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Elaine's new book for students and career pros interested in how entertainment careers are made was published in October 2024. It's called Creating a Career in Entertainment, Collaborating Outside the Spotlights in an Evolving Industry.
Endorsements for the new book:
Shauna Kimball – Retired Guidance Counselor, Woodsville High School, Woodsville, NH
I believe this book should be on the shelves in a high school guidance office and made available for college students who are searching for entertainment careers.
Franny French – Writer, Editor, Online Content Creator
I think this book would most definitely be of interest to schools, teachers, and students. It’s instructive and inspiring but never dumbs anything down or presumes the reader will know everything already. GREAT balance!
Neelu Tauh – Entrepreneur, Media IT Professional
Elaine's book offers a refreshing and insightful look at the entertainment industry. It's a must-read for anyone who dreams of working behind the scenes and making a real impact.
James Korris – Film, Television and Game Producer
In her new book, Elaine offers a common-sense approach to navigating the ever-shifting ground of the business of entertainment. While it may seem monolithic and impenetrable to newcomers, careers are possible, even in times of seismic disruption as we now have with the advent of streaming media. I consider it an essential survival guide for those who are ready to start the journey.
Elaine collaborated with people she admired and built a dynamic career while playing her part in determining how technology would change the business. Like her, those she chose to profile in her memoir are attracted to the spotlight but don’t want it to shine directly on them. The important thing wasn’t only the camera or the set, but also the people who worked in every department on the lot and in every office anywhere in the world. As long as she was contributing to getting stories told while shaping the revolution, she was in the right place.
“I’ve been asked what constitutes a courageous career and whether mine qualifies. I can’t speak for others, but courage for me came from my determination to follow my instincts and go where they took me. My philosophy can be summed up as follows: My choice is not to be afraid to play in the big leagues or be intimidated by people more ‘successful’ than I am. My confidence in my ability to influence the digital revolution in Hollywood allowed me to champion the benefits of technology in ways I couldn’t have predicted at the beginning of my career.”
Hired by major studios (Fox, Warner Bros., Disney, and Universal), Hollywood Entertainment (owner of the Hollywood Video store chain), and new media startups, Elaine’s progress in Hollywood leveraged impeccable timing when her career paralleled the revolution of the personal computer.
She loved her job—almost always. Immersed in defining how PCs were used on sets, in production offices and in studio corporate departments, she was there during the growth of the digital evolution of television processes and businesses. Her roles included:
• project and department management
• non-fiction writing of movie reviews and entertainment spotlight articles
• design, development and marketing for IT projects, production office automation tools, interactive media and websites
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