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Exploded Hollywood Myths

by Robin Rowe

1. Myth: Hollywood is out to steal your original story idea.
   Reality: There's practically no market for original story ideas in Hollywood. Few movies make it into production that are not based on a novel, a comic book, a short story, a newspaper article or the life of a famous person.
2. Myth: Hollywood is full of players out to cheat you.
   Reality: Hollywood players live and die on their reputation. It's like being a professional gambler. Anyone who gets a reputation for cheating will no longer be a player. Scoundrels to watch out for are wannabe players, people who have no reputation but consider themselves important. These people can be dangerous because they have no reputation to protect and might not even understand the consequences of cheating.
3. Myth: You don't need an agent.
   Reality: Without an agent or manager you have zero credibility, are just another wannabe actor or wannabe writer. Strangely, some actors will pay to meet the second assistant of a casting director in a pay-to-play "workshop", yet put little effort into getting an agent who they desperately need to be able to work.
4. Myth: Agents will cheat you.
   Reality: Agents are state licensed and bonded. If you distrust agents you might as well distrust banks and keep your money under a mattress. However, managers are unregulated. With managers it's caveat emptor.
5. Myth: Agents don't care about their clients' success.
   Reality: Agents don't get paid unless their clients make money. Some agents are much more nurturing than others. If you need more hand holding go for a smaller boutique agency, not the majors.
6. Myth: It's impossible to get an agent.
   Reality: Agents almost always get clients on referral. You need to know someone who has an agent or is a friend of an agent. There are basic questions you can ask any actor or writer you meet: "Do you like your agent?" and "What's your agent looking for?". Network with artists who have agents. Avoid wannabes who complain about not having an agent. They might drag you down with them. A few actors and writers succeed at getting an agent on a cold query. Maybe worth a try, but it's gambling. Without a referral it's not uncommon for it to take a year for an agent to get back to you. They have to take care of referrals first. Yes, they're that busy.
7. Myth: Agents are lazy.
   Reality: An agent who submits you for projects he notices that fit you and who behaves professionally (promptly follows up on calls involving money) is a good agent. If you're looking for someone to mentor you or beat the bushes for you that's a manager. Managers have fewer clients and charge more.
8. Myth: Actors need to be in SAG to get work.
   Reality: Having an agent is much more important. California is a right-to-work state. If you're working you can get in SAG.
9. Myth: Actors are either star or supporting.
   Reality: Roles are either star or supporting. Actors are either lead or character. If your type is lead you are a smokin' hot actor with model looks and talent. If your type is character you have a unique memorable look, but won't be winning any beauty contests. You can be ugly and still work as an actor if you are talented. Many character actors have great careers. Sometimes a character actor crosses over and becomes a lead but that's rare. Cary Grant was always a lead actor. Humphrey Bogart had to work at it. Middle-of-the-road good-looking actors have a hard time. They make good extras, but don't stand out enough to get work off of a headshot.
10. Myth: Actor headshots should be glamour photos.
    Reality: Headshots should accurately represent the actor. The casting director is looking for the person who matches the person in the headshot. If you don't look like your headshot that's false advertising. Although there are still a few old school CDs who like B&W, headshots should be in color and shot dead on like a yearbook picture. The CD needs to know how you will appear looking into the camera. What sells a headshot is the eyes pop. Project energy. No slouching. No head tilt. No hand touching the face (unless you're looking for work as a hand model). Actors always underestimate how frequently they need new photos. At least quarterly. It's wiser to spend $100 once a month on photos at Sears than $1,200 on some hotshot photographer. The hotshot photos may not be any better, and you will be stuck with them for a long time until you can afford to reshoot them. Don't blow your photography budget too soon. Expect to need new photos after you get an agent, that it's one of the first things an agent may ask for.
11. Myth: Actors are dumb.
    Reality: Actors sometimes make silly mistakes. (We all do.) For example, writing an email seeking a personal response, yet without being personal by signing a name at the bottom. The email might not even have the actor's name in it at all, be totally anonymous with just an address like "sunshinegirl69@nowhere.com". Some actors confuse matters by using multiple names in their emails (personal, stage, nickname). In Hollywood your name is your brand. Put your marquee name in your "From" line. Put your first name at the bottom of your emails. Artists who don't consistently and loudly use their name everywhere aren't building brand. People should be seeing your name everywhere in the world. It takes several impressions to make it stick.
12. Myth: Horror is a good way to break into the business.
    Reality: Most horror scripts are written as work-for-hire at low pay. The market is swimming in spec horror scripts. New writers are being told it's a good place to get a break because horror doesn't require the writer be very good. Because the budgets are so low it isn't unusual for horror producers to come from a background in porn production. Even respectable producers may crew and cast with people who have worked in porn. Some see horror as the next step up from porn. Some love the horror genre and take their craft very seriously despite the low pay. Sometimes people producing horror can be as creepy as their movies.
13. Myth: A typical screenplay is 120 pages long.
    Reality: Comedies are often 90 pages. Anything over 110 pages is long for an unknown writer.
14. Myth: It's who you know.
    Reality: It's who knows you. Somebody hears of an opening and thinks of you. If you are the person giving the referral you are putting your reputation on the line. If you give a referral and the person turns out to be great that can make you a hero, but if it turns out badly it puts in doubt your judgment and reliability.
15. Myth: Everyone in Hollywood is out for themselves.
    Reality: People get ahead in Hollywood based on referral. In every case that's somebody doing somebody a favor.