How To Be A Working Actor: The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater, Film, and Television

Book Description

This celebrated survival guide for actors is still considered "the Bible of the Biz"-the most comprehensive book on the business of acting, informed by an inside view of how casting decisions are actually made-and it has now been updated and expanded to cover new on-line ways actors can promote their picture, rsum and video clips; interviewing and auditioning tips for the new crop of young actors; enhancing one's image; and finding jobs in emerging markets. Of course, the book still draws from dozens of industry professionals for authoritative advice on financial survival, networking, meeting agents and casting directors, the performing unions, selecting a wardrobe, studying a role-all the essential information actors have steadily relied on since 1987.

Customer Reviews:

what to wear, where to park, what to do when you get there..........2006-07-15

'How to Be a Working Actor' is divided into three sections: Nuts & Bolts, The Breaks, and Script Analysis.

Even after being in "the biz' for a few years, I found the first 217 pages (Nuts & Bolts) to be super helpful and informative. It suggests some of the most effective ways to create an actor resume, flattering colors and clothing types to wear to an agent interview, and the best books and guides to read to find work. It also explores ways to create a website, average wages for various acting jobs, and the differences between NY, LA and other cities (when I read this book I didn't want to move from NY to LA because of "parking", but when I did make the move I found out it wasn't that bad!)

This book features tips from casting directors and talent agents, and, like Michael Bofshever's 'Your Face Looks Familiar: Journey of a Working Actor', anecdotes from professional actors.

Maybe I shouldn't be writing this stellar review, when I'm an actor myself, looking to hone my skills and career abilility like the next person. But I believe the universe gives back, and there's a role out there for all of us.

Good info for audition hunters.......2006-07-09

This book is very helpful for anyone seeking to land an audition - once inside the door, your own talent will carry you......or not. The book helps you get a foot in that doorway.

a good start.......2003-09-23

I read this book when I first decided to risk a career in acting several years ago. It was very helpful in that it covered all the basics (and not-so-basics) that I would need to learn: terminology, career steps, pitfalls, different industries and cities. I still occasionally refer to it.

Yes, it is a little outdated now, and I would imagine it's more useful to those in LA or NYC with its heavy focus on TV and film, but I appreciated the little section on acting in Chicago. All in all, its breadth makes it a good investment.

FYI, for Chicago actors (bless your hearts), be sure to pick up "The Book," published by the trade paper PerformInk. A great (and necessary) resource guide to acting in Chicago.

Good.......2002-12-28

I like this book but is has been around for a while.
There are a couple of new books out there that are as good or better,
depending on where you are in your career.
Check our Twelve Step Plan To Beciming an Actor in LA.
It is a fabulous guide for anyone breaking in the business.

Sam Hammel
LA

Excellent Resource and Must-Have.......2002-09-21

A very straight-forward resource for any aspiring actor. Novice or otherwise, this book gives the inside scoop and is honest about it. As I'm not one to want to put myself out-on-a-limb (no pun intended) without some plan of action and notion of how to stay solvent, what I really like about this book is the author's ability to fill in all the practical details and guide the reader through "The Business." In this day and age, where scams abound in and around Tinsel Towne, I wouldn't leave home to pound the pavement without first having read this book. I can't say enough good things about it!

How to be a Working Actor, 5th Edition: The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater, Film, & Television (How to Be a Working Actor: The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs)

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How to be a Working Actor, 5th Edition: The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater, Film, & Television (How to Be a Working Actor: The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs)
Mari Lyn Henry , and Lynne Rogers
Manufacturer: Back Stage Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0823088952
Release Date: 2007-10-30

Book Description

Actors, educators, acting teachers, casting directors, talent agents, managers, and producers don’t agree on much, but they all agree that How to Be a Working Actor is the definitive guide to the business of acting. Being a working actor means managing a career as an ongoing business--and while most books focus on dramatic technique, this one reveals the whole picture, from improving audition skills to surviving screen tests, from finding an agent to surviving in the city or in regional theater. Now in its fifth edition, updated and expanded, the book includes a new chapter on the value of education and ongoing training, a look at "cyberbiz" and other new opportunities, updated information on actors’ unions, new audition material, and ideas from industry pros. Get How to Be a Working Actor and get working!

How to be a working actor: An insider's guide to finding jobs in theater, film, and television

Average customer rating:

How to be a working actor: An insider's guide to finding jobs in theater, film, and television
Mari Lyn Henry
Manufacturer: M. Evans
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0871314738

How to Be a Working Actor An Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater Film and Television (Second Edition)

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How to Be a Working Actor An Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater Film and Television (Second Edition)
Mari Lyn; Lynne Rogers Henry
Manufacturer: M Evans and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LUPSC4

Average customer rating:

Folk Art Meets Capitalism

The Colossus of Roads: Myth and Symbol along the American Highway
Karal Ann Marling
Manufacturer: University of Minnesota Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0816613028

Customer Reviews:

Folk Art Meets Capitalism.......2007-06-01

Titanic fish, overgrown birds, and a victory statue involving an impaled insect aren't likely to be found in the Louver, but they're a part of the American landscape, particularly in the north-central region.

Despite introductory passages which reveal a solidly academic background and viewpoint, this book is a useful and entertaining guide to the out-sized outdoor sculptures designed to draw and hold travelers' attention.

"Colossus" is not encyclopedic: so far as I can tell, the 2000 edition fails to note the Belgrade Crow. However, I can recommend this for anyone interested in, or trying to find, examples of American folk art such as the Rothsay Prairie Chicken or the Jolly Green Giant.

Book Description

With more than 100 puzzles, made up of 10 different puzzle types, word lovers will unquestionably find something new, intriguing, and challenging. Some, like Split Decisions and Two-by-Twos, may be familiar, but others-like clueless crosswords, latticework, and fraze-its-go far beyond the usual. "Clever, innovative, expertly crafted-George Brederhorn's variety puzzles are always a pleasure. Count me as a big Bredehorn fan."-Will Shortz, Crossword Editor, The New York Times.

Book Description

Completely revised for ASP.NET 2.0, this new edition of the best-selling ASP.NET Cookbook has everything you need to go from beginning to advanced Windows-based web site development using Microsoft's popular Visual Studio 2005 and ASP.NET 2.0 developer tools. Written for the impatient professional, ASP.NET 2.0 Cookbook contains more than 125 recipes for solving common and not-so-common problems you are likely to encounter when building ASP.NET-based web applications.

The recipes in this book, which run the gamut from simple coding techniques to more comprehensive development strategies, are presented in the popular Problem-Solution-Discussion format of the O'Reilly Cookbook series. As with the first edition, every solution is coded in both C# and Visual Basic 2005.

Among the additions and revisions to this new edition are:

Three new chapters, including 25 new recipes for Master and Content pages, Personalization using Profiles and Themes, Custom Web Parts, and more
New code for every solution, rewritten to take advantage of features and techniques new to ASP.NET 2.0 and available for download

The ASP.NET 2.0 Cookbook continues to provide the most comprehensive coverage you'll find anywhere of:

Tabular controls, including the new GridView control
Data validation, including the new ASP.NET 2.0 validation controls, as well as techniques for performing your own validation programmatically
User and custom controls
Error handling, performance tuning, and caching

Whether you're new to ASP.NET or an experienced Microsoft developer, with ASP.NET 2.0 Cookbook, deliverance from a long day (or night) at your computer could be just one recipe away.

Customer Reviews:

Good Way to Get Started with ASP.NET 2.0 - Wish it had more advanced topics.......2007-01-16

For those transitioning from ASP.NET 1.x this is a fantastic introduction to learning how things should be done with 2.0. The book is well-written, concise, and easy to absorb the concepts it presents.

I've always loved the "Cookbook" format, which is to present a list of tasks 100 or so tasks that you might want to accomplish, and then give detailed instructions on how to accomplish each one. The one thing I would like to have seen, and the reason it didn't receive 5 stars, is that the book focuses on introductory tasks. Since I've been working with 2.0 for several months I already knew how to do most of the items they discussed.

Overall, this book will serve as a great reference.

Awesome for those moving from ASP 1.1 to ASP 2.0.......2006-09-28

This is the perfect book for those who know ASP 1.x and need a find a way to solve a problem QUICKLY in ASP 2.0. It covers the vast majority of new features in ASP 2.0 as well as new ways acomplish tasks that were more difficult in ASP 1.0. A must have in for ASP 2.0 Programmers!

COOKING WITH ASP.NET 2.0!!.......2006-08-14

Are you journeyman programmer who knows the basics of ASP.NET? If you are, then this book is for you! Authors Geoffrey T Leblond and Michael A Kittel, have done an outstanding job of writing a second edition of a book that is a collection of ASP.NET 2.0 recipes that aims to help you quickly and efficiently solve many of the day-to-day problems you face when developing web applications with the .NET platform.

