Learn why I will be on TV this summer as the guy not annoying the crew!

Like much of the country, Los Angeles has come to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic.

I should say most of the city has come to a halt. The casting notices that still arrive in my email are almost always for Scientology projects. While I like making extra money, I'm not that desperate to make extra money.

Before production on TV shows closed down for the foreseeable future, I did some background work on one of the ABC Summer Fun and Games shows. Background work on a TV show is an easy way to make extra money for a few hours of work. I signed a mountain of paperwork that forbids me from telling you the show I worked on but I can tell you that it will be hard to miss me when you are watching the show.

While killing time between shots, I rediscovered just how desperate some people are to be on camera. There were maybe 200 extras that night and the producers placed everyone in certain positions on the set. The only direction we were given was to act excited each time the contestants were playing the game.

If you were not sufficiently excited, AKA you more concerned about looking good on TV, the producers would shuffle you out of the main shot and into the back of the audience.

When the first contestant was on camera, I was placed right by the stage and did my best to be excited without being over the top. Once the shot was over, all but one person around me was moved to a different spot and a new group of extras entered the shot.

I was there for 5 hours and I was never moved out of the shot. I met a lot of different people because they kept rotating extras near me trying to make sure they found excited people to root for the contestants.

I'm not saying I'm the greatest extra in the world. I am saying I know how to pay attention, follow directions and not be annoying to the crew. Here are just a few of the people I met that night that did not make it into the main shot:

• The truck driver that was a combination actor/Johnny Cash fan that insisted on singing "Ring of Fire" for the crowd/political expert
• The woman that had been there before and "knew how it worked" and was instantly moved out of the main shot
• The comedian that saw the crowd as a chance to "workshop some new material"
• The guy that complained about how long it took him to drive to set (as if everyone else did not have a long drive)
• The two "directors" in the crowd that questioned every camera angle that night

I realize I was one of the few extras on set that night without a big dream of being an actor. My dream that night involved calculating my hourly pay as filming continued throughout the evening.  It always amazes me how some people with show business dreams in their head don't have the ability to read the room and tell when they have crossed the line between being entertaining and turning the crew against them by trying too hard to impress them with their "wit and charm".

I did get thanked at the end of the night by a few members of the crew for being easy to work with and "rolling with whatever we asked you to do".

I also received a few direct messages from the casting director of the show the day after the taping. They asked me if I would like to work again and to just let them know what times worked for me out of the list they sent me.

I would have been happy to work again but production was stopped for the safety of everyone involved.

What is the moral of this story?

It doesn't help you to act like a star if you don't know how to act like a star that is also not overbearing or obnoxious.  Act like a professional and not like a person waiting to be discovered that night.

You will lose your screen time to the one person on set that doesn't care about his amount of camera time at all.

Here is one of my favorite on camera talents.

Here is my other favorite on camera talent.

Here's to Eight Years of Acting in Los Angeles

As I was looking at my Google Calendar to see the various writing tasks and calls I need to handle this week, I noticed that the 8th anniversary of our move to Los Angeles is this week.

In fact, it is today (as I write this blog on the 22nd).

It's hard for me to believe that so much time has passed. While Zach's career has certainly evolved, all of our lives have changed greatly over the past eight years.

The Decision to Move to Los Angeles

When we moved here in 2012, it was just Zach and his dad on their own as Dana stayed behind in St. Louis in case Zach didn't like living in Los Angeles or if the grind of auditions was too much for him. We didn't really need to worry because he took to California and auditions instantly and never looked back.

I'll always remember going back to St. Louis to see Dana after being in California for a little while:

• The first visit (about six weeks after we moved) had the feeling of "We're home!" Landing at LAX after that trip was very much the feeling of "Okay...Here we are...Woo"
• The second visit was about six weeks later and we were certainly thrilled to see Dana. This trip was different because Zach had already filmed a commercial for Hotmail as well as his first direct to DVD film. It really felt more like we were visitors in St. Louis instead of being at home. Plus, Zach's paycheck for his DVD movie was waiting for him in our mailbox when we got back to California so he was thrilled to be back in LA.
• Zach was also starting to be recognized and known by casting directors and it seemed like each trip also involved having to turn down a paid gig.  Don't get me wrong...We wanted to see Dana and Doc (the faithful dog) but we also wanted to strike while Zach was gaining momentum.

