that dream.Hollywood Drive: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry Overview

Want to learn more information about Hollywood Drive: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Hit and Run Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Hit and Run? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Hit and Run. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Hit and Run ReviewI read this book three years ago and I'm still laughing.
Griffin & Masters have created THE required reading book on everything that is wrong with Hollywood. They were able to tell the inside stories of multi-million dollar deals and make them understandable. Jon Peters, a barely literate hairdresser who happened to be friends with Barbara Streisand, and his business partner Peter Guber schmoozed their way through the 80s and were picked by Sony to run their newly acquired Columbia/Tri-Star pictures. Billions of dollars in losses later (Last Action Hero, I'll Do Anything) they got kicked out.
It is really an incredible story. If it was fiction, you'd think it completly impossible to believe, but it is all true.Hit and Run Overview

Want to learn more information about Hit and Run?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Entertainment Marketing Revolution: Bringing the Moguls, the Media, and the Magic to the World Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Entertainment Marketing Revolution: Bringing the Moguls, the Media, and the Magic to the World? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Entertainment Marketing Revolution: Bringing the Moguls, the Media, and the Magic to the World. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Entertainment Marketing Revolution: Bringing the Moguls, the Media, and the Magic to the World ReviewWhat a handy "big picture" book of the entertainment industry this is! You can get a handle on the music biz, to movie biz, to how radio and broadcast television make money. There are behind the scenes dealings by individuals and companies, as well comprehensive coverage of how a group of muscicians end up with a CD or road tour. The book's like a mini-college course on everything that entertains us. Did you know that software games is one of the fastest growing of all entertainment revenues? I didn't. The little side stories are a hoot. The main content is invaluable to understand this vast and rich industry - from how movies hit the market to how sports products get to fans and hobbyists. The book itself is entertaining!The Entertainment Marketing Revolution: Bringing the Moguls, the Media, and the Magic to the World OverviewEntertainment is now a $500 billion industry that reaches into every corner of human life. The Entertainment Marketing Revolution: Bringing the Moguls, the Media, and the Magic to the World profiles that industry, from film to print, music to theme parks-and shows exactly how to find and reach your market in today's insanely competitive marketplace. Discover the driving forces, key synergies, new opportunities, and advanced marketing techniques today's top companies are riding to success... and learn how to create tomorrow's blockbuster properties, starting today.

Want to learn more information about The Entertainment Marketing Revolution: Bringing the Moguls, the Media, and the Magic to the World?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

My Name's Friday : The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy My Name's Friday : The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on My Name's Friday : The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

