Title: All Doors to Hollywood and How To Open Them
Author: Anne M. Strick
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: Createspace
Publication Date: August 20th 2011
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This book is for anyone interested in a job in films or television, and for those movie buffs who want to know backstage secrets, and how movies are really made. It is a book of interviews with those indispensable behind-the-screen people – the electricians, grips, truck drivers, scenic artists, make-up artists, graphic designers, carpenters, construction workers, seamstresses, costumers and special effects wizards – who make movie magic actually happen. This book tells what they do, how they do it, how they got their jobs and what adventures they’ve had. It is a book for all those fans who want inside stories about their favorite actors and the films they’ve made. It is a book for all those who dream of joining the Hollywood world and have the everyday skills required to work in the industry – which, surprisingly, most of us already do. In short, this is a book for everyone.
All Doors to Hollywood and How To Open Them offers a guide into the world of Hollywood. If you’ve ever wondered who works behind the scenes on a movie or TV Series, then this book is for you. If you ever wanted to work in Hollywood but just didn’t know who to contact or what kind of jobs you could work as, this book is for you as well. If you’ve never really wondered about either, but are just generally interested in Hollywood or movies, then you should give this book a try as well.
The book is build up out of several interviews with professionals in the film industry. The author herself has experience working in the film industry, and it shows. She has an unique insider’s perspective on the world behind the scenes, and her knowledge shows through the interviews. She asks the right questions, and the answers are definitely enlightening. I often wondered, while looking through movie credits, what the heck all these different people could be doing. For me, it usually was director, camera personnel, make up artists, costume and scene designers, and actors. But there’s so much more to making a movie than just those few people!
Another thing I enjoyed thoroughly about this book was it’s light-hearted approach. With that, I mean there’s no infodumping or gigantic heaps of text. The information is provided without going into way too much detail or using complicated, Hollywood-specific terms. Even a total newbie to movies – like me – could easily follow along with what was being said. I sometimes find that non-fiction books are too technical and assume an amount of knowledge beforehand, but not with this one.
All Doors to Hollywood and How To Open Them is one of the first non-fictions books I read this year, and I definitely enjoyed it. It’s not too industry savvy, and it has a very fun, interview-like approach. If you want a book that describes all the jobs in Hollywood (or at least, a large chunk of those jobs) and that gives you insider’s tips on how to get such a job, then this book is for you. It’s not too long, and it’s a quick read. Recommended to all movie fans.
Giveaway
The author was kind enough to give away an eBook copy of All Doors to Hollywood and How To Open Them to one lucky winner on this tour stop.
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