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The Hollywood Assistants Handbook: 86 Rules for Aspiring Power Players
Are you young, eager, smart, and heading off to LA to make it big in the entertainment business? Time for a reality Leave your diploma at home, put your grandiose dreams on hold (where hopefully they'll get tired and hang up), and start by repeating the first rule of the Who you work for is more important than who you are. Then leapfrog over everyone else by reading The Hollywood Assistants Handbook .
Written by two very sharp and successful assistants to HPPs (Hollywood Power Players), here are 86 lessons packed with a combination of blunt truth, insider humor, and juicy secrets that explain the unwritten rules of how to get a foot in the door and make all the right moves as you climb to the top. Here are the minimum-wage jobs that will put you in the path of HPPs. An annotated resume roundup. The clubs to frequent and the cocktails to order. Movies to watch and books to read (it's called homework). Dressing do's and don'ts. How to get on the Free List. A lineup of boss genres―the Horror Show, the Romantic Comedy, Mr. Action―and how to dodge the tirades that will soon be hurled your way, along with the proper outlets for venting. Plus, the ins and outs of your most important tool, the telephone―when to listen in (always!), who to put through and who to put off, and your new best friend forever, the Plantronics CS70 cordless headset.
With its hilariously snarky tone―the gate-keeping quiz is "How to Tell if You're a Moron Who Should Pack Up the Corolla and Move Back Home"― The Hollywood Assistants Handbook is as baldly entertaining for everyone who loves reading about Hollywood as it is indispensably practical for the job-seeker.
Written by two very sharp and successful assistants to HPPs (Hollywood Power Players), here are 86 lessons packed with a combination of blunt truth, insider humor, and juicy secrets that explain the unwritten rules of how to get a foot in the door and make all the right moves as you climb to the top. Here are the minimum-wage jobs that will put you in the path of HPPs. An annotated resume roundup. The clubs to frequent and the cocktails to order. Movies to watch and books to read (it's called homework). Dressing do's and don'ts. How to get on the Free List. A lineup of boss genres―the Horror Show, the Romantic Comedy, Mr. Action―and how to dodge the tirades that will soon be hurled your way, along with the proper outlets for venting. Plus, the ins and outs of your most important tool, the telephone―when to listen in (always!), who to put through and who to put off, and your new best friend forever, the Plantronics CS70 cordless headset.
With its hilariously snarky tone―the gate-keeping quiz is "How to Tell if You're a Moron Who Should Pack Up the Corolla and Move Back Home"― The Hollywood Assistants Handbook is as baldly entertaining for everyone who loves reading about Hollywood as it is indispensably practical for the job-seeker.
- GenresNonfiction
200 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 2007
23 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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March 14, 2021This was not a good read
August 28, 2020
If you want to work in the studio/agency/above-the-line realm of Hollywood, this book is a relatively essential wake-up call.
However, it's also terribly outdated. The publishing date is 2008 and it shows. It also makes me SO happy to work in this industry post-H**vey W***st**n and #MeToo. Some of the shit that assistants had to deal with back then in terms of physical, sexual, and mental abuse was absolutely disgusting (yet The Mailroom by David Rensin still makes this book look like a Disney movie). Would love to see an updated version for 2020, but for what it is, it's a great insight into how far we've come little by little. Thank you, Netflix.
If you ignore the gasp-inducing parts, a lot of this information though is still relevant. A great refresher for someone like me who has been in-between jobs for a while and needs a quick reminder of what the industry is like.
Be warned, a lot of the info comes as a shock. It seems crazy and ridiculous and will have you saying "no one really does that, right?" Well, I wish I could tell you no, but recognize from page 1 to the end, that's relative to 3-4 years of full-time assistant learning experiences. Becoming a great assistant off to CE/junior agent/associate producer takes years of accumulated knowledge and requires you to have 1-2 years of experience failing upwards. This book just maps the whole thing out.
