How to Make It in Hollywood

You likely have an instinct that says Hollywood is where you should end up. It's been sitting there for some time, and it's only becoming more powerful. However, how can it be achieved? Yes, it will require some work. It could even take a few years. Do you feel prepared to take the risk?

If you want to work in the film industry as an actor, director, cinematographer, screenwriter, editor, composer, or producer, you will undoubtedly encounter obstacles. However, with the appropriate strategy and a little bit of luck, you can overcome these obstacles and carve out a career in the film industry.

For almost a century, many young and aspirational actors have dreamed of becoming actors in Hollywood. Few people have succeeded despite millions of attempts, but those who have are the ones whose names are synonymous with actors throughout history. From Bogart, Bacall, Hepburn, Hoffman, Washington, and Pacino to Gosling, Blanchett, and Davis, the list goes on. So, how can you go about doing what they did?

Steps You Need to Follow

1. Building Your Career

• Give Up on Your Plan B- You'll use your fallback option if you have one. What about your tedious data entry job? Avoid becoming enamored with it. Instead of typing away your life, devoting 60 hours a week to entering data and draining your life force, go out and pursue the things you truly want to do. You must have no other choice than to take this; otherwise, you may reconsider.
  In Hollywood, there's a saying that goes, "If you can do anything else, do it." Those who succeed in Hollywood never envision themselves in other fields. This must be your destiny. There isn't any other option.
• Attend Classes- Take classes if you want to perform, write, sing, act in a movie, or dance. Genuine talent is great, but you also need skill. It would be best if you surrounded yourself with like-minded individuals. You must set deadlines for your challenges and take lessons from others. You have to see if this is something you truly enjoy and are good at.
  Search the course offerings of the community college or university in your area. Consider taking classes online, at community centers, or at some educational institutions. Additionally, if finances are a major concern, you might need to teach yourself.
  
• Post a Picture of Yourself Online- Utilize the tools available to you today to spread the word about yourself and possibly get noticed. Publish your work for public viewing, whether it's a movie you wrote, directed, and produced or a video you choreographed of a dance. You never know when someone might find you.
  Do you need evidence of what using the Internet can do? Speak with Carly Rae Jepsen, Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Bo Burnham, or Kate Upton. That's just the names of people you can count on one hand; everyone else was found via the Internet.
• Obtain as Much Experience As You Can- Does a friend of yours enrolled in an acting program need to make an audition tape? Please make a video to record it for them. Does the music group at the local high school require a choreographer? Accept it. No matter how tiny the opportunity is, seize it with both hands if it even remotely relates to your goals. It's a positive step in the right route.
  One thing to think about is not to let it stop you from going. There's a thin boundary between settling down and expanding your resume elsewhere. Set a deadline for yourself. After working for approximately a year, you'll quickly leave for the West. This is merely an opening.
• Always be Alert for Opportunities- It's unlikely that luck will favor you if all you do is work yourself to death and spend your weekends drinking and lounging in pajamas. Successful people never stop working and searching for their next opportunity to pursue their passions. During your leisure time, meet people who might need your services, keep an eye on want or hiring ads on sites like Craigslist, and build your reputation. Keep yourself as occupied as you can.