Leblond and Kittel, begin by showing you how to make the most out of the master pages. Then, the authors show you how to make well-informed decisions about which control to use. Next, they provide recipes that perform a number of data validation tasks. The authors then provide you with series of nonobvious solutions for working with forms. They continue by showing you how to use time- and work-savers. Then, the authors show you how to use custom controls to build your own user interface. Next, they show you how to maintain the state of the application. The authors then cover error handling at different levels of detail. They continue by providing recipes that delve into some of the most common solutions. They also cover a host of new ASP.NET 2.0 profile features. Then the authors show you how to use web parts in your applications. Next, they show you how to configure your applications. The authors show you ways on how to ensure that your applications work as anticipated in their first release, through the effective use of testing and debugging. Then, they will show you how to create and consume XML web services. Next, the authors will show you how to deal with a design that uses images for buttons, but the button labels need to be dynamic. The authors then will help you sort through the issues of caching the output of pages or portions of pages in memory to reduce latency and make your applications more responsive. They continue by showing you the basics of how to internationalize your applications. Then, the authors show you how to download files from and upload files to the web server. Next, they discuss how to measure performance. The authors then show you how to create your own custom HTTP handler. Finally, they help you with recipes that do not fit conveniently into the other chapters of the book.

This most excellent book contains dozens of code examples, ranging from relatively simple 10-liners to comprehensive, multipage solutions. More importantly, this book focuses directly on problems you face today or are likely to face in the future.

ASP.NET 1.1 with a bit of 2.0 patched on.......2006-08-09

Much of the content was clearly taken from earlier 1.x versions of the book without being re-written to take advantage of 2.0. Yes, the samples may compile and work, but they are often not 2.0 best practices.

While there are several 2.0-specific sections, much 2.0 function is ignored. You'll learn more from other books.

Recipes run from the very simple coding solution to entire development strategies.......2006-06-05

Michael Kittel and Geoffrey LeBlond's ASP.NET 2.0 Cookbook appears in its updated 2nd edition to include all new tips for version 2.0. Here are over a hundred solutions in C# and Visual Basic aimed to web developers who want an edition completely revised for 2.0. Recipes run from the very simple coding solution to entire development strategies and use O'Reilly's problem-and-solution oriented approach. This format lends to at-a-glance reference consultation - or to use as a classroom text. Either way, the authors' some thirty years experience working with ASP.NET lends to an authoritative text of solutions to common problems.

Average customer rating:

Good common sense flow
This is how to learn ASP.NET
This book rocks. Great value.
good coverage and code listings
A very good book.

ASP.NET Cookbook
Geoffrey T. LeBlond , and Michael A. Kittel
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0596003781

Book Description

Developers who want to create dynamic, data-driven web sites running on Microsoft web servers have long relied on Active Server Pages (ASP). ASP.NET is Microsoft's latest evolution of ASP. While ASP.NET has a lot in common with its predecessor, this new technology takes advantage of object-oriented programming to dramatically improve developer productivity and convenience. Using the .NET Framework and Microsoft's new object-oriented languages, ASP.NET brings the same rapid drag-and-drop productivity to web applications that the Visual Basic programming language brought to Windows applications. ASP.NET also introduces web services, which allow developers to expose the functionality of an application via HTTP and XML, so that clients on any platform can access it via the Internet. ASP.NET is not a simple upgrade of ASP. It s a quantum leap ahead. There are many benefits to using ASP.NET, and one major drawback: the time developers must devote to mastering this new Web application technology. The ASP.NET Cookbook provides a wealth of plug-and-play solutions to problems commonly encountered when developing ASP.NET web applications and services in the popular problem-solution-discussion Cookbook format. The coding solutions in ASP.NET Cookbook appeal to a wide range of developers, from the inexperienced to the expert. For every problem addressed in the book, there's a worked-out solution or recipe a short, focused piece of code that web developers can insert directly into their applications. Developers can save hours by using just a single one of over 100 recipes included in this invaluable cookbook. But the ASP.NET Cookbook provides far more than just a wide range of cut-and-paste code solutions. Each recipe is followed by a discussion including tips, tricks, and possible pitfalls--so developers can learn to adapt the problem-solving techniques to a myriad of similar situations. Each recipe provides an immediate solution to a pressing problem, while simultaneously allowing developers who prefer to a hands-on learning style with the experience they need to master ASP.NET. This ultimate ASP.NET code sourcebook will quickly earn the dog-eared corners and coffee rings that mark a web developer's most valued resource.