My Name's Friday : The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb ReviewThe subtitle succinctly describes this book: a biography of Jack Webb with the emphasis on "Dragnet" in its various forms and on his long neglected feature films. Most readers, like myself, will probably get the book for its coverage of "Dragnet" in its successive permutations: radio series (1949-55), the original TV series (1951-59), theatrical film (1954), TV movie (1966), and the second TV series (1967-70). Hayde shows that in all three media, Webb was an innovator, using new and existing technologies to enhance realism and impact and speed up production. He was a stickler for realism in everything from doorknobs to nomenclature. When "Dragnet" moved to TV, Webb kept the radio series' actors, despite the network's fears that they weren't glamorous enough for TV; besides being famously loyal, Webb wanted actors who looked like real people, not movie stars. Hayde also shows that "Dragnet" was more than just reenactment, but showed the human side of police work and the effects of crime.
Some years ago, Leonard Malton wrote that Webb's theatrical films demanded reappraisal. Hayde does here, perhaps giving them their first detailed examinations since their premieres. Webb had seen radio and TV as stepping stones to film, but his features are often considered less successful than his TV shows. If so, this book shows that any shortcomings were due to writing, not acting or technique.
Hayde describes the success Webb enjoyed. The "Dragnet" dum-de-dum-dum theme is one of the most recognized in the world. The two "Dragnet" TV series were huge hits in both prime time and syndication and Webb also enjoyed success with "Adam-12" and "Emergency." He realized about $2.5 million from the sale of the syndication rights to the first "Dragnet" TV series, a huge sum for the day. But as Hayde shows, Webb paid a high price, too. Three of his four marriages ended in divorce, casaulties of his workaholism. His daily regimen of 18 hours of work, three packs of cigarettes, and up to three hard drinks ruined his health and lead to an early and fatal heart attack at age 62 in December 1982.
A huge amount of research obviously went into this book, including interviews with surviving associates of Webb. The writing is excellent. The book is profusely illustrated, with an especially evocative cover shot. It also contains some fascinating and useful appendices, including episode guides.
But this book is more than just a history of Webb's productions. Hayde provides some very incisive analyses, giving praise and criticism when due. He does an excellent job in placing "Dragnet" in context. It may seem too cut and dry today, but "Dragnet" was a breath of fresh air at a time when most crime dramas were wildly inaccurate and consisted of screams, gunshots, sirens, and wisecracks. Hayde points out that the huge success of the original TV series in syndication showed the lucrative possibilities of that market and thus doomed live TV. Hayde also points out that the second series' drug episodes, now considered campy, reflected the horror and bewilderment that broke out when drugs hit the middle class in the 1960's.
In summary, this is one of the best non-fiction books I've read. I recommend it highly, not only to Webb fans, but to any serious student of radio, TV, or film.My Name's Friday : The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb OverviewThe complete story of "Dragnet" and the theatrical feature films of producer/director/actor Jack Webb.

Want to learn more information about My Name's Friday : The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Vo: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-over Actor Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Vo: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-over Actor? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Vo: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-over Actor. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Vo: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-over Actor ReviewI never met Harlan Hogan, but I also started in radio and soon switched to commercial production. Only I was doing it from the other side of the glass, as engineer--and then director--of quite a few thousand national and regional spots, working with hundreds of VO talents on the East Coast and LA. So I know what these guys go through.
Everything Harlan writes is true: the techniques, the way the business works, the friendships that form between actors competing for the same jobs, the life. Except his way of telling it is funnier than real life.
This is actually two books, interleaved. Chapters alternate between sage (and hard-earned) advice on polishing voice-acting performing and job-getting skills, and some of the things Harlan had to go through to learn these lesions. If you're an announcer, engineer, or sharp producer, you'll chuckle over the war stories. If you're trying to break into the business, you couldn't have a better teacher.Vo: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-over Actor Overview
One of the country's top voice-over talents shares his secrets to success in this insider's guide to the voice-over industry. Not only does veteran actor Harlan Hogan offer a fascinating personal account of the crazed clients, practical jokes, and amazing coincidences encountered during his twenty-five year career, he also provides a wealth of tested tips for surviving and thriving as a voice-over actor. This indispensable guide features dozens of techniques to help readers train their voices, gain experience, make a demo, join unions, get an agent, and more. It also includes strategies for finding work in venues outside film and television, including games, automated telephone systems, and even Web sites. Actors, broadcasters, and anyone else who longs to make money spekaing into a microphone will cherish this informative, insightful, and often hilarious glimpse at the business.


Want to learn more information about Vo: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-over Actor?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers, Second Edition: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers, Second Edition: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers, Second Edition: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers, Second Edition: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers ReviewThis is a great handbook for anyone in the film or media industry. I have an earlier version of this on my Kindle, there are some additions to this version as opposed to the last one. There is updated information on film tax credit changes, production incentives. The EZ tabs on the outside of the book make it very easy to find information. There are the basics and then more in depth topics that can keep you farom having to call your entertainment attorney most of the time. When the cost per hour for some of these guys is between $200 and $400 an hour, that is always a plus! Having examples of letters of intent, as wellas suggestions on distribution via Amazon, NetFlix, YouTube, etc are all covered in this volume. In the digital age, in any sort of entertainment field, you need to know these things. At the particular time that I received my own copy of the book, I needed an updated form of an NDA for an upcoming film project. It had exactly what I needed when I needed it. Keep it on your desk where you can get to it.The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers, Second Edition: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers Overview
* How can you use a state's film tax credits to fund your film? SEE PAGE 63.

* You have an idea you want to pitch to a production company; how do you safeguard your concept? SEE PAGE 77.

* How can you fund your production with product placement? SEE PAGE 157.

* How do you get a script to popular Hollywood actors and deal with their agents?SEE PAGE 222.


Find quick answers to these and hundreds of other questions in this new edition of The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers. This no-nonsense reference provides fast answers in plain English-no law degree required! Arm yourself with the practical advice of author Thomas Crowell, a TV-producer-turned-entertainment-lawyer.

This new edition features:

* New sections on product placement, film tax credits and production incentive financing, Letters of Intent, and DIY distribution (four-walling, YouTube, Download-to-own, Amazon.com, iTunes, and Netflix)

* Updated case law


* Even more charts and graphics to help you find the information you need even more quickly.


This book is the next best thing to having an entertainment attorney on retainer!

* Avoid legal pitfalls with this quick reference guide- get real answers written in plain English for filmmakers, not for lawyers* Three books in one: a handy manual on film contracts, a step-by-step guide to critical legal issues on and off the set, and a quick reference on copyright and intellectual property issues *Revised and updated to cover YouTube, Internet distribution, webisodes, and production services agreements


Want to learn more information about The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers, Second Edition: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Hollywood Book of Extravagance: The Totally Infamous, Mostly Disastrous, and Always Compelling Excesses of America's Film and TV Idols Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Hollywood Book of Extravagance: The Totally Infamous, Mostly Disastrous, and Always Compelling Excesses of America's Film and TV Idols? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Hollywood Book of Extravagance: The Totally Infamous, Mostly Disastrous, and Always Compelling Excesses of America's Film and TV Idols. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Hollywood Book of Extravagance: The Totally Infamous, Mostly Disastrous, and Always Compelling Excesses of America's Film and TV Idols ReviewProlific Hollywood author and biographer, James Robert Parish, has just published a fascinating gallery of sketches of the great and near-great Hollywood celebrities from the past 70 years through today in his latest book, THE HOLLYWOOD BOOK OF EXTRAVAGANCE. Let's be honest: there were many great stars of Hollywood's Golden Age who were quite sensible and level-headed (Rosalind Russell, Irene Dunne, Ray Milland and Fred MacMurray easily come to mind) but really, who wants to read about THEM? Far more entertaining are the celebs whose lives and careers flared brightly and often briefly though fate, but more often through mismanagement and by their own personal demons. Such circumstances may have ultimately made for a hellish life to live, but these are the stuff of the biographer's dream - and the reader's delight.
Parish reviews the familiar names such as Marilyn Monroe, Richard Burton, Frank Sinatra, and Joan Crawford, but for the true film aficionado are the cautionary tales of Veronica Lake, Betty Hutton, Oscar Levant, Macaulay Culkin, Burt Reynolds, and many other celebs - some quite forgotten today but celebrated (or notorious) in their own day. A highly recommended book that will make the actors you see on Turner Classic Movies become three dimensional for their follies and foibles.The Hollywood Book of Extravagance: The Totally Infamous, Mostly Disastrous, and Always Compelling Excesses of America's Film and TV Idols OverviewSavor the inside scoop on over-the-top superstars"I'm not a paranoid, deranged millionaire. . . . I'm a billionaire!""Acting is an empty and useless profession.""Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go everywhere else.""I'm interested in being provocative and pushing people's buttons."Which screen icons gave us the quotes above? How do stars get away with self-indulgent, unrestrained behaviors-or do they? In The Hollywood Book of Extravagance, longtime industry insider and Hollywood historian James Robert Parish gives you a provocative look behind the scenes at the lavish indulgences and larger-than-life egos of Tinseltown's rich and famous. The featured celebrities range from heartthrobs to industry tycoons, and from yesterday's matinee idols to today's hottest celebs. The stars are grouped according to their excesses: ego, neurosis, partying, power, rich living, and romancing. You'll devour little-known details on the excesses and exploits of notables ranging from Mae West to Madonna, Greta Garbo to Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando, Bela Lugosi to John Belushi, Zsa Zsa Gabor to Paris Hilton, Errol Flynn to Jude Law, and many more.