2. Beginning Your Career in Hollywood

• Go to Hollywood- You have to be in Hollywood if you want to succeed in the industry. You will need to take the risk at some point. Make sure you approach it realistically because it's not nearly as glamorous as it looks, and it's pricey. However, there's no better time to bite the bullet than right now. It must be done. You'll also get the impression that your dream is becoming reality.
  Okay, so the term "Hollywood" does not always refer to Hollywood. It includes Glendale, Los Angeles, Culver City, Lennox, Inglewood, Hawthorne, and other places. Given that California is among the most expensive states in the world to live in, residing in a smaller suburb will probably be less expensive.
• Accept Any Job Offer You Receive- Take advantage of the opportunity to push mail for a production company, on a set, or at a talent agency. Accept it if you're essentially scraping the grime off the bathroom floor. You must first obtain employment. Additionally, you will make new friends and get a sense of the surroundings. Those bills won't pay themselves, and everyone has to start somewhere.
  When George Lucas cast Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars, he was working as a carpenter on the set. Although it might not be as simple as that in your situation, it is still a positive step.
• If You Want to Perform, Get an Agent- Get an agent if you want to be taken seriously and have less work on your plate. You only need to put in the hard work of consistently showing up and killing it; they'll set you up with auditions and spread the word about you.
  An excellent agent is unrestricted. Never give money to an agent before you land a gig; instead, they ought to receive a percentage of the jobs you land.
  Getting an agent is a bit of a catch-22 because they have to see you in a project. So record whatever small gigs you are able to get. You can begin putting together a demo reel to send to potential agents.
• Network, Network, and More Network- Is there a supposed lively party on Friday that you only know about through Facebook, and only one or two people are going? Go anyhow. After a while, everyone will forget that you're a stranger because there will be drinking and laughing. Meeting new people will allow you to learn about their networks and perhaps even obtain a few phone numbers to follow up with later. The greater your social circle, the more likely it is that you will be recommended in the future. Every little bit helps, so don't be afraid to mingle if that's what it takes to advance.
• Become Accustomed to Rejection- You'll be flooded with rejections. Rejections will practically be swimming in you. At some point, even the most well-known celebrities have been told they're not a good fit for a role. Recall that casting directors turn away applicants if they don't possess the qualities they are seeking. It's acceptable to feel let down by rejection, but it's also acceptable to take a break and do something enjoyable, like work out, eat, or drink, discuss it with a trusted person, or take up a hobby. You also need to have self-confidence and never give up! After all, it was you who brought it about? A star's life is rarely glamorous in its early stages. You'll probably be destitute, detest your day job, and think that even the smallest successes are enormous. Indeed, they are! It's a difficult job, but you have to have faith that it will eventually pay off.
  

3. Getting Started in Life

• Encourage the Dreams of Others- How many individuals who have succeeded along with their friends can you name? Both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck? Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn? Struggling writers, directors, and actors frequently form groups and unintentionally become well-known for one another. There are dozens of people in your situation that you know. Embark on their gravy train rather than hoping they fall short; they might be your ticket to success.
• Have Patience- Your career will not be built in a day, just as Rome wasn't. These processes frequently take years. Few people relocate to Hollywood and achieve success straight away. Just like in any other career, you have to climb the ladder to succeed. And you will if you put in the necessary effort.
  Continue as you are. There will be moments when you'll remember how much you loved accounting or how simple it would be to move back home and live with your mother. Those are merely transient temptations that will pass. Have patience and remain resolute. The rest of your life will be spent wondering "what if" if not.
• Make an Effort- Work hard when you eventually start getting gigs. Invest many hours in perfecting your lines. Retain six cups of coffee while you polish your script. If you keep your computer by your side like a Siamese twin, you will hardly have time for eating or sleeping. Putting your all into a job could lead to more opportunities in the future.
  Yes, there will be glamorous red carpet moments, but remember that this is work, especially in the beginning. The good must be accepted along with the bad.
• Pay No Attention to Anyone- Even when you're at the top, there will be people who think you're garbage. People will tell you that this is the only way to do things, that you must submit to them, and that you must pass through the hoops they make you jump through. However, the reality? They're all wrong. The only surefire way to succeed is never to give up. Nobody should be taken seriously, especially the doubters. Their only goal is to demoralize you or profit from you. It would be best if you didn't waste any more time on them. Nobody is going to be a fan of your work all the time. It is a positive thing that we all have diverse tastes. It adds diversity to the world. Therefore, disregard the doubters even when you're at the top. They are irrelevant anyhow. Who needs them when you have success and happiness all your own?