Actor's Choice teaches how to create a subtle, believable performance without rehearsal and preparation time.

Whether for a class or competition, Scenes for Teens has wide variety of comedic and dramatic scenes.

How does an actor bring a script to life? The actor must know how to read a script, break it down, and mine all of its clues in order to make the most effective choices. The Anatomy of a Choice: An Actor's Guide to Text Analysis offers the actor a concrete method for approaching a script. This guide details a simple process to discover and define a character's scene and super-objective, obstacle, beats, and tactics. It includes practical information on how to build a character, how best to use rehearsal time, and what to do when nothing is working.

Whether new to the business or a seasoned professional, this handbook provides actors with a personal, active approach to discovering and developing their talent. Beginning with appetizers and ending with desserts, actors learn how to prepare a character in the same way that a master chef chooses the most complementary dishes for a feast. From typecasting to reinventing a character's story, actors discover the key ingredients that will enable them to use their own unique qualities and emotions to develop strong, believable characters that people are interested in watching. How to identify and resolve problems such as hidden agendas that can disable an actor's work; distinguish between perception, feeling, and emotions; and find lasting sources of inspiration are among the issues explored. The importance of imagination, words, and story as well as the difference between intellectual and visceral choices (and the impact of each) are also discussed.

The Actor's Survival Guide: How to Make Your Way in Hollywood is a handbook and essential guide to the business of living and working as an actor in the Los Angeles area. Exploring the experience of relocating to L.A.; the casting process; and how to identify – and find work with – the key players in the film and television industry, the book offers a business-centered road map through the industry. It seeks to navigate the challenges and identify the pitfalls and wrong-turns that hinder too many promising careers and frustrate even the most dedicated of actors. In doing so, the book seeks to provide an extra-competitive edge of experience and know-how for those actors who have the skills and determination to persevere. This second edition features a number of new sections and topics including: Recent census data for the Los Angeles County Neighborhood Statistics Updates on casting diversity with the most recent SAG/AFTRA data Changes in contracts for film, television and stage, including information on AEA's new Hollywood Equity Waiver policy Details on new contracts for film, television and new media; ongoing contract negotiations for video game content; and the ramifications of the SAG/AFTRA merger The role of computer-generated images (CGI) and motion capture (MOCAP) Renewed emphasis on set safety, especially for stunt performers Audition workshops Recent prosecutions of casting directors for "Pay for Play" violations Emerging role of social media in an actor's marketing strategy Dos and don'ts of video self-taping of auditions Expanded glossary to include new media and performance capture vocabulary Written from the perspective of working actor and experienced career-guidance teacher Jon S. Robbins, this unique guide will help aspiring actors bridge the gap between training in drama schools and working in the epicentre of the film and television industries.

The Actor's Business Plan is a self-directed practical guide for actors graduating from formal training programs, as well as for those already in the business whose careers need to move ahead more successfully. Using the familiar language of acting training, the book offers a method for the achievement of dreams through a five-year life and career plan giving positive steps to develop a happy life as an actor and as a person. It assists performers to flourish using the same kind of business/career planning that is a necessary part of life for entrepreneurs and business people. This introduction to the acting industry provides essential knowledge not only for how the business actually works, but also describes what casting directors, agents, and managers do, demystifies the role of unions, discusses how much things cost, and offers advice on branding and marketing strategies. It differs from other such handbooks in that it addresses the everyday issues of life, money, and jobs that so frequently destroy an actor's career before it is even begun. While addressing NYC and LA, the guide also gives a regional breakdown for those actors who may wish to begin careers or to settle in other cities. It is loaded with personal stories, and interviews with actors, casting directors, and agents from throughout the US. The Actor's Business Plan is the answer to the common complaint by students that they were not taught how to negotiate the show business world while at school. It is the perfect antidote for this problem and can easily fit into a ten or a thirteen-week class syllabus. Offering support as a personal career coach, empowering the actor to take concrete steps towards their life and career dreams, The Actor's Business Plan: A Career Guide for the Acting Life is a must-have book for actors who are determined to be a part of the professional world .

Jenna Fischer's Hollywood journey began at the age of 22 when she moved to Los Angeles from her hometown of St. Louis. With a theater degree in hand, she was determined, she was confident, she was ready to work hard. So, what could go wrong? Uh, basically everything. The path to being a professional actor was so much more vast and competitive than she'd imagined. It would be eight long years before she landed her iconic role on The Office, nearly a decade of frustration, struggle, rejection and doubt. If only she'd had a handbook for the aspiring actor. Or, better yet, someone to show her the way—an established actor who could educate her about the business, manage her expectations, and reassure her in those moments of despair. Jenna wants to be that person for you. With amusing candor and wit, Fischer spells out the nuts and bolts of getting established in the profession, based on her own memorable and hilarious experiences. She tells you how to get the right headshot, what to look for in representation, and the importance of joining forces with other like-minded artists and creating your own work—invaluable advice personally acquired from her many years of struggle. She provides helpful hints on how to be gutsy and take risks, the tricks to good auditioning and callbacks, and how not to fall for certain scams (auditions in a guy's apartment are probably not legit—or at least not for the kind of part you're looking for!). Her inspiring, helpful guidance feels like a trusted friend who's made the journey, and has now returned to walk beside you, pointing out the pitfalls as you blaze your own path towards the life of a professional actor.