Want to learn more information about The Hollywood Book of Extravagance: The Totally Infamous, Mostly Disastrous, and Always Compelling Excesses of America's Film and TV Idols?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Getting the Money: A Step-By-Step Guide for Writing Business Plans for Film Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Getting the Money: A Step-By-Step Guide for Writing Business Plans for Film? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Getting the Money: A Step-By-Step Guide for Writing Business Plans for Film. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Getting the Money: A Step-By-Step Guide for Writing Business Plans for Film Review
Although there's one or two good books in the market in regards to hardcore fundraising, "Getting The Money" is in a universe of it's own.
The fluff is kept to a minimal, and, conversely, hard facts, tools, and graphs are the focus of this unusual well of information. This
book is not for the half-hearted/half-committed film school grad, but film-makers who want to see their vision as well as their careers
jump to life. In short, I'm ecstatic about this book and consider this a major breakthrough in this ever-evolving and capital driven industry.Getting the Money: A Step-By-Step Guide for Writing Business Plans for Film OverviewFilmmakers interested in financing their own films have to start with a business plan. Few know how to put one together. Getting the Money gives a relaxed, step-by-step approach on how to do so. Of particular use are the financial sections where, for the first time, readers are guided on exactly what to do and exactly how to do it, using examples from sample plans. No more vague instructions that amount to hiring someone else. Once finished with the book, readers will have their own plan they can use to attract financing for their films.

Want to learn more information about Getting the Money: A Step-By-Step Guide for Writing Business Plans for Film?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV and Video Content in an Online World Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV and Video Content in an Online World? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV and Video Content in an Online World. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV and Video Content in an Online World ReviewThis book is loaded to the gills with information about how studios market their films. It's very high quality-it helps you maximize distribution while minimizing risk. Like any quality work it is laden with examples of who did what, what worked and what didn't, and the most important piece of the equation: why.
So essential is this book to me that I wouldn't recommend spending a dime making a film until you've read this first. It covers not only the nuts and bolts of distribution but gives insight into what kinds of films are likely to be more profitable than others and how to analyze it with greater insight. Beyond that it includes the dynamic marketplace and what to consider about how you want to release your work. And of course, you want to know how to deal with large competition. You get good info on that here.
Chapters included:
Market Opportunity and Segmentation-The diverse roles of studios and networks
Intellectual Property Assets Enabling Distribution-The business of Creating, Marketing, and Protecting an Idea
Financing Production: Studios and Networks as Venture Capitalists
Theatrical Distribution
The Home Video Business
Television Distribution
Internet Distribution, Downloads, and On-Demand Streaming-A New Paradigm
Ancillary Revenues:Merchandising, Video Games, Hotels, Transactional Video On Demand, Airlines and other Markets
Marketing
Making Money-Net Profits, Hollywood Accounting, and the Relative Simplicity of Online Revenue Sharing
Really, these descriptions only scratch the surface as the coverage of each topic is detailed and broad. If you've covered all these things and you've analyzed it and you think you can make a good profit, congratulations. If you're the typical Indy with what you feel is a great script in hand, and you're brokering your staff, this book is worth the time it takes to read all 461 pages (page count not including index and references). Personally, I'm very glad I have The Business of Media Distribution and recommend that no serious film maker spend a dime without reading it first, beginning to end. You might even change your mind about the film you intend to produce, or have better ideas for making it profitable. Making money is risky-making money with movies is certainly no exception, and if you're Indy and making a quality film, there's a chance you have your share of investors on board. You owe yourself this book. It will be some of the best $35.00 you've ever spent. Your investors will certainly agree.
The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV and Video Content in an Online World Overview
Written by the insider who headed sales for Lucasfilm across distribution markets and managed the release of Star Wars Episode III, this is the first book to show how all related media distribution markets, including television, video and online, work together and independently to finance and maximize profits on productions. It demystifies how an idea moves from concept to profits and how distribution quietly dominates an industry otherwise grounded in high profile elements (production, marketing, creative, finance, law).

