Tips on how to survive in showbiz

Survivor – that’s how most showbiz people like to describe themselves. Inday Badiday wears it like a badge of honor. And so do Vilma Santos and many other big personalities who made mistakes, fell on their knees, but amazingly recovered and are back in this survival game called show business.

Show business, you see, is such a complicated profession. If you want to stay long and in one piece in this industry, here are some unwritten rules you may have to observe:

Never sacrifice your principles. If you are being made to do something you think isn’t right, don’t do it – or you may regret it for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, most people in show business start very young and can easily be exploited. It is therefore important for people entering the profession to have a solid family background and sensible family members who can guide them properly every step of the way.

Be professional. Being professional doesn’t only mean coming to the set on time. It’s also knowing your lines when you show up for shooting or taping. Of course, you also have to be flexible for last-minute script revisions because this happens a lot in the movies and on television.

Have patience. Be patient because most movie sets can be chaotic. If you show irritation and annoyance, you will only be adding to the tension. Even if you have every right in the world to get angry, you still have to keep it under control because if you establish a reputation as being difficult and temperamental, very few people would want to work with you – unless, of course, you’re such a great actor or actress and the industry can’t do without you. From time to time, you can also show some fangs because some people in this profession will really try your patience and abuse your kindness.

Be nice. Go the extra mile to help somebody because that act of kindness will be remembered. Also, be nice even to the utility and the other so-called small people in production because they can be very loyal to you and will take good care of you during the course of shooting or when you work with them again in other projects.

Don’t be haughty. Try to be humble and never let success get into your head because as they say, "The people you will meet on your way up will also be the same people you will meet on your way down."

Have utang na loob. In politics, having utang na loob may not always be correct because you tend to repay your political debts by giving juicy government posts to unqualified people fielded by generous contributors to your campaign funds. But in show business, movie stars who don’t have utang na loob – for some uncanny reason – don’t make it or don’t stay long in the business. Even an established movie star who abandons the manager who patiently built him or her up through the years is often cursed with such inexplicable bad luck. If you feel you really need to change managers, then settle it with him or her amicably and always acknowledge that it was that first manager who made you the star that you are.

Learn to forgive, but never forget. you are bound to get hurt a lot in this business) bad write-ups, rejections, betrayals, etc.) But learn to be forgiving because this is such a small business and you are bound to bump into the people who caused you harm. But never forget what they did so that they don’t try the same trick on you again.

Take care of your health. You may have the loveliest face in the business, but if you don’t look after your health, stress and over fatigue will also show on screen. Try to cut down on your nightlife and save your energy by resting at home. And yes, don’t even think about trying drugs.

Know when to shut up. A common pastime during lulls in shooting is gossiping. If you can’t extricate yourself from this group, just keep quiet and don’t make the mistake of contributing anything to the conversation. Somehow, whoever is the subject of such gossip will hear about this and there will be trouble and you don’t want to be involved in that. Also, never speak ill or say anything nasty about anyone to anybody because this will reach the person concerned. This is one of the reasons why industry members treat Gloria Romero with reverence. If she has to talk about a particular person even in private conversation, she will only dwell on his or her positive traits. Trust her never to say anything bad about anybody – which is why everyone loves and adores her.

Don’t react unless you know the facts. People in this profession often embarrass themselves in public because they talk first without verifying details. If somebody tells you that this or that actor said something nasty about you, check with other people first. Or better yet, go ask the person who supposedly spoke ill of you – but not in a confrontational manner. Maybe you also did something – although unintentionally – to hurt his or her feelings. Perhaps that would also be a good opportunity for both of you to settle whatever issue you have with each other.

Respect the veterans in the profession. Never ridicule anyone for being old because – given the fast turnover in this business – in about a decade or so, you will be playing father or mother to teenage actors and you’ll also be branded as old and be relegated to parent roles even before you reach 30.

Treat the fans well. You really owe your career to them more than anyone else. Besides, they’re generally very nice. If all they want is a picture with you, go smile. If they want your autograph, go sign. Say hello to them, smile at them or wave at them and acknowledge their presence – that’s all they usually want from you. Believe me, you’ll feel pleased with yourself if you make them happy with these little gestures.

Save. Save. Save. If you hit it big in this business, money will really flow your way. But watch out for it will also dry out fast. While you still have the money, invest it properly. You can never tell how long you will be staying in this profession. If you get out of it, you certainly won’t get any separation pay. Neither would you get benefits once you reach the age of retirement.

Learn your lessons well. In this business, you are allowed to make mistakes (you pay for it dearly anyway). But don’t try to overshoot your quota by committing the same mistakes over and over again because the people who hire you and you work with will eventually get burned and wouldn’t want to have anything to do with you again and that’s the end of you in this profession.