Customer Reviews

Its All Your Fault: How To Make It As A Hollywood Assistant

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Whether you're already in the business, want desperately to break in, or are simply a fan of Hollywood gossip, "It's All Your Fault! (How to make it as a Hollywood Assistant)" is an absolute delight. Bill Robinson and Ceridwen Morris have put together a 'how to' book which very often had me laughing out loud. Beginning with their own experiences (Robinson had been an assistant to Diane Keaton, and Morris, a screenwriter, was at one time Robinson's assistant), the authors offer a glimpse at the crazy, chaotic, and often thankless job of the Hollywood assistant, whether it's an assistant to a movie star, director, talent agent, or producer.

The authors provide anecdotes from countless assistants about their more famous employers. Many of them are anonymous in the book (more for the protection of their livelihood than the stars' reputations) but it isn't difficult to figure out who some of the unnamed big shots are in many of the tales.

Morris and Robinson describe the subtle differences in each assistant job, depending on who your boss is and what they do. And there's a good deal of sound advice about which job would be right for you, depending on what you want to do afterward, since you probably don't want to be an assistant forever. Along the way, Robinson and Morris provide tips on how to land your dream job, and how to prevent it from becoming a nightmare, and what you should/could do to parlay that job into your dream career.

On the flip side, if you have no intention of pursuing an assistant job, "It's All Your Fault" should serve as a reminder to those who come into contact with assistants while in pursuit of their own dreams. Think twice about who you're speaking with, and how you treat them. They may one day hold a position of power and will remember ...

This is a fast read, and it reads like a memoir-humor book-- don't be fooled. It's full of REAL information, and good advice.

I have only a limited experience in this world, a few month's as a producer's assistant, but everything they described is 100% accurate. As I investigate how I want to continue, I'm finding the descriptions of the different roles invaluable (particularly that of assistant to a network exec as a great job for those in the witness protection program; i.e. you'll never meet anyone... lol)

the way these two got into the industry is, as is the norm, highly idiosyncratic, full of luck, timing and chutzpah. It's no surprise that both have done well along the way.

This is also a useful book for creative artists-- screenwriters, actors, aspiritng directors-- because it gives an invaluable inside look at the day-to-day life of the offices and staff of the people they need to deal with.

Better than I hoped it would be!

Take it from someone who has been chewed up and spit out, but still surviving in the trenches, this book is a must read for anyone who dreams of a better life in La-La Land. Who let the dogs out? God. And they all reside in Hollywood. This hilarious handbook/'bible" should be passed out to everyone who crosses the Los Angeles county lines. For those of you still brave enough to venture here, you've got brothers and sisters who feel your pain, so memorize it, sleep with it under your pillow, get the book on tape for godsake, but give yourself a leg up and order it for next day air.

This is the "Crafty Screenwriting" of assistanting. The writers have clearly been around the block and through the mill, and tell it like it is. They also had fun writing it, and the bitter joy of (I hope for their sakes) no longer being an assistant shines through. If you're thinking of going to Hollywood as anything at all, you need to read this book to understand what the lives of the 50% of people there who are assistants are like!

I thought it was funny. Most of these How-to books are overly technical and dry. This had a good balance of humor and gossip and info.

This book is both hysterically funny and painfully accurate. If anyone is remotely interested in what it is like to work in Hollywood they must read this book. If you have no interest in Hollywood it is worth it for the incredibly funny writing.

Wow this book is a must have and one of your top priority of books and resources to buy if you want to become a Hollywood Assistant. The authors doesn't sugarcoat anything. They strip down the job as a Hollywood Assistant to the raw naked view. It has a bit of humor in it but all of it is true.

As soon as I got this book I could not put it down and time went by so fast!

If you are serious about becoming a Celebrity Personal Assistant, whether for a star, producer, director, agent, or studio executive, you must buy this book to know what to expect!

They also include phrases to say, how to not lie but not tell the truth, what the phrases mean in Hollywood, and so much more!

This book cracked me up! I can't believe this stuff is true. I'm ordering a copy immediately for every struggling LA friend I know who is not related to Spielberg.

As a former Hollywood assistant (I've moved up the ladder and am now an executive at a major production company), I'd say that this book gives a pretty accurate account of what you may endure as an assistant in this town. It certainly recalled many of the experiences that my friends and I had when we were starting out. Bill Robinson and Ceridwen Morris are well known in Hollywood circles, so it makes sense that their advice is dead-on. They are in this world and they know what they are talking about. If you're interested in working in the film or television industries, this book is certainly one of the sources you should check out in advance. It might scare you a bit, but so will working for some of these people in Hollywood! Best to be prepared. All in all, this book presents some very solid advice for prospective assistants. It's a fun read and I'd definitely recommend it.

This book was just wonderful because it is so true and such an accurate portrayal of what REALLY goes on in the over-hyped but hideous entertainment industry. I am a former entertainment assistant myself, and if only I'd had this book prior to majoring in Media I'd have chosen a more dignified area of study and future line of work - say, in computers. My favorite chapter is about agent's assistants. It's called "Satan's Handmaidens" and reveals - accurately - how talent agencies, where the agents glom a percentage of income from the actors in their "stable," are run like Mafia syndicates. They are - I was one - I experienced it myself! And as another chapter clearly states, unless you are some kind of a codependent from a divorced family (I'm not, thanks) who likes chaos and taking care of overgrown crybabies (I don't, thanks) you don't belong in a business as preposterously twisted and sick as this one!