Customer Reviews:

Good common sense flow.......2005-03-26

ASP.NET Cookbook
Authors: Michael A Kittel and Geoffrey T. Leblond
Published by O'Reilly Books ISBN 0596003781
Reviewed by Steven Mullins, HuNTUG member

This was a hot book for me, I really get the feeling after reading this book that I can comfortably start to write my own code and see some success instead of just errors and copying open source.

If you want to see some of the basics of what the book is actually doing you can go to the website and see a host of examples. www.dominiondigital.com/aspnetcookbook/errata.aspx and you can find the controls and how they work and what the end result looks like by chapter and example. This book is well laid out in its basic approach to teaching going from the first look to the more custom data controls. The highlight for me that I had not seen anywhere else was the section on displaying user friendly-error messages. The one thing I disagree with is instead of including the information in the book there are a lot of references to other O'Reilly books. I am aware that is the livelihood of some but not all of us want to buy twelve books for reference.

I enjoyed the common sense way the book flowed, the Problem, Solution, and Discussion format added to the ease of explanation of the coding and why things are done in a certain manner. There are huge amounts of code and examples in both VB and C#. The chapters are well covered from user controls through tracing and debugging. The chapter on configuration was well covered and even covered adding personal tweaks to the web.config. The book then leads into the area of real time for all users and that's getting the info out on the web, to include the aspects of imaging and caching information. I really appreciate the way the hints and tips were covered as well as the cautions. Overall there were many areas of the book that were just what the coder ordered and serve's the average beginner to intermediate user. Those in the community that have the skill set already down may not be as impressed with the information. As a beginner myself I thought the book was well worth the read and I plan on using the information on my first web based application I am starting to write.

This is how to learn ASP.NET.......2005-03-16

When I picked up a copy of the ASP.NET Cookbook, I was expecting to find a couple of very simple "recipes" and a couple of more complex ones. What I found was a book that goes through everything you need to know to go from a beginning ASP.NET developer to a really advanced developer. I was very surprised with how complete and thorough this book is in helping developers become advanced ASP.NET developers.

This book assumes that you have some knowledge of ASP.NET. The first chapter takes off immediately with a discussion on datagrids. If you pick up this book without a basic knowledge of how to even create an ASPX page, you'll be lost. If that is the case, go for one of O'Reilly's other ASP.NET books like Programming ASP.NET or ASP.NET In A Nutshell. If you already have that groundwork, then you'll find this book to be a natural picking-up point.

After a very thorough discussion on tabular data (nearly 180 pages), the authors take the reader through data validation (with server validation controls), forms (which include tasks like getting the Enter key to work like the submit button), and user controls. At this point, the book really starts to shine. The authors begin a discussion of custom controls, which is both very interesting and very useful for the growing ASP.NET programmer. The remainder of the book (which is still quite a bit of content), goes over such useful (and slightly more advanced) concepts like maintaining state, how and why to modify web.config, error handling, performance tuning, web services, and caching.

Like I mentioned, I was surprised at both the depth and breath of content covered in this book. O'Reilly does list this book in their "cookbook" series and can certainly be used in that way. However, I think many readers will find it quite easy and useful to read this book from cover to cover. I would highly recommend this book for all levels of ASP.NET developers. The authors have done a very good job of including content that all levels of developer will benefit from.

This book rocks. Great value........2004-11-18

Had the book only a day before it paid for itself. The code examples are excellent, and the authors are well aware of best practices. This is not a bunch of hack recipes, but recipes to build durable, production code.

good coverage and code listings.......2004-09-20

Another in O'Reilly's ongoing series of cookbooks and hacks. Here, we are looking at ASP.NET. Probably still relatively new to a lot of you, which may explain why you are considering this book. Undoubtedly, you've heard of, and maybe tried using, the official texts put out by Microsoft Press. By definition, those are authoritative. But the sheer verbosity, while probably necessary in order to teach you the subject, can be offputting.

Suppose, though, you know the rudiments. Maybe via those books. You are now working on a problem and face well defined smaller problems within it. The remit of this book. It does not try to teach you ASP.NET as a pedagogic whole. Rather, each chapter is offered largely independent of its predecessors. And within a chapter, the various hacks are logically related but can often be understood by themselves.

