Performing Arts Library: Los Angeles Library: Career Resources

Unions and Guilds

Actors' Equity Association Actors' Equity Association (“Equity") is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers.
American Guild of Musical Artists The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) is the labor union that represents artists from numerous disciplines that create America's operatic, dance, and choral heritage.
American Guild of Variety Artists The American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) is an AFL-CIO-affiliated labor union founded in 1939 to represent performing artists and stage managers for live performances in the variety field.
Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America is a labor organization that represents the creative and economic rights of directors and members of the directorial team working in film, television, commercials, documentaries, news, sports and new media.
Dramatists Guild of America The Dramatists Guild is the membership association of playwrights, librettists, composers, and lyricists writing for the stage in the United States.
SAG-AFTRA One Union Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is an American labor union representing approximately 160,000 film and television actors, journalists, radio personalities, recording artists, singers, voice actors, and other media professionals worldwide.
Stage Directors and Choreographers Society SDC is the theatrical union that unites, empowers, and protects professional Stage Directors and Choreographers throughout the United States.

Organizations

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ASCAP is an organization of 690,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, and the world leader in performance royalties, advocacy and service for music creators.
Broadcast Music, Inc. BMI, a leader in music rights management, collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed.
Dance Heritage Coalition DHC is a national alliance of institutions holding significant collections of materials documenting the history of dance. Its mission is to preserve, make accessible, enhance and augment the materials that document the artistic accomplishments in dance of the past, present, and future.
Dance Resource Center DRC is a not-for-profit member-supported service organization that provides the Los Angeles area dance community access to information, resources and services; and promotes the visibility and viability of Greater Los Angeles dance on local, state and national levels.
Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas LMDA is the membership organization for the professions of literary management and dramaturgy throughout North America and abroad.
Los Angeles Performance Practice LA Performance Practice is a non-profit organization devoted to the production and presentation of contemporary performance by artists whose work advances and challenges multi-disciplinary artistic practices.
Theatre Communications Group TCG is a national organization for the American theatre that fosters communication among professional, community, and university theatres.

Career Books and E-Books

The Artist's Compass by Rachel S. Moore
Call Number: PN 1580 .M55 2017
ISBN: 9781501126642
Publication Date: 2017
The Profitable Artist by Artspire; New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA); Peter Cobb (Editor); Felicity Hogan (Editor); Michael Royce (Editor)
Call Number: N 8600 .P75 2018
ISBN: 9781621536420
Publication Date: 2018
The World's Your Stage by William F. Baker; Warren Gibson; Evan Leatherwood
Call Number: PN 1580 .B35 2016
ISBN: 9780814436158
Publication Date: 2016

The Actor's Business Plan by Jane Drake Brody
Call Number: E-book
ISBN: 9781472573698
Publication Date: 2015
The Actor's Life by Jenna Fischer; Steve Carell (Foreword by)
Call Number: E-book
ISBN: 9781944648220
Publication Date: 2017
The Hollywood Survival Guide for Actors by Kym Jackson; Hannah Cowley (Editor); Tim McGrath (Editor); Jeremy Gordon (Foreword by)
Call Number: PN 2055 .J33 2013
ISBN: 9780987231628
Publication Date: 2013
How I Did It: Establishing a Playwriting Career by Lawrence Harbison
Call Number: PN 1661 .H64 2015
ISBN: 9781480369634
Publication Date: 2015
The New Business of Acting by Brad Lemack; Isabel Sanford (Foreword by)
Call Number: PN 2055 .L463 2010
ISBN: 9780971541061
Publication Date: 2010
Working in American Theatre by Jim Volz
Call Number: E-book
ISBN: 9781408134733
Publication Date: 2011

Being a Dancer by Lyndsey Winship
Call Number: GV 1597 .W56 2015
ISBN: 1848424620
Publication Date: 2016
A Life in Dance by Rebecca Stenn; Fran Kirmser
Call Number: GV 1597 .S74 2017
ISBN: 9781542982351
Publication Date: 2017

The 21st Century Singer by Susan Mohini Kane
Call Number: ML 3795 .K18 2015
ISBN: 9780199364275
Publication Date: 2015
All You Need to Know about the Music Business by Donald S. Passman
Call Number: ML 3790 .P35 2012
ISBN: 9781451682465
Publication Date: 2012
Guerrilla Film Scoring by Jeremy Borum
Call Number: ML 3795 .B73 2015
ISBN: 9781442237292
Publication Date: 2015
Marketing Singers by Mark J. Stoddard
Call Number: ML 3795 .S854 2019
ISBN: 9781730735844
Publication Date: 2019
Music Business Handbook and Career Guide by David Baskerville; Tim Baskerville
Call Number: ML 3795 .B33 2017
ISBN: 9781506309538
Publication Date: 2016
Music Entrepreneurship by Allan Dumbreck; Gayle McPherson
Call Number: E-book
ISBN: 9781472525406
Publication Date: 2016

Ernst and Young Tax Guide 2018 by Ernst & Young
Call Number: E-book
ISBN: 9781119383826
Publication Date: 2017
Financial Literacy for Millennials: a Practical Guide to Managing Your Financial Life for Teens, College Students, and Young Adults by Andrew O. Smith
Call Number: E-book
ISBN: 9781440834035
Publication Date: 2016
New Tax Guide by Peter Jason Riley
Call Number: Reference KF 6369.85 .R55 2016
ISBN: 9781585108336
Publication Date: 2016

Branding Yourself by Erik Deckers; Kyle Lacy
Call Number: HD 69 .S8 D43 2018
ISBN: 9780789759016
Publication Date: 2018
Influencer by Brittany Hennessy
Call Number: HF 5415.1265 .H47 2018
ISBN: 9780806538853
Publication Date: 2018
Social Media Promotion for Musicians by Bobby Owsinski
Call Number: ML 3790 .O967 2017
ISBN: 9781946837950
Publication Date: 2017
YouTube Channels for Dummies by Stan Muller [and others]
Call Number: TK 5105.8868 .Y68 C53 2015
ISBN: 9781118958179
Publication Date: 2015

Internships

Arts for LA A list of internships and job opportunities in the arts in the Greater Los Angeles area.
Center Theatre Group Center Theatre Group offers internships for college undergraduate and graduate students throughout the year. Interns get hands-on experience at departments across the company, study and learn alongside professionals, and participate in career development programs.
Disney Disney has internship opportunities all over the world in a wide variety of professional settings. Their California-based internships are in Glendale, Burbank, and Anaheim.
La Jolla Playhouse The La Jolla Playhouse Internship Program offers an exciting opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to gain professional experience by working side-by-side with extraordinary artists, administrators and technicians. Both full-time and part-time internships are available throughout the year.
The Old Globe Interns at the Old Globe in San Diego are involved in daily rehearsals, technical rehearsals, production meetings, and understudy rehearsals.
Paramount Paramount Pictures offers an Internship Program providing students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working in the entertainment industry. Every intern has the opportunity to network with industry professionals, attend a multitude of events aimed at furthering their entertainment knowledge, and play an integral role in their department’s success.
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. has internship opportunities available in marketing, social media, publicity, creative development, business development, finance, digital media, media research and more.

Additional Resources

What Social Media Does an Actor Need?

The Backstage guide to creating a social media presence to fit your needs as an actor.

Occupational Handbook - Entertainment and Sports

The OOH can help you find career information on duties, education and training, pay, and outlook for hundreds of occupations.

Job Search Writing - Purdue OWL

These Purdue OWL resources will help you compose effective resumes and what to expect during your job search.

Career OneStop

CareerOneStop is the flagship career, training, and job search website for the U.S. Department of Labor. The website serves job seekers, businesses, students, and career advisors with a variety of free online tools, information and resources.