We eventually made the decision in the summer of 2012 for all of us to live in California. 

Changes for All of Us

One of the biggest changes for Zach was essentially going to school at home most of the time. He went to a place called Options for Youth which was the home of many teen actors that didn't have time to go to school on a regular basis. He went to Options one hour a week for tests and to check-in with his teacher. The rest of his work was done at home. While that might sound easy, his studies took eight hours a day (or more) so he was still doing school full-time but all of his school work was at home or on-set.

I was putting together writing gigs and other odd jobs because one of Zach's parents had to be on-set with him since he was underage. There are many times that I don't remember what I wrote at all but I do remember where I did my writing assignments. From a summer camp in the woods of Oregon to a move set in Illinois (outside of St. Louis) to Nick on Sunset to the set of "Modern Family" and libraries, coffee shops, airplanes and offices throughout the greater Los Angeles area, I wrote anywhere and everywhere I could find decent Wi-Fi.

Dana amazed and impressed me when she arrived in Los Angeles. She arrived late on a Saturday night, let me show her how to find Koreatown (since she had never driven in Los Angeles) on Sunday and then she drove to work on the 101 solo on Monday for the first day of her new full time job.

When it comes to the work of the parents, our respective career trajectories have both taken a few hits and bumps over the past eight years but we are still going strong.  Since 2012, some of the tasks I have handled include:

• Starting my own successful marketing and PR firm
• Writing more articles about plastic surgery than I can possibly remember for an online plastic surgery news and medical information journal 
• Edited and wrote the content for a plastic surgery journal that was printed and distributed to medical offices all across the United States
• Worked on a real estate crowdfunding project
• Worked on a website for online health insurance quotes
• Worked for a social media management company
• Planned and executed marketing campaigns for the World Congress on Insulin Resistance Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease 
• Did work for a PR firm that believed the Internet was not a viable marketing tool and they would only work with clients that agreed their PR should only be in print magazines

Isn't this a Blog about Acting?

Zach has been very lucky in that he has kept the same manager since we arrived in Hollywood. His manager is like a second mother to him and always has his best interests (personally and professionally) at heart.

Zach has had multiple agents due to some of his agent teams splitting up, leaving their agency or Zach aging out of the youth division of some firms. His current agents "get him" and are always sending him on interesting and challenging auditions.

His bookings in Hollywood have ranged from:

• A Hotmail commercial
• A direct to DVD family holiday movie
• A recurring role on a Nickelodeon show
• A Disney pilot
• A web series about a scout camp
• Stand-up gigs at multiple clubs in Los Angeles
• A feature film that was shot in the St. Louis area
• Cast member at Second City Hollywood
• Guest spots and background work on multiple sitcoms and dramas

At last count, he has 30 IMDb credits. He is also currently attending college to study screenwriting and directing.

He still performs stand-up at clubs in the LA area. The main difference is that he is now old enough to get in clubs as opposed to the days when he was not even 18 years old and we just kept quiet about that fact when he was performing. He did get busted the night he was scheduled to make his debut at The Comedy Store. Even though Zach was on the bill, the bouncer would not let him in the building since he was under the age of 21. He couldn't even go inside to tell the promoter that he could not get in the door so I had to go into the club and deliver the news. (That was "fun")

Like any good Dadager, I've kept plenty of photos over the years and here are some of my favorites of The Artist in action:

Zach's first booked gig in LA - A Hotmail spot shot near Venice Beach

Zach's second time on Modern Family - His connection with Jeff (the guy in charge of booking actors that can pass as football players on multiple shows) led to his recurring role on the show below:

"Quiet Chris" on "Bella and the Bulldogs"

His work on "Bella" also led to some work on "Fresh Off The Boat"

"Willy" from "Camp Abercorn"

A music video for (maybe) Walk the Earth (not 100% sure)

Various stand-up gigs

Zach on HBO's "Sharp Objects"

A New Decade and New Projects

The last decade was good to Zach and his career but the future looks just as bright.

As I mentioned above, he is attending college to study screenwriting and directing as well as working on projects with his friends and classmates.

One of the most recent developments is the start of a YouTube channel with his good friend, Jake. The channel is called Some Skits 'N' Some Guys and the link is in the name if you want to learn more about their comedy offerings.

I mentioned his IMDb page earlier. If you want to check out his 30 (and growing) credits just click here for the Zach Louis IMDb page. 

Between acting, school, stand-up, YouTube and his never ending pile of laundry, Zach is busy but enjoying his life as an actor.

Here's to eight years (and counting) in Los Angeles. I can't wait to see what years nine, ten and beyond bring for my favorite actor.

Did I mention Zach has an IMDb page??? 

Are you a Hollywood writer? I'm a Hollywood writer! Hey, I'm also a Hollywood writer!

It seems everyone I've met in the past few weeks has been a writer. I write for a living but my writing is not related to the entertainment industry. I write about plastic surgery so I work on news stories and medical articles with board-certified doctors all over the United States.

I also work with different clients across the country on blogs and social media.

In this town, writers can be found everywhere. They are working on screenplays, network pitches, reboots of their favorite TV shows from the past, grim and gritty/adult versions of childhood favorites and video game scripts. It seems the only writers I don't meet are the ones working on their version of the Great American Novel.

To give you an idea about the amount of people in this town that want to be a writer in the entertainment industry, check out this list of discussions I've had with multiple writers over the course of the past few weeks:

1. "A Hulk reboot that ignores all of the Marvel movies in favor of a Hulk that is gray, lives in Compton and drives a taxi."
2. "A game show where all of the contestants can only answer in 150 characters or less even if the actual answer is more than 150 characters. It's a game show where people that text will rule the game!"
3. "Boy meets girl. Girl meets another boy. First boy meets second boy. It's a love triangle mixed with a touch of The Amazing Race."
4. "What if Luigi tried to buy out Mario's share of the plumbing business? What is Mario's second act? The game is Mario trying new professions. The unofficial name of the game is Mario's Mid-Life Mania"
5. 'What if we did an SNL-type show on the web but it was on 3 nights a week for 5-7 minutes each night? It's SNL without the filler!"
6. "I'm writing a screenplay about a guy that writes scripts that are never produced for a living. That way, if it doesn't sell, I look like a man that really knows his subject."
7. "It's like the Real Housewives franchise except all of the women are mistresses instead of wives."
8.  "It's a show kind of like Dallas but, instead of oil, the family is fighting over 1000 acres of avocado farmland."
9. "I'm rebooting the X-Men franchise. No one asked me to do it but, if I believe enough, I will manifest that job opening through the power of positive thinking."
10. "It's the story of an all girl band if they were actually house painters instead of musicians."

Once again, I write about plastic surgery for a living so I might not be the best judge of those wanting to write screenplays for a living. I will say that all of the above ideas seem like they need a bit of massaging before they are ready to be seen on the big screen, the small screen, an iPhone screen or an Xbox near you.

This actor is studying screenwriting in college.

Yearly Meeting Recap for an Actor: The Year Ahead for Zach Louis

It's still close to the start of the New Year which means it is time for Zach's "year in review" meeting with his manager. Dana had to work so I was picked to go with The Artist to the meeting.

I know each actor has a different relationship with their manager but Zach always enjoys going to see his manager. We first met her when Zach and I visited Los Angeles in August of 2011. We were with a group of actors from Minneapolis (long story...Hi Craig! Hi Leah!) visiting various agents and managers to get a better idea of how the business worked.

DL (his manager) was the first person "in the biz" that we met on the trip. We landed at LAX on a Wednesday morning. We checked into our hotel and started our journey. The first stop was DL's office for a chat with the group and some insights into being a working actor.

She took notice of Zach and talked to me after the session. DL told me she was interested in talking to Zach one on one and that he should come meet with her if we decided to make the move to Los Angeles.

I thanked her for the kind words about Zach but I didn't think too much about it. It's not like we were really going to uproot our lives and move to Los Angeles.

Flash forward to 5 months later (January 2012) and Zach signed with her management firm.

Flash forward (again) to 2019 and our annual meeting with DL.

The meetings have evolved over the years:

• The first few years were all about getting Zach out there and established as an actor
• The next few years were focused on using the connections he built to continue his success
• Last year was focused on balancing his youthful look (Disney/Nick look) with the desire to move beyond that arena

This year, we discussed a few key targets for 2019:

• Build his social media following - If you are so inclined, you can check him out at: 

1. https://twitter.com/zachlouis4sale, 
2. https://www.instagram.com/zachlouis4sale/
3. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA7aUdiBGf8_4l7cJJYYE2w

• Work on writing packets for specific TV shows
• Prepare for a (hopefully) busy pilot season
• Get a plan together for comedy clubs he has not been able to play in the past because he was not 21 years old
• Follow-up on an opportunity with a NBC show that premieres later this year

The meeting last week was our 8th official planning session with his manager. We chat a lot during the year and touch base on various issues but it is always nice to sit down and make a focused plan for the year ahead.  It's also great to look back at the past year and see where we stuck to the plan and when we went in a different direction (as well as how that turned out for Zach).

He is excited for the challenges of this year. His manger is excited about the plans that are being put in motion. I am excited that I get to be part of the evolution of his career.

I am also looking forward to sharing his success stories with you in 2019.

The year has started strong for this actor.

Discover what 2019 Means for Zach Louis in Acting, Stand-Up and Film School

Now that the holidays and 2018 are behind us, Zach is looking forward to 2019 as he continues to focus on his long-term career goals. The New Year is barely two weeks old and he has already performed two gigs related to comedy and improv.

The first gig was performing as one of the improv professionals at the IMTA (International Models & Talent) Convention in Los Angeles. The week-long convention is attended by thousands of people looking to break into the entertainment industry. They want to be seen by the hundreds of managers, casting directors, agents, music producers and network reps that attend the convention searching for new talent.

As I mentioned above, Zach attended the show as an improv professional and conducted seminars and sessions with the attendees of the convention. He showed them how improv works and how you need to listen to your partners on stage in order to keep the scene going and play well off of each other. This convention is one of the biggest events at the start of each year in Hollywood and it is an honor to be asked to teach/perform for the attendees as well as the industry veterans attending the show. It is also a huge vote of confidence for your skills as a performer to be invited to appear on stage as a professional teacher.

His week of comedy continued two nights later with a stand-up gig in the main room at Flappers in Burbank. It was the first weekend of comedy in 2019 at Flappers and Zach was booked by the owner of the club to perform in the main room. It was a good chance for him to debut some new jokes and refine some of his older material in a club setting.

While his live performance skills have been on display this month, his confidence and skills behind the scenes continues to grow. As part of his studies at film school, he has been working on writing and creating his own films. He still enjoys acting and performing but his interest in working behind the scenes has grown in the last year. His college is attended by film students from all over the world so his influences and way of looking at the art of making films is evolving as he works with others.

He wants to focus on his writing and the ability to control the creation of his projects from start to finish. It has been a decision that has been a long time in the making and I am glad to see him taking the necessary steps to guide his career in the path he desires.

Plus, it is fun to see the excitement on his face when he shares photos and footage created while filming his scripts. We want him to enjoy his chosen career path and it is great to see him having fun on stage and behind the camera.

This actor has been busy to start the year...And he plans on remaining busy in 2019.

Acting News: Discover the Type of Actor you are in Hollywood

I spend a lot of time with actors. I live with an actor and there is always some sort of discussion about acting happening anywhere you go in Los Angeles.

After spending a lot of time around actors, I've come to the realization there are two types of actors:

1. The actors who work hard and prepare for auditions. They understand they can't book every part and they try to learn from each audition. 
2. The actors who always seem to be looking for a reason why they didn't book a part or get called in for a second, third or fourth audition.

