Six Years and Counting

At this time six years ago, we were preparing for a road trip to California. 

We left St. Louis around 5AM on January 21st after much discussion, soul searching and moments of doubt. The decision was made to take Zach to Los Angeles to pursue his acting dream. 

My truck was filled with as many of our belongings as possible while still being comfortable for a long drive. We had to take a good amount of Zach’s clothes since he would have auditions and other acting events. I took some jeans, about ten shirts, a pair of sneakers and most of my socks and underwear. I figured I could buy anything else I needed once we got to California. We also packed a TV, Zach’s Xbox 360, pots, pans and a computer.

Even though she was staying in St. Louis for a little while before moving to Los Angeles, Dana took a week of vacation to help us get settled. She needed to make sure her boys were safe in California before she could relax.

As we traveled across the country, I looked forward to the adventure as well as getting away from the Midwest winter. I would be able to enjoy the weather in California while making it back to Missouri for late springtime weather.

I never made it back for the nice weather in the spring.

As I look back on six years in Los Angeles, I am glad to say some of the first kids Zach met here are still his good friends to this day. Plus, he has an acting coach that has been a good mentor to him and a manager that has been supportive of his every move. His comedy career continues to grow and his acting career has taken him to film and TV sets around Los Angeles as well as across the US.

Dana has worked for nonprofits, continued her voice-over career, grown her iCandy brand and been successful working and living in Los Angeles. 

As for me, here's to six years of observing and writing about:

• Child/Teen actors
• Stage parents
• Comedy clubs
• Agents
• Managers
• Hollywood
• Comedy festivals
• Auditions
• Los Angeles
• Casting directors
• Disney
• Nickelodeon
• San Fernando Valley
• Improv
• TV and movie sets

I've also spent six years making a living doing marketing, public relations and copywriting jobs in the industries of:

• Cosmetic surgery
• Cryptocurrency
• Spices
• Physical fitness
• Events in small towns in Texas
• Insurance quotes websites
• Protecting your home from hurricanes and other natural disasters
• Crowdfunding
• Library ladders
• Moving companies
• Too many others to mention

I couldn't imagine that we would be here six years. I was just taking it day to day when Zach and I were here by ourselves once Dana went back to St. Louis. We were in a new city and only knew each other. My main concern was helping him figure out how to start his acting career here. Even though he can drive himself to set now, I still help him keep track of his auditions, wardrobe, head shots and other daily essentials of being a working actor in Los Angeles.

Thanks for reading my blog for the past six years. I look forward to sharing more adventures from Hollywood with you!

This actor already has a big audition lined up in early February.

Acting and Performing Opportunities During the Holiday Season

The holidays are almost here and everyone likes to find ways to make extra money to buy gifts for family and friends. While there are plenty of retail jobs available, there are a number of opportunities for actors to make money while still being able to use their acting skills.

• Halloween theme park jobs - It doesn't take long to get to a theme park if you live in Los Angeles. We have Universal Studios, Disney, Six Flags and Knott's Berry Farm and each one of them does some kind of holiday festival or event. Actors have the chance to work as characters that scare park guests as well as hosts/performers in shows. Zach has been working at "Halloween Horror Nights" at Universal during Halloween. The event happens at night which gives him time during the day for auditions and school. (Yes, I know that Halloween is almost over but it is something to keep in mind for next year.)
• Holiday singing and dancing - Halloween is not the only time theme parks need performers to entertain guests. Christmas is a big time for employment opportunities thanks to the parks putting on holiday themed live shows that include song and dance numbers.
• Work in a retail environment without having to sell items - Song and dance numbers also happen on a regular basis in malls and department stores. They hire performers to entertain shoppers with Christmas carols, perform background music while people shop and (of course)  work as elves and holiday helpers while Santa Claus is talking to kids.
• Entertain the public around town - There are agencies that hire singers and performers to entertain retirement communities and schools during the holidays. It is a great way for singers and dancers to practice their craft while still making money.
• Demonstrating products - These are the folks you see at Costco on the weekends sharing news about exciting products, promoting great deals and sampling amazing food items. While it is a sales job, the person promoting the product still has to memorize a script and be convincing about how great the item is and why shoppers can't live without it!

The above examples are just some of the ways actors can do what they love (perform) and make extra money between booking roles. The holidays are stressful so any chance to get out in public and perform for others is welcomed by those who enjoy entertaining for a living. Plus, all of these jobs certainly beat sitting in an office all day doing a temp job in front of a computer!

This actor has been scaring people at Halloween Horror Nights