How to break into an evolving showbiz

A new book by two former Times editors advises how to get a job in entertainment.

- BY MARC WEINGARTEN

Illustration by JULIETTE TOMA For The Times

The road to finding steady work in Hollywood is more fraught now than ever before. The entertainment industry is in the throes of a seismic transformation, as traditional jobs are vanishing, and AI threatens to completely upend the way visual media are made and consumed. Fortunately, Ada Tseng and Jon Healey are here to help.

The writing team, both former Times editors with extensive experience covering show business, have written “Breaking Into New Hollywood,” a how-to guide like no other. Healey and Tseng interviewed hundreds of insiders both above and below the line — gaffers, casting directors, actors, writers, stunt people and many others — to provide an extensive, widescreen view of how to break in, and what it’s like when you actually do find that dream job.

I sat down with Healey and Tseng to discuss their new book.

This is the most comprehensive how-to guide for Hollywood careers I’ve ever read. Where did the impetus for the book come from?

Tseng: The book started as a Hollywood careers series at the Los Angeles Times, when Jon and I were editors on a team that specialized in writing guides and explainers. As we were thinking about how to be useful to L.A. Times readers, I pitched a project to help people who were interested in getting a job in Hollywood. A lot of people come to L.A. starry-eyed with big dreams, but the film and TV industry can be pretty brutal.