End Of The Year Means One More Meeting

Even though the entertainment industry is in holiday/vacation mode for the end of 2016, Zach had a meeting with his manager earlier this week to discuss plans for 2017.

I've always appreciated the fact that she insists her talent roster look back at the year that is ending in order to make plans for the coming year. It's a great way for Zach to see what he accomplished, what he needs to work on and to bounce around ideas for future projects.

The end of the year meeting (naturally) put me in a reflective mood. Some of my thoughts during the meeting included:

• We used to discuss "how to get on their radar" and now we discuss "we know the right people" and make plans based on those contacts
• Zach's confidence during the meeting was much greater than the kid that attended those meetings years ago
• The amazing amount of content options that have been created or seen incredible growth in the last 4 or 5 years (Netflix, Amazon, CBS All Access, Hulu, Seeso, Apple TV, Crackle, Snapchat, YouTube Red and many more that I am forgetting to mention)
• Zach's view expanding while also becoming more focused as he gains a better idea of where he wants to go with his career
• A grateful feeling for the personal and professional relationship we have with his manager as she has been a wonderful personal and professional mentor to Zach
• Being impressed by the way Zach was able to lead the meeting while I was only there to offer advice and be a support system 

There were some items on his action plan from last year that we didn't accomplish or didn't hit the desired goal. On the other hand, there were other opportunities in 2016 that weren't even on the list that Zach was able to run with and grow during the past year. Even though acting is a creative field, it is still very much a business and not something that should navigated without a game plan. After the meeting this week, Zach has a clear idea of what he hopes to accomplish in 2017. I'm looking forward to being part of the adventure and helping him achieve his goals from the meeting even as he keeps his eyes open for new creative opportunities along the way.

This actor is looking forward to a successful 2017.

Your Final Casting Call Roundup For 2016

Even though the entertainment industry is in holiday mode as the year ends, there are still casting calls for projects that will film in 2017. Here are seven of the latest (but not always greatest) casting calls from movies and television:

1. Can you follow directions? Do you know how to listen and follow instructions? If so, you might be part of our new indie film. Looking for extras for a shoot in January who look like doctors, lawyers, corrupt corporate types and the dimwits who they take advantage of in the film. Any and all types ages 32-64.
2. Are you an Internet troll? Are you a proud Internet troll? If so, we're looking for you to share your opinions with the world! Let us know the topic you want to discuss from food to politics to sports and beyond. If you have an opinion and a recent photo, we want to hear from you.
3. Looking for a female of any ethnicity 35-44 to play a "damsel in distress" in an upcoming pilot. Are you good at waiting for help??? If so, bring your "A game" to our (hopefully) "A+" pilot.
4. Seeking males and females 20-28 who look good in glasses for the next great spy epic. The glasses are 3D goggles in the film so you must look dashing and mysterious at the same time. Open to all types.
5. Looking for "Lady Luck" for our next movie. This lady is our main character as well as the title of the movie. Plot twist: She has the worst luck of anybody in the world. Seeking 25-32 but willing to go older for the right Caucasian or Asian leading lady.
6. Casting now for "Paranormal Patrol" AKA "The Ghostbusters reboot done the right way". Seeking men and women to form a multi-cultural squad that fights the paranormal while learning life lessons along the way. Seeking actors ages 23-59.
7. Now casting kids 8-14 for a family friendly movie about a group of kids who nurse a turtle back to health. Once the turtle is better, they discover he has the speed of a cheetah which leads to madcap adventures during a summer they'll never forget. All ethnic groups welcome.

Do any of these casting calls sound like you? If so, 2017 might be the year you become a star!

This actor is busy making his game plan for 2017.

It's The Most Tolerable Time Of The Year

It's the middle of December and there seems to be a change in the air. Traffic isn't as bad as normal and auditions are slowing down. That can only mean one thing:

Welcome to the holidays in Hollywood.

Even though we've had an abundance of 70-degree days and sunshine (until the rain event on Thursday night), there are fewer people around town to enjoy it.

Question: Why do so many people leave town during the holidays?

Answer: Many actors move here to break into the entertainment industry so they go back home to see family and friends during the holidays.

The entertainment industry slows down as 2017 grow closer on the calendar. The week between Christmas and New Year's Day is really the one time of year actors can leave Los Angeles without being afraid they will miss an audition or booking a job. When Zach and I lived here before Dana moved to California, we would visit her as much as possible. There were many times I would get a call from a casting director asking if Zach could work a job for them. Of course, the job would always be the next day. It would never be next week or next month. It would always be the next day. No matter how far ahead we planned our trip while letting as many people as possible know that we would be out of town, there always seemed to be someone who needed Zach to work the day after we left town.

However, this is the time of year that the entire industry starts to shut down With few productions, auditions and workshops going on during this time period, actors can leave town without the fear of missing a gig.

It's also the time of year that reminds me that many people still consider somewhere else to be their home. As I write this entry, Zach is eating with one of his friends who is leaving town for 3 months to see family and friends. Many actors that leave town in December don't come back until February when pilot season is happening. They stay home to save money as well as see their loved ones.

It's not easy living in Hollywood away from your family. The people in California miss their family as well as the joy of being home. The people back home don't see their family that often and they also miss being involved in the daily lives of those chasing an acting dream.

We were a "split family" for a little under a year until Dana landed a job in Los Angeles. We've left town to visit family but we (thankfully) live together in Los Angeles.