Not sure what type of actor you are? Here are some reasons you might be your own worst enemy when it comes to your career:

• All actors are unique and bring a certain set of skills to the table. However, some actors don't remember this fact.  They get inside their own head and try to be a certain "type" that is currently hot with the public.  You need to remember the audition room is going to be filled with actors who resemble like a certain "type". The key is to stand out from the crowd.
• Always have a headshot and resume with you in a bag, vehicle or briefcase. In fact, have two or three in your car at all times. You need to be prepared in case you get an audition for that afternoon in Glendale but you are currently all the way out in Long Beach. Plus, you probably won't have time to stop by home and pick up a headshot and resume. ALWAYS have spare extra headshots (and extra audition clothes) in your car!
• There is no need to obsess about things that are beyond your control. You can't control how young or how old the production office is casting the project. You can't control if you were the first person picked for the part or the "backup choice" because the first person for the project wasn't available. Just focus on doing the best job possible.  Whether you are the first choice or the last choice for the part, count yourself fortunate to be a working actor.
• The casting director doesn't care if you "didn't have time to read the sides".  All the casting director wants to know is if you can play the part as envisioned by the director and producers. Show confidence instead of giving excuses.
• Don't complain about the acting business being unfair.  It is actually not unfair at all. It is a business with the same amount of uncertainty and lack of stability as any other business in the world. The only thing that makes it "unfair" is you trying to make excuses about it not being fair.
• Don't stress over any lines that you messed up during the audition.  Did you roll with the bungled lines and keep going without calling too much attention to it?  Don't obsess while you are in the audition room and don't obsess about it after the audition.  Congratulate yourself on being called in for the audition because there are many actors that did not get that opportunity.

The biggest obstacle to your success might be staying out of your own way. The definition of "success" is different for everyone. Determine your ultimate acting goal and focus on making that goal a reality. By focusing on the positive parts of your acting journey, there is less of a chance you will end up getting in your own way.

Survey Says...Time to Film!

Filming a TV show is not always confined to a sound stage. Location shoots happen all across the city of Los Angeles and these shoots involve the arrival of film crews, equipment trucks, actors, security and blocked roads.

A TV show filming in a building near you can be a surprise if you're not paying attention to signs posted in the area near the location shoot. I'm not talking about signs that are posted the day of the filming. There are signs alerting people to the upcoming production posted anywhere from a few days to a week in advance of the filming dates.

One of the signs/notifications is a filming survey and it looks like this:

This filming survey was posted in the lobby of our building a few weeks ago. The form is not the one used to request the approval of filming activities. It is posted so the company that coordinates filming permits for on-location shoots will know if anyone has any concerns about the proposed filming location, dates or times.

The amount of complaints or concerns they get varies per production and neighborhood. Some people just don't care because location filming is a part of daily life in Los Angeles. It can be a pain at times because traffic can be stopped and parking can become an issue thanks to the production trucks. Overall, it is not that big of a deal.

However, some people HATE filming that takes place on their street. They don't like the extra vehicles and activity and they seem to view it as a major inconvenience to their lives even though most film crews go out of their way to be respectful to those that live in the impacted neighborhood.

The only time I hate having film crews on our street is when they take a lot of the extra parking spaces.  We have two parking spots in our building but we have three vehicles.  I park on the street because I want Dana to be able to easily park in our garage and enter our building since she leaves early in the morning for work (and it keeps her safe). I let Zach park in the other spot because he is coming and going at all hours thanks to school, acting, stand up gigs, auditions and hanging out with his friends. I don't like the idea of Zach having to find parking late at night and walk through the neighborhoods to get to our building.

We live in a nice area but I am concerned with keeping them safe.  Plus, they both drive nice cars and I feel the odds of someone stealing my truck with 160,000 miles on it are pretty low compared to their vehicles. I can usually find a spot close to our building but there have been times that I've parked three or four streets over thanks to a large number of cars in the neighborhood.

FYI...The production crew did film some scenes for "Good Girls" near our home. It wasn't too bad because they were on Ventura Blvd in a restaurant so they were already filming on a really busy street. The production trucks didn't make that much of a difference in the daily traffic of the neighborhood because is is already a busy area thanks to restaurants, retail shops and grocery stores in the area.

I've never watched "Good Girls" but I might have to start so I can see our neighborhood on TV.

This actor has been on location many times for TV and movie shoots.