Breaking & Entering: A Career Guide About Landing Your First Job in Film Production...and Living to Tell About It!: Amazon.ca: April Fitzsimmons: Books

Product Description

An A to Z introduction for anyone who wants to get their feet wet in film production.

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
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Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Deal About Working Behind The Scenes in Hollywood, Aug 13 2002

By

Dorez Douglas (Los Angeles, CA (USA)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Breaking & Entering: A Career Guide About Landing Your First Job in Film Production...and Living to Tell About It! (Paperback)

I'm a film and television producer, and this is the first book I've come across that explains in plain English what it's like to work in production. But, it's tells you much more than that. By the time you finish reading this book, you'll have a complete understanding of how movies get made and the people who make it happen. You'll learn the "lingo" of the industry and the chain of command on a set. The author takes you step by step - explaining what the jobs are and how you can get one. Even if you don't want to work in production, you'll find it entertaining and informative. I have been using this book as a teaching tool in my production assistant workshops for the past few years. It has helped many of my students find work in the industry. If you want to work in this business, this is a must-read. What I liked most about the book is that it isn't the glamourized version of what it''s like to work behind the scenes, it's the real deal. In terms that anyone can understand. April Fitzsimmons has been there, done that and now written the book about it. Some of the fascinating parts include short personal stories from various people, about their experiences in the industry - the good, the bad and the ugly.

I recommend to my students that they buy this book and keep it with them at all times, as a reference and as a reminder to never give up. I only wish this book was around when I first started working in production. My struggle wouldn't have been so difficult.

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5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable companion in Tinseltown, July 9 2002

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V.P. (Santa Monica, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Breaking & Entering: A Career Guide About Landing Your First Job in Film Production...and Living to Tell About It! (Paperback)

This book is a Godsend. I have put the amazingly lucid and learned advice to work in my own jobs on film sets, and now my brother is finding it equally enlightening as he tests the waters of filmmaking. I will continue to recommend this book to anyone who wants to work in film or simply understand what happens on the set. Insightful without the braggadacio that festers in so many books of its genre, this is a great find for the newcomer and the production veteran alike.

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1.0 out of 5 stars Misleading title- Useless unless you already have the job., May 10 2002

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"ooner" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Breaking & Entering: A Career Guide About Landing Your First Job in Film Production...and Living to Tell About It! (Paperback)

This book should be called "How Not to Get Fired From Your First PA Job." There is a good amount of detail about what a production assistant position is, but April Fitzsimmons' book does not even begin to cover what you need to do to GET the job in the first place (and I suspect that's what most people are really looking for).

If you don't have connections and want a book that will actually help you get a foot in the door, this is definitely not the one. Maybe check out Kenna McHugh's "Breaking into Film: Making Your Career Search a Blockbuster." That book covers networking, different PA organizations, effective resume writing, and so on. Breaking and Entering provides none of this.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars It isn't always obvious
The first time you set foot on a film set certain things aren't always obvious. This book sets you on the right path from the beginning. Get a jump on all the P. Read more

Published on Oct 24 2001 by Sam G

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book for any new comer to film.
Of all the books I have seen on how to start at the bottom & learn the basic ropes of being a great PA. This is the book. Read more

Published on Oct 13 1999