If you come halfway through this book willing to finish it, you're going to be fine in this industry. If you freak out and say "this is fucking terrible it can't be like this or I'm leaving" just do yourself a favor and figure out a different career that you're actually willing to struggle through. Ya gotta love it.
However, it's also terribly outdated. The publishing date is 2008 and it shows. It also makes me SO happy to work in this industry post-H**vey W***st**n and #MeToo. Some of the shit that assistants had to deal with back then in terms of physical, sexual, and mental abuse was absolutely disgusting (yet The Mailroom by David Rensin still makes this book look like a Disney movie). Would love to see an updated version for 2020, but for what it is, it's a great insight into how far we've come little by little. Thank you, Netflix.
If you ignore the gasp-inducing parts, a lot of this information though is still relevant. A great refresher for someone like me who has been in-between jobs for a while and needs a quick reminder of what the industry is like.
Be warned, a lot of the info comes as a shock. It seems crazy and ridiculous and will have you saying "no one really does that, right?" Well, I wish I could tell you no, but recognize from page 1 to the end, that's relative to 3-4 years of full-time assistant learning experiences. Becoming a great assistant off to CE/junior agent/associate producer takes years of accumulated knowledge and requires you to have 1-2 years of experience failing upwards. This book just maps the whole thing out.
If you come halfway through this book willing to finish it, you're going to be fine in this industry. If you freak out and say "this is fucking terrible it can't be like this or I'm leaving" just do yourself a favor and figure out a different career that you're actually willing to struggle through. Ya gotta love it.
June 9, 2020
Read it years ago when I was given the book as a graduation present. Since then, I have been reading through it again. Now working in television, I was shocked at how much of this book seemed to be saying, "Yes, let executive bullies treat you like garbage." A lot of this behavior may have been allowed back in the day, but certainly not now.
Suffice to say, while the overall message is what I remember, "Work hard and you'll find your place in this industry," upon rereading the material, it's not something I would recommend. My apologies to readers who have found this extremely helpful and to the authors themselves, who, I believe, had only good intentions.
Suffice to say, while the overall message is what I remember, "Work hard and you'll find your place in this industry," upon rereading the material, it's not something I would recommend. My apologies to readers who have found this extremely helpful and to the authors themselves, who, I believe, had only good intentions.
January 12, 2021
Some good advice, and I'm glad to see it's not all about weaponizing your greed and selfishness to catapult you ahead into the spiritually-void and empty life you think you've always wanted, but for the most part this book was pretty discouraging for anyone who wanted to make waves in entertainment without morally compromising or resigning to a life of busyness and misery.
June 26, 2023
Good ideas but out of touch
This book has good advice and I’m sure it was a hit when it came out, but it’s now pretty out of touch. It’s interesting how some things are still incredibly accurate and others are completely irrelevant.
This book has good advice and I’m sure it was a hit when it came out, but it’s now pretty out of touch. It’s interesting how some things are still incredibly accurate and others are completely irrelevant.
January 19, 2013
Offers useful tips and advice to help groom and prepare anyone looking to enter in the business. I've worked in the industry for a few years now and have reread several pointers when in need of some quick advice. Definitely cannot guarantee it will open doors for the reader but much of the advice doesn't hurt to know. Plus it's a quick, enjoyable, and compact read.
June 11, 2010
It's pretty silly but there are so many little bits that had me remembering nonsense I've seen/dealt with in Hollywood. I wouldn't go so far as to call this one essential but if you're curious it's at least a moderately reasonable inside look at Hollywood from the Assistants' POV.
July 16, 2012
Full of crazy stories involving high profile agents and stars this book is entertaining and makes you question wether or not you could make it in Hollywood and what would you be willing to do for success? Cautionary tales for all who think Hollywood is where it's at.
August 14, 2012
Best book on Hollywood I've ever read! Will definitely reread this a lot...
September 2, 2016
Surprisingly entertaining and brutally honest. The technological areas are already out of date, but overall it was a fun, quick read.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews