What do you think?
Rate this book
Breaking into Acting for Dummies
Provides the expert advice you need to get your big break!
Jump-start your career and land that paying part
From preparing for auditions to finding an agent, the acting business is a challenging and competitive field. This indispensable guide is what every aspiring actor needs to get a foot in the door. Discover how to market yourself, choose a dynamic head shot, create a stellar acting resume, join unions, and pay the bills while you pursue your acting dreams.
The Dummies Way
* Explanations in plain English
* "Get in, get out" information
* Icons and other navigational aids
* Tear-out cheat sheet
* Top ten lists
* A dash of humor and fun
Jump-start your career and land that paying part
From preparing for auditions to finding an agent, the acting business is a challenging and competitive field. This indispensable guide is what every aspiring actor needs to get a foot in the door. Discover how to market yourself, choose a dynamic head shot, create a stellar acting resume, join unions, and pay the bills while you pursue your acting dreams.
The Dummies Way
* Explanations in plain English
* "Get in, get out" information
* Icons and other navigational aids
* Tear-out cheat sheet
* Top ten lists
* A dash of humor and fun
- GenresNonfiction
360 pages, Paperback
First published August 22, 2002
20 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 28, 2021
I read the most recent version of this book. If you're brand new, there's some good general information in here, but at the same time, you should be cautious. For example, the following (bad) advice was given on at least two different occasions:
"You can also rehearse in front of a mirror and experiment with different facial expressions that you may use in a close-up."
"If you have the copy beforehand, look into a mirror and rehearse it, which gives you the ability to view your facial expressions."
I'm not going to get into all this here, but... yeah. Don't do this. If you have even the most basic acting knowledge, you know this is incorrect and a great way to sabotage your skill as an actor.
I also found myself annoyed at regular intervals at the constant mention of "stardom" and "glamor." For example, the author(s) was talking about voice acting and had to slip in something along the lines of, "Well, this isn't glamorous like film acting."
On another occasion, they were talking about acting in theater groups that perform for schools and couldn't help but add in how this line of work likely wouldn't make you a star. This sort of thing was rampant throughout the book.
It's irritating when people can't seem to speak about acting without associating the superficial, glittery things people stereotype the profession with. I don't know if the authors are simply assuming the reader is fixated on celebrity and/or they are themselves or what.
"You can also rehearse in front of a mirror and experiment with different facial expressions that you may use in a close-up."
"If you have the copy beforehand, look into a mirror and rehearse it, which gives you the ability to view your facial expressions."
I'm not going to get into all this here, but... yeah. Don't do this. If you have even the most basic acting knowledge, you know this is incorrect and a great way to sabotage your skill as an actor.
I also found myself annoyed at regular intervals at the constant mention of "stardom" and "glamor." For example, the author(s) was talking about voice acting and had to slip in something along the lines of, "Well, this isn't glamorous like film acting."
On another occasion, they were talking about acting in theater groups that perform for schools and couldn't help but add in how this line of work likely wouldn't make you a star. This sort of thing was rampant throughout the book.
It's irritating when people can't seem to speak about acting without associating the superficial, glittery things people stereotype the profession with. I don't know if the authors are simply assuming the reader is fixated on celebrity and/or they are themselves or what.
September 14, 2008
This book is a wonderful book with lots of tips and pointers on how to become successful in the world of show biz. For example, it taught me to market myself and to always look for opportunities to help the future of my acting career. It gave me plenty of confidence and courage to pursue my dream of becoming an actress.
This book didn't just teach me about the courage I should have and that I should treat all propositions like a bussiness deal, but it also taught me one of the most important rules I could ever learn throughout my life, "Be yourself don't let others intimidate you, if you do, your going to be wasting a lot of energy that you could probably be using on your performence." So, if you're looking for a book that will give you the strength you never knew you had to start your career, then you have definately found the right book.
This book didn't just teach me about the courage I should have and that I should treat all propositions like a bussiness deal, but it also taught me one of the most important rules I could ever learn throughout my life, "Be yourself don't let others intimidate you, if you do, your going to be wasting a lot of energy that you could probably be using on your performence." So, if you're looking for a book that will give you the strength you never knew you had to start your career, then you have definately found the right book.
Read
July 23, 2011Paints a very realistic picture about what an acting is, pretty good for starters and for periodic grounding purposes. Might not be sufficient if one's looking for craft related reads though.
February 14, 2021
It deserves 5 stars, but the reason I am giving it 4 is because it is roughly 20 years old, so some of the information needs to be updated. The principles are as valid as ever, so if you want to become an actor and plan on reading more than one book, then definitely give this a read. I bought it at a used book store for $3, and it was absolutely worth the read.
October 31, 2018
A great gift for your enemies.
Give it to your rivals so that they too have no idea on how to act.
Give it to your rivals so that they too have no idea on how to act.
August 28, 2019
Quite a fun read, despite the fact that there is much generic information in there. But I guess it's a "For Dummies" book, so it's normal.
Read
January 8, 2016personal response: I think it was pretty good. It's a step-by-step guide. With certain topics on what you want to know.
plot: It's all about learning and understanding acting. Knowing what to do to look more professional. To be comfortable and how to respond. It was sectioned to what you needed to know and had a lot of information. It told you about how auditions went and what questions they would normally ask. So you wouldn't be as nervous or worried. So you would know what to expect. The book gave really useful tips. It's simple to read and it really helps.
recommendation: I would recommend this book to young teens, teens and adults.
plot: It's all about learning and understanding acting. Knowing what to do to look more professional. To be comfortable and how to respond. It was sectioned to what you needed to know and had a lot of information. It told you about how auditions went and what questions they would normally ask. So you wouldn't be as nervous or worried. So you would know what to expect. The book gave really useful tips. It's simple to read and it really helps.
recommendation: I would recommend this book to young teens, teens and adults.
Read
July 19, 2011Read this about six years ago when I wanted to be an actor. Don't remember what I thought of it though :S
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews