So, you go into that maze, and there are other people in there who have been there for years and years and years who will say, "Hey, you're an actor? Me, too. Wow! I've been in this maze for fourteen years. There's the way you go, right there. There's the passageway. Hey, you want to help me out here, help me out a little bit? Yeah, because I just showed you a passageway, right?" Now, how long has that person been in the maze and not been able to find success, but is showing you the way out, when he is still in the maze? That's why you keep running into dead ends over and over again.

One of the things that you notice in this maze is that there are absolutely brilliantly talented actors, writers and potential Academy Award® winning type people, who have been in that maze for ten, fifteen, twenty years. Another thing you'll notice is that there are exit signs. And, too frequently, you will see those wonderful, magnificent people, who are brilliantly talented, with their heads hung low heading for the exit.

They are giving up their dream, their passion, and what their lives could have been. Now, they are going to settle for what their friends settled for twenty years ago, except they've lost twenty years of their lives, and for the rest of their lives they'll know they were a failure. I doubt that they would be able to turn on the television very often and see people who are not particularly talented doing larger roles. I doubt that they would be able to go to motion pictures theatres anymore and see actors who are less talented than they, because they couldn't make it.

Today, my friend, we are going to raise you above that maze. There's no top on it, and when you are above it, you can clearly see the dozens of passageways that lead to success. And when you see it, you'll say, "Oh, it's so simple." Sure it's simple, once you have the directions.

Do you play chess? Is that a yes? Okay, if you and I were to play chess, who do you think would win, you or me? Well, if you said you would win, -if you do indeed play chess- you my friend, would be correct. You would definitely win if we played chess. WHY? Because I do not know how to play. ? I don't know the rules of the game. I can't even be in the game with you.

And, I can't blame you for why you're in the game and I'm not. I can talk about catch 22's and I can come up with all sorts of excuses and all sorts of lies, but I cannot be in the game with you.

In this scenario I represent 99.99% of the people who call themselves actors who have absolutely no idea how the film and television industry works. They wonder why they can't succeed. They wonder why they're not even in the game. And some of them have super talent. This is NOT a talent driven industry.

The fact that you have talent is great. On the list of what we're looking for, talent is not even close to the top of the list. If you've got talent, fantastic! But, your talent's not going to make you. Marketing, promotion and networking is going to make it happen for you. This is show business, it is not show art. Today you are going to learn how the industry really operates as it is the world's greatest business...

The World's Greatest Business
And You Are A Part of It. You are a part of (or have a burning desire to be a part of) THE best industry on this planet. That's one reason you are reading this book. You may not even be in this industry and simply are curious. Or, maybe you were distracted, and picked up this book by mistake. ? In any case: This is the greatest and most exciting and influential business in the world!

Imagination is sometimes all it takes. So now, imagine a cellular phone. I'm going to sell it to, say, a friend named John. "John, give me a $100 for the cell phone. Don't use it. Don't make any phone calls with it. Take a picture of it. Now hand it back to me." Now, you see I have John's $100, and I have my cell phone back.

Next, here's Joan. Ah, now the cell phone is more valuable. "Joan, Give me $300 for it. Take a picture of it, and hand me the cell phone back." And Roger, well Roger looks like he's doing pretty well. "Roger, give me $750 for the cell phone. Take a picture of it, and hand it back to me." You see, the phone continues to become more and more valuable each time I sell it. "Now, John, Joan and Roger: every time you show someone the picture of the cell phone, you have to pay me again, forever."

That's the film and television business. And, that, my friend, is called Residual Income!
Residual income is wonderful! It's what Bob Proctor calls an MSI, a 'Multiple Stream of Income' -- money made while you are sleeping OR working on your next exciting project. You do something one time, something that's fun, something that you would do for free anyway because you love it, and you get paid very well for it. And every time that they show that picture, you get paid over and over and over.

I have made a lot of money in residuals. I don't think I told you about my acting background, did I? I've done over 40 film and television roles. I did most of that in less than 2 1/2 years without ever having a developed talent as an actor.

Do you know who hires actors? Producers hire actors. Producers hire and fire everybody. So, whom do you want to meet? Producers! Of course! Do you know what your job is? As an actor, your job is to bring life to the producer's vision. You must understand that this is your job, so . . .

Go to give, not to take!
Suppose an actor met up with a producer and said, "Mr. Stoller, it's a pleasure to meet you. Your film 'Undercover Angel' really touched me. What a great gift it has been to so many people. And, 'Miss Cast Away' was one of the funniest films I've ever seen. You've brought a lot of joy to a lot of people, and I just wanted to say 'Thank you.' I've read about your upcoming project, 'They Cage the Animals at Night'. The book is amazing.

The film will undoubtedly win lots of awards and touch millions of people. It's a story that really needs to be told. . . If I could be of assistance to you in any way on that project, please don't hesitate to ask. To be, in some small way, a part of the success of a Bryan Michael Stoller project, especially this one, would be wonderful. I really want to see the project come to life. Here's my business card.

Please let me know if I can help." I am sure that producer would remember you with good feelings. Here the actor complemented the producer, the actor was informed, sincere (yes be sincere, it cannot be lip service, be real because your 'vibration' will be what is felt more than your words) and positive. It was not all about YOU. It was about the producer and his work.

One of the most important result-producing tools you have, when interacting with a potential employer (producer), is attitude. It's not about talent or lack thereof. The wrong attitude is what kills the job for most people. Unfortunately, most actors believe that it's all about them. It's not! It's about the project - that dream, that vision that the producer has been living for years. Either the producer perceives you to be someone who can help bring his or her dream to life on the screen - or you're in the way. It's as simple as that.

Now here is quite a different scenario. Imagine an actor saying to a producer, "Hey, man. You're a producer, right? Oh, man, I sure hope you're different from all the others. None of those other jerks ever want to give me a break. Everything's a 'catch 22'. If you're not related to the producers or sleeping with them, I guess you won't ever get in their films. Hey, I'm an actor. You should hire me 'cause I'm good. Come, on, Man. Don't be like those other jerks.

You should give me a break and put me in your film. I studied, man. I paid my dues, so you should hire me. I sat through all those stupid workshops. I could use you, man. This film could launch my career. I'm going to be a big name someday, and you'll be sorry if you don't put me in your film."

See the difference? The actor with the attitude "go to give, not to take" is very rare - and we, the producers, hire those rare people. If I, as the producer, perceive you to be one of those rare actors with a professional attitude, do you think I want you in my project? You'd better believe I do. Absolutely, I want you as a part of my film!! It's actors with good attitudes that make the projects work!

I know so many directors and producers who say they would much rather hire someone with less talent but a good attitude than some 'brilliantly talented' actor they don't know who may have a bad attitude and potentially cost the producer his or her project! Several of our producer friends have literally said they would hire acting coaches to help less-talented actors (with great attitudes) rather than work with someone whose attitude is bad!!

Some actors seem to be in this industry for their own self-aggrandizement, and they will destroy the producer's product if they think it will make them look good. Now, if you go to give, to make that producer's vision come to life on the screen, and if I, as the producer, perceive you as that rare, positive, giving actor, my gosh, do you think I don't want you in my project? YES. I want YOU BIG TIME!! Now let's go on to find out what successful actors have in common.