Even though Christmas is around the corner, there are still some folks not in the holiday mood. I had the crosswalk signal in my favor the other day as I was walking to the gym. I started to cross the intersection when a van driven by a lady who looked like Mrs. Claus decided to stop waiting on me so she turned at the light. She zoomed past while barely missing me and then flipped me off as she drove away to her destination.

All I could think was, "If I get hit by the wife of Santa Claus, does she get a pass on the naughty or nice list?"

I'm looking forward to a fun holiday with this actor.

It's Almost Like A Billy Joel Song!

Billy Joel has a famous song called "Say Goodbye to Hollywood" (which has much less rage and angst than "Say Goodbye Hollywood" by Eminem) that first came out in 1976. Forty years after that song was released, our family is staying in Hollywood and officially saying goodbye to Missouri.

I can hear you asking, "Haven't you been away from Missouri for four years already? Why are you just getting around to saying goodbye?"

The answer is....We finally sold our home in St. Louis.

I've mentioned before that Zach and I moved to Los Angeles in January 2012. We put our house on the market but we were in no great hurry to sell it because the two of us would go back to Missouri if he didn't like trying to be an actor. It quickly became apparent that Zach had a future out here so we decided to seriously try and sell the house. While the "serious selling" was just starting to kick into gear, Dana landed a job with the American Cancer Society and had to be in California in two weeks. This left us no time to handle the necessary landscaping, painting and repairs that normally need to be done to any home to make it "seller friendly". Instead, we decided to use the home as a rental property so we could get the monthly mortgage covered and not have to pay both California rent and a Missouri house payment.

We were pretty lucky with our renters most of the time. We had one family rent it while they were repairing storm damage to their home that turned into eight months worth of rent as their repairs went on longer than expected. We also had a series of families that were temporary Missouri residents while their husbands were doing their medical residencies at Washington University. All of the families took care of the property and seemed to care about keeping it in good shape.

However, there were a few bumps along the way.

Here's a fun fact for you: If your home in the state of Missouri sustains water damage while the house is being used as a rental property, your homeowners insurance will not cover any of the damage. Let me repeat that for you: NONE OF THE DAMAGE!!!! After our last rental family failed to check the sump pump in the basement (to the tune of $6000 worth of out of pocket water damage repair expenses), we decided it was time to finally sell the house.

The ease of owning a rental property is often related to how easy it is to reach the property in times of need. When we first moved to St. Louis, we still owned a home in Memphis. In the 4-5 months it took us to sell that home, I would go check on it and take care of the yard and any small repairs. I also worked at a country radio station so my trips to Memphis would often go like this:

• Get off the air at Midnight in St. Louis
• Drive 4 hours to Memphis
• Take a sleeping bag and crash on the floor of the empty house for 3-4 hours
• Get up at 8am and take care of any pressing issues
• Leave by 1pm to drive back to St. Louis to be on the air at 7pm

Does that sound like a pain to you? Yes, it was a pain but at least I was close enough to drive there and take care of any issues that needed to be handled at the house. Using the water damage example again, I couldn't exactly jump in the truck and go take care of it because it would have taken me two days to get to Missouri. We were lucky enough to have a great rental property company watching after our home. Greg Rybacki, and the entire team at Rybo Properties, found the people to get the water out of the basement and fix the entire mess for the lowest price possible. Greg also watched over the whole project and made sure it was taken care of correctly and on time. I can't praise the guy enough for taking care of us over the past four years. 

When we made the final decision to sell the house, we turned to an old friend who would have our best interests at heart. Joanne Balis put up with way too many questions from me as well as a couple that flaked out on the first contract we had on the house this year. After that disappointment, she found the perfect couple to buy the property from us.  

When we made the decision to sell the house, I emailed some friends in St. Louis asking their advice and recommendations about painting and landscaping. I sent the email asking this question at 1am California time. At 8am California time, I woke up to a message from Mark Seibel asking me to call him. Mark runs a stone, paving and concrete company and instantly went over to my house when he got the email. He had already taken photos of the property and had a plan of what to do around the house. Zach and his son have remained friends over the years and I am glad to say that Mark and I are still friends. He went far beyond what my simple advice email asked and I can't thank him enough. Plus, I love the fact that he made his son mow our yard for free the entire time it was on the market.

I haven't set foot in the house since 2012. I drove past it a few times when I was in town but that was just to check on the outside of the home and to make sure the property was being cared for by the renters. It long ago stopped being a home to me and was just a piece of property that I owned. It's only been in the last week that I've actually started to feel some nostalgia for the place. The sale closed yesterday so I'd like to say goodbye to:

• Ken - The neighbor we never saw and only knew was alive when the pizza delivery guy would show up at his door.
• Miss Norma - The widowed neighbor who was always nice to Zach and snippy with me.
• The homeowner next door - Thanks for showing me the kind of people I would never let rent my house.
• The neighbor on the other side of the house - I don't remember her name but I do remember her dislike for everyone else in the neighborhood. I think I sealed her hatred for me when I was playing with my dog and she came out to complain that the dog was barking too much. I replied with "Would you like me to teach her how to moo or meow? It would be a great trick and might not hurt your delicate ears so much." She had no use for me after that moment.
• The neighbors with the live chickens in their backyard - I'm pretty sure they were running drugs out of their home but they were low key about it.

Unlike Billy Joel, we will keep saying "Hello to Hollywood". I may not live in a big house in Los Angeles but at least I don't have a home in St. Louis anymore to give me constant worries about flooding and tornadoes and whether or not the renters are taking care of the place.

Having said all of that, I certainly wouldn't mind an order of toasted ravioli from St. Louis!

This actor is in Hollywood for the long run.