Care has gone into the descriptions of hacks in the Contents pages. So, for example, we have "Creating a Web Service" and "Caching Pages". Concise but detailed enough to direct you to the material.

The bulk of the book is also in its favour. Due in large part to extensive code listings that often accompany the hacks. Remember, you can easily get to and read only what you need. The code may turn out to be a huge timesaver.

A very good book........2004-09-08

I haven't read all of the recepies. However, at the moment I am very happy with this book.

The chapter on input validation is really well done. It is easy to start with what the book offers and extend it to something else.

The chapters on error handling and tracing are also very good.

This book has clear examples and good code. I am happy with it.

Average customer rating:

A decent book to get you started on ASP.NET
Not worth the money.
Book for the novices
Incomplete - really
For beginners only!

ASP.NET Developer's Cookbook
Steven A. Smith , and Rob Howard
Manufacturer: Sams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0672325241

Book Description

Up-to-speed with ASP.NET? This book gives you a topic and the 5 to 24 "recipes" you need to get the common or not-so-common task done using ASP.NET. ASP.NET Developer's Cookbook will use VB.NET exclusively but will include both VB and C# examples on the supporting Web site (in both working and downloadable forms). Each recipe has what you need a brief descriptive name, followed by a description of the task, followed by the technique itself, and finally a "comments" section where the technique is discussed.

Download Description

ASP.NET Developer's Cookbook is the first foray into the Microsoft market within the Sams Developer?s Cookbook series. It's a perfect fit for developers that are up-to-speed with ASP.NET, in general, and want a task reference to utilize while developing their Web applications. Each chapter will consist of a brief introduction to the topic at hand, followed by 5 to 25 recipes, task-oriented examples of how to do common and not so common tasks using ASP.NET. The book will use VB.NET exclusively but will include both VB and C# examples on the supporting Web site (in both working and downloadable forms). Each recipe will consist of a brief descriptive name, a longer but brief description of the task, techniques to use, and finally concluded with a comments section where the technique is discussed.

Customer Reviews:

A decent book to get you started on ASP.NET.......2005-11-11

As a .NET middletier developer who has never ventured much into ASP.NET GUI development, I found this book to be pretty informative to get started on 'How-to' do many things...all compiled into one single place. e.g. to get a page up and running with a bunch of useful controls on it instead of wading through pages and pages of documentation or descriptions given in other books.

I sat and compared the OReilly cook book which was also good but half of that book is filled with lots of unrelated code (both VB and C#) which is distracting when u want to focus on something specific. And to me having a book that explains simple things too much in detail makes it boring!.

This book is not for advanced programmers who write jazzy sites nor for people who dont know how to spell aspx but should be helpful for all others in-between as a recipe book of how to do something...quick.

And that really helps when preparing for interviews!

Not worth the money........2005-03-30

This book has many many examples. However, they are not documented very well. Most all of them are useless also. I'd pay $5 to $10 MAX! Save your money and buy a good book from the Microsoft Press.

Book for the novices.......2005-01-08

This book is definately for the novice crowd. I was expecting some more advanced concepts or examples, but found very basic info. I didn't learn a single new thing about .NET by using this book, and especially when you compare it to other books.

The book really just goes into some basic examples in each chapter followed by some code to go with it, but there are no real tips or tricks of value. Everything in here is a rehash of what's on MSDN, the web or in other books.

Incomplete - really.......2004-09-21

I liked the book for the format but my copy is missing many pages! It jumps from page 190 directly to page 239! No they were not taken out of the book, the book binding is perfect - no tears, no rips - just missing! I'm returning it and looking elsewhere.

For beginners only!.......2004-08-16

If you've been seriously programming for a while in ASP.NET, don't waste your time with this book. Having spent a lot of time searching and reading on msdn.microsoft.com and other sites to enhance my skill set, I bought this book thinking I would find some advanced concepts that I haven't already picked up on my own. There are no advanced concepts, just a bunch of very simple examples, some of which do not even work. I was very disappointed with this book and sent it back the same day it arrived.

Average customer rating:

ASP.NET 2.0 Cookbook
Michael Kittel
Manufacturer: O'reilly
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K2SS5W

Average customer rating:

Cookbook ASP .NET
Jean-Paul Dècle
Manufacturer: Micro Application
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 2742923918

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