Extra Work for Brain Surgeons

I worked as a background player (Extra) for the first 3 years of my retirement. Without "Extra Work for Brain Surgeons: A Hollywood OS Directory" by Angela Bertolino I would have been lost. This book is the best book ever written for those who want to be in the movies and don't know how to do it. You DO get your money's worth and more with this Informative and great book.

Now in an updated and expanded twenty-fourth edition, "Extra" Work for Brain Surgeons is a one-of-a-kind reference - an annual directory compiled especially for individuals working as background actors in the entertainment industry. Assembled with direct input from casting directors so that aspiring extras have the most current information about the correct procedures to secure work, "Extra" Work for Brain Surgeons is jam-packed with over 500 pages of information about Extras casting companies, calling services, guidelines on everything from how to write a resume to the requirements for children seeking work as extras, maps, a "must-know" glossary for anyone working in the business, and much more. Indexed for quick and easy reference, "Extra" Work for Brain Surgeons is an absolute must-have for anyone pursuing work as an extra or getting an acting career off the ground, and highly recommended.

I recently read the entertainment directory titled "EXTRA" WORK FOR BRAIN SURGEONS. This guide has it all for anyone who wants to get started in the entertainment industry by doing extra work. They help you avoid the scams and actually help you find legitimate work on real film and TV sets, many of the big-budget ones too. This is a really useful handbook for anyone wanting to break in to show business. And the author, ANGELA BERTOLINO, has a pretty interesting story: She started writing and self-publishing the book because she was scammed out of thousands of dollars trying to "make it" in Hollywood. She set out to disseminate the information she wished she had had access to when she was starting out.

Have you ever longed to walk through a scene on a set featuring your favorite soap stars? Have you wondered how you could be one of those people eating pasta in a restaurant scene behind the great actors like George Clooney or Will Smith? If you've been trying to break into the Extra world you absolutely have to have a copy of "Extra Work For Brain Surgeons." It is the extreme guide to Extra-hood. Honestly, I don't know where else you would look for this much helpful information. Having been there (Los Angeles) and done that (paying way too high registration fees for not much return) Co-Founder and CEO Angela Bertolino decided it was time that there was a truly helpful guide for newbies to the extra set. Teaming up with Co-Founder Carla Lewis, Hollywood OS was born. Now, this annual directory is a must have for every walk on wannabe. You'll find it all here...what exactly you can expect as an extra, why you'd want to be a member of SAG or AFTRA, how to get paid for extra-extra work, what vouchers are, what the new point system is going to be like, how to get your name and headshots out there, why you should register and how much you can expect to pay for registering with casting companies, and oh so much more. This is truly the "how-to" guide for actors and actresses wanting to do walk-ons. More than that though, it is a why-to, when-to, who-to go to book. And then there is the whole second half of the book that lists casting companies, what their fees are, what types they usually cast, how long they've been in business, what they won't tolerate from background actors, what they will allow, what they will do for you, and inside scoops. Looking for an agent? The book will give you pointers. Need help with your resume? Yep, that too. Don't know what a "meat axe" could be? How about a "wigwag?" Don't worry! The book even has a glossary of unusual acting terms. I live on the east coast, I don't act and I've never had an interest in it. But this book could help even a person like me find work, if I moved to Hollywood. Yes, it is a regional guide, but I doubt there is a more comprehensive one out there! Not only that, but the book is entertaining. Written in an easy going, friendly voice, reminding readers not to skip certain sections and making even the mundane side of extra work interesting (filling out forms, taxes, and labor codes), "Background" actors will find the read not only imperative, but enjoyable. Review by Heather Froeschl

I found everything that I needed to know plus more. The Brain Surgeons book told me all the extra casting agencies, what projects they have, and how to register. I have doubled my work thanks to this book - no kidding. Thanks Brain Surgeons!