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So, you want to be a Military Advisor for the Movies?

© John Lovett

Many a prior service military person or some who are still in the military ask me, "I want to be a military advisor for the movies. Tell me how it's done?"

Before you ask me that question, ask yourself exactly what you want from the motion picture industry. Let's see. Do you want to train actors and actresses (especially the actresses) in the ways of the military? You want to make them liberal, West Coast; hippie moviemakers understand how the "real world" is? You saw a really stupid war movie and you thought, "I can do better than that." Or, you saw a really good war movie and you thought, "Gee, I'd like to do that." Which is of the above questions are true for you? If you have answered yes to any of the previous questions, try another profession.

If you ask yourself, what is it that a military consultant actually does? For the answer to that, I can only tell you what I do. Mostly, I work with writers on scripts. I help them with dialog, scenes, scenarios, and descriptions. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, I work with assistant directors, set designers, costume designers on a production. A couple of productions, I have worked as a Weapons Master or Specialist. If I am really lucky, I get paid.

My suggestions for those of you who think that they too can consult for the entertainment industry are to do the following. First, study writing and screenwriting. Yes, these are two distinct arts. Study acting. Study how motion pictures and episodic television are made. Learn how to be humble before people with less experience but lots more money than you. Please note, that last bit was not facetious.

If you want to work in this industry, perseverance, a thick skin, patience, and honesty are all good traits. Although people have been trying to sell books on the secrets of breaking in to Hollywood, there is no such thing. The secret lies in getting people to see your work, meeting people, getting to know the industry, meeting people, reading the trades, and meeting people.

Hope this little essay helped you in deciding whether you too want to consult for Hollywood. If you have any more questions dealing with military advice in the movie industry try this site: Frequently Asked Questions http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/7...