Hollywood Game Plan

How to Land a Job in Film, TV, or Digital Entertainment
by Carole M. Kirschner

Book Review by Ann Baldwin

Carole Kirschner has earned the respect among her peers and worked as a senior-level creative television executive for sixteen years, including stints at CBS and as Vice President of Television at Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, where she helped to develop Murphy Brown, Designing Women, and Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures. She then became an educator, teaching at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and UCLA Extension. She created and runs two innovative training programs: The CBS Diversity Institute Writers Mentoring and The Hollywood Assistant Training Program. She worked with writer/producer Jeffrey Melvoin to develop curriculum for the Writers Guild of America Show-runner Training Program and as the director, is responsible for overseeing it. Carole leads popular industry seminars on networking, pitching, and self-marketing for creative professionals. Through her career consulting practice, she teaches clients what they need to do to succeed. In her book, Hollywood Game Plan: How to Land a Job in Film, TV, or Digital Entertainment (Michael Wiese Production 2012), Carole guides you through a step-by-step process, explaining the unwritten rules of breaking into Hollywood and rising up the ranks to build a solid, successful, and long-lasting career.

Whether you’re a new film student or recent grad, changing from one area within the industry to another, or transitioning from a different field of work outside the industry, Carole will not only get you through the gated doors of Hollywood, but also show you how to stay in the room and score the needed points to win your way to the top.

She’ll get you prepared, connected, focused, and hired. You’ll learn how to develop your ‘Personal A-Story’, where and how to properly network, and the three types of mentors to seek-out and cultivate a relationship with. Carole reveals her secrets to an effective job search with five simple steps, the power prep, and “giving good meeting”.

Each chapter includes Insider Tips, examples and quotes from current players working the field at all levels, and two fun and unique exercises to help you implement the strategies and accelerate your progress. You’ll also find an excellent Glossary of Industry Terminology, a humorous Hollywood-English Writers Dictionary, and an extensive Industry Resources Section along with sample resumes.

Hollywood Game Plan is like spring training; it prepares you for peak performance with the seasoned professionals, when every move counts. Carole is the perfect coach to help you get your game-face on, guide you through every play, and keep you going strong. I highly recommend Hollywood Game Plan for everyone entering into the film, TV, or digital entertainment industry or transitioning into a new area of the business, who wants to play their best ‘A’ game and secure their position as a member of the major leagues of Hollywood. 

To connect with Carole Kirschner, you can visit her website at www.hollywoodgameplan.com and purchase a copy of Hollywood Game Plan at Michael Wiese Productions or Amazon.

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