Breaking Into Hollywood

Apr 6, 2011
Anne Mount

Hollywood success requires perseverance. - Sten Rudich

In her book, Breaking Into Hollywood, author, screenwriter and former talent agent, Angela Hutchinson, reveals her secrets to being a success in Tinseltown.

What does a beautiful young woman from Chicago with a B.S. E. degree in Industrial & Operations Engineering do when her "real dream" is to succeed as a screenwriter in Hollywood? "My parents were always supportive of my goals and visions in the area of writing, even though they wanted me to get a solid education in engineering,"says Angela. "Having a degree like this one actually made producers and directors in Hollywood take me more seriously."

Determined like a "freight train" would aptly describe Angela's ambition when she loaded up her 1994 red GEO Tracker and drove by herself to Hollywood to pursue her career in the entertainment industry. This former Miss Teen Illinois Semi-Finalist quickly made her way into various jobs such as scriptwriter, talent agent, casting director, author. Over the past nine years, she has worked for MGM, Warner Bros. Television, and the Grammys. She was elected the first African American President of the Scriptwriters Network in October 2005, and later founded her own non-profit organization, Breaking Into Hollywood, to help others achieve their goals in film and television.

Thirty-Six Hours to Hollywood!

In her book, Breaking into Hollywood, Angela describes the most beautiful sight she ever saw when she first arrived after practically driving non-stop from Chicago to Los Angeles. "I saw the Hollywood sign! I can't tell you the feeling I received when I saw the sign. It was like all my emotions and excitement ran through my brain. I felt extraordinarily inspired."

With just $2,000. to her name, Angela sub-let an apartment and set about finding a job through Act 1 temp agency in Studio City. She got a call for a job that paid $100. a day to be an audience member in a talk show. She was on her way.

Hollywood Helper and Constant Courage

"As for my job search, I faxed, e-mailed and mailed over 50 resumes and cover letters," relates Angela, in her book. "Even still, I never received any calls for interviews." But, not to be deterred, and in the midst of the tragedy of 911, Angela created an action plan. Moving back home was not even a thought she relates. Despite having not found permanent employment after two months and a dwindling cash reserve, Angela persevered.

Angela's Hollywood Action Plan

" A lot of people come to Hollywood with a dream, like, I'm going to be a professional screenwriter or actor, and that's fine, but you need to have concrete goals you can control, a day-to-day action plan," suggests Angela. "It's also a good idea to keep a journal of the good things that happen in your life, which can give you some consistency toward implementing your goals."

In her book, Breaking Into Hollywood, Angela says: "I was still determined to make it happen for myself in Hollywood. One evening I made a plan, what I like to call a Lights, Camera, Action Plan!" Here's Angela's plan, a sample from her book, of what can be done when that "never give up" attitude meets action.

Lights.Make some more friends. Network with industry professionals. Get to know the hot spots to hang out. Familiarize myself by driving around.
Camera. Get a job. Finish the final draft of my script. Sell my script.
Action. Register with several more temp agencies. Apply for jobs online. Send letters out for informational meetings with TV/film writers and executives. Send query letters out about my script to agents, managers, and film executives.

Helping Others in Hollywood

Everyone out here in Los Angeles knows this is not an easy place to break into. It's very competitive. Everyone wants to be an actor or screenwriter or the next Stephen Spielberg. But, people in the entertainment industry also say to "dream big," and "keep going."

A believer in helping others, Angela organizes panel discussions through her organization, Breaking into Hollywood, and is about to launch an industry magazine called, "Hollywood & Vine." She also has a television program, "The Breaking Into Hollywood Show," that currently boasts a 1.15 million viewership.

Her words ring true for anyone who is absolutely determined to "make it" in Hollywood. She says: "Dream it. Pursue it. And you will live it!"