BWW Reviews: Lemack's New 'How To...Book' - A Must Read for Serious Actors

September, 2010
The New Business of Acting
How to Build a Career in a Changing Landscape
Ingenuity Press, USA
195pp.

This is first and foremost not a sequel to Brad Lemack's 2002 book. The new book concentrates on the changing landscape, the tremendous changes in technology that have opened up and are now available to today's blossoming actor. Divided into 15 chapters, there is a foreward by Lemack's first client, popular actress Isabel Sanford, now deceased, of The Jeffersons fame. Sanford at a younger age is a perfect example of the student of acting that Lemack is trying to reach in his guidebook. If you are ever to be successful in your acting career, you must be a businessman and know show business from the inside out. Talent and a desire to act is only the beginning; you must have a plan and shape that plan with some wise choices.

The book offers skills in the basics, like: getting the best headshot, seeking talent representation or an agent, knowing talent casting directors and being selective: which ones to approach that are specific to your individual needs?, organizing a good resume and bio, and a wonderful chapter entitled "Emotional, Physical and Fiscal Fitness" - who ever said that being an actor would be an easy going process? Lemack then concentrates on the plan of action for the proactive actor, that must be personal, customized, strategic and an empowered action for one's career achievement.

With advanced technology come a plethora of websites appealing to actors that supposedly help them get started. The actor must learn discretion from the start and avoid the purely money-making sites of which there are a windfall. Lemack gives a list at the end of the book of those preferred sites for actors, starting with Breakdown Services - and also those to avoid.

Brad Lemack had a legitimate professional career in broadcasting, has been a talent manager, acting career coach, and writes a blog for actors. This incredibly detailed and caring book is a by product of this totally knowledgeable and caring man. You can reach him with your questions at blemack@TheBusinessOfActing.com

What I personally love about the book is that it includes a code of ethics for actors. Actors need to be reminded that in order to be the most successful at what they do they must be true to themselves, be persistent, and always respectful and supportive of their fellow artists. Not an easy code, this one, but it must be followed if a student of acting really wants to become a working professional.