The book provides a unique apprenticeship to the business, illuminating at a macro level how an idea can move from concept to generating $1 Billion, relating theory and practice in the context of the maturation of global market segments, and exposing the devil in the detail that impacts bottom line profits.

Producers, media executives, students and entertainment attorneys in specific niches will benefit from this wide-ranging look at the business across various distribution outlets, including theatrical, video, television, online, merchandising, video-on-demand, etc. This book is officially endorsed by Variety magazine.

* Covers the entire range distribution outlets; learn how your speciality relates to the big picture * The definitive book on how studios and networks make money; apply the knowledge and concepts to your business - endorsed by Variety magazine! * Demystifies net and gross: learn how/when you get the money once you've produced a film *Includes perspectives from leading industry executives from studios, networks and online leaders, including Fox, Paramount, MGM, ABC, Lucasfilm, Pixar, YouTube, Hulu, Amazon, etc. *Illustrates historical film windows, the economic drivers behind them, and how online and digital delivery applications are changing the landscape * Relates economic theory, in the trenches practices, market history and current trends *Explores and highlights online influences to each sub-distribution market (e.g., film, video, TV) throughout the development, production, financing, marketing and distribution chain


Want to learn more information about The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV and Video Content in an Online World?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Adventures of a Hollywood Secretary: Her Private Letters from Inside the Studios of the 1920s Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Adventures of a Hollywood Secretary: Her Private Letters from Inside the Studios of the 1920s? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Adventures of a Hollywood Secretary: Her Private Letters from Inside the Studios of the 1920s. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Adventures of a Hollywood Secretary: Her Private Letters from Inside the Studios of the 1920s ReviewValeria Belletti was an energetic, intelligent young woman who came to Los Angeles from New York and worked as a secretary to some of the most powerful and interesting people in Hollywood in the late 1920s. During this period, she wrote dozens of letters to her best friend, describing not only her experiences at the movie studios, but her personal feelings and day-to-day life in southern California and on an extended trip to Europe. These letters make up the bulk of this short book, which left me liking Valeria very much and wishing there had been more. Well-written background notes are provided by editor Cari Beauchamp.
While Beauchamp supplies some valuable padding-out of the events and personalities Valeria described, she tends to give the compilation a modern feminist point of view the author of the letters did not seem to have in mind. In contrast, the letters indicate that rather than being the victim of an "iron ceiling" (Beauchamp's term), Valeria, although a high school dropout, had opportunities to grow professionally beyond being a secretary, but chose not to pursue them. Furthermore, rather than half-heartedly marrying a man she was "only fond of" (Beauchamp again) as a sort of economic expedient in an oppressive patriarchal society, Valeria was an independent woman who went where she wanted to go and did what she wanted to do. She had no trouble supporting herself comfortably, and she enthusiastically married a man of modest economic means, of whom she wrote, "The more I'm with him, the more I love him."
I have the paperback edition and find it odd that the name of Valeria Belletti, the delightful author of the letters comprising this book, does not appear on the front cover or the spine, while Beauchamp's name is displayed in large print. For enthusiasts of early Hollywood or 1920s southern California, Valeria's letters are well worth reading, while taking her editor's feminist leanings with a large chunk of salt.

Adventures of a Hollywood Secretary: Her Private Letters from Inside the Studios of the 1920s Overview

Want to learn more information about Adventures of a Hollywood Secretary: Her Private Letters from Inside the Studios of the 1920s?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...