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??? 

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.

The Most "LA Thing" That Has Happened To Me (So Far)

I have been in Los Angeles for over 5 years and have certainly had some odd moments since moving here. However, a business meeting earlier this week might be the most "LA thing" I've ever experienced.

I had a meeting the other day with a new business connection. He contacted me out of the blue about working on 2 upcoming projects in the entertainment industry. We are both located in the Los Angeles area so it made sense to meet in person. I have ongoing freelance copywriting, marketing and publicity projects with clients located in New York, Florida, the Philippines and West Virginia so it was nice to make a business connection where I live.

We set a meeting time to get some coffee and discuss the projects. He has a European accent so each mention of coffee sounded like "We will get-uh da coffee and discuss-uh the project over da coffee."
I drove to his office and discovered that his office was his home. No big deal because I work at home as well. The surprise was that we were just doing coffee at his place and not at a coffee shop.

I rang the doorbell and was greeted by his assistant as well a dog that excelled in the art of crotch sniffing. Super sweet dog but extremely fascinated by the crotch region. After making some small talk with the assistant and bonding with the dog, I went into the backyard to meet with my contact and his partner. Before getting into the business at hand, we discussed our personal lives, They were tired from different social events and had meant to relax in the pool earlier in the day. However, they had run out of time before our meeting.

That's when they had a "great-uh idea"...What if we all got in the pool and did our business meeting relaxing in the water????

Without any hesitation, I politely declined by using the (very valid) excuse that I was not wearing appropriate pool gear and did not bring any with me. No problem (according to them) because the giant pink flamingo in the pool was big enough that I could just sit in it rather than having to get my body in the water.

I realize this is easy for me to say since I was experiencing the offer in person. The offer to get in the pool didn't strike me as straight up odd as it sounds. It was more European eccentric and probably something they do on a regular basis.

After thinking about it for about 20-seconds, I agreed to get in the pool. I removed my shoes, rolled up my jeans and climbed aboard the giant pink flamingo. I have never seen the show "Entourage" but this experience was exactly how I imagine the Hollywood in the show was portrayed all the time.

We floated in the pool for a good 30-minutes drinking "da coffee" and discussing the different ways to promote their projects. We even worked on a PowerPoint while my flamingo drifted next to their panda and martini glass floats in the pool. The dog even joined us in the pool at one point.

There was only one or two times that I was floating in the pool and thinking, "How the hell did my life get to the point that I'm drinking coffee in swimming pools and taking meetings on flamingo floats???"

I'm not complaining at all. It is just not a thing I ever imagined happening in my professional life.

It was a very productive meeting and I think great things (creatively and financially) will come from our partnership. I even made it out of the meeting without falling in the pool! If nothing else comes from this meeting, it will make a great story if (and when) I do an Open Mic comedy night around town.

This actor has a stand up comedy date in Burbank this month.

I Always Get Interesting Feedback About My Blog

It's always a pleasant surprise when someone mentions this blog to me . I enjoy writing it but I never give who actually reads it much thought. I do hashtags when I post a link to a new entry. I also do search descriptions so search engines can easily find me. Having said that, I still don't often think about who reads the blog and where they are located. It surprises me where people are located that read it and who contacts me about the topics I discuss.

Taking a look at the current stats, the countries where people have viewed entries today include the United States, United Arab Emirates, France, Bulgaria, China, United Kingdom, Moldova, Macedonia, Portugal and Turkmenistan. 

The majority of those viewers found me through Google. Some of the other ways people found me include Instagram, Facebook and going directly to the blog itself. I won't bore you with too many details about the most viewed pages but most of them have to do with casting tips and acting advice.

I've had many people reach out to me after reading the blog. Some just want to say they enjoy reading it, others want advice and a few people are a bit crazy with their requests.

Here are my favorite crazy interactions I've had thanks to my Dadager blog:

• The person who emailed me asking if I could set-up a meeting for him to pitch his idea for a "Star Trek" reboot to Paramount. His version had Spock as a woman, McCoy as a little person and Kirk as a blind person. The idea behind the reboot was to "spotlight struggles faced by all people that are not white and male and perfectly made." 
• A random lady wanted to open an acting studio with me. She has no acting experience, lives in Iowa and wants me to run it because I "have the connections and also live here." She wanted to be partners but still live in Iowa. She would promote it on her FB page and tell all her friends about it.
• I often write about Zach's agent and manager. However, there was one gentleman who wanted to know if Zach was interested in leaving his current team and coming over to his management firm. Zach had no intention of joining him but I was curious what type of agent/manager tries to get clients through random emails. When I asked him about his company,I found out he had been in business three days. He was also his only client but was hoping I could let him "sponsor" my blog for free if Zach joined up with him. "The more mentions you give me, the more we can try and build relationships with casting directors." (No thank you.)
• There have been people that want to buy the rights to my life story. Unfortunately, most of these people want the movie/TV show to change for their vision which includes:

1. Replacing me with a female Dadager (I'm serious about that)
2. Me as a widower who tries not to mix casting business with pleasure 
3. Zach as a spunky child orphan hiding that fact from adults in Hollywood

• The guy who was convinced that I was stealing his life for my blog and threatened to bring legal action if I didn't stop using his stories for my blog. He lives in Senoia, Georgia so I'm not sure how I'm living his life.
• I heard from a woman who asked me to read her script and give her feedback. I politely declined by saying I didn't really have time to give her notes. She replied with "If you don't want to know my solution for how to avoid being enslaved when the animals rise up and overthrow mankind, it's your loss of freedom."
• The guy who wanted me to turn my blog into a book. He wasn't a publisher or an literary agent. He just thought it was a good idea and wanted me to give him a cut of the profits for suggesting it to me.

While I have received other emails, notes, videos and odd photos from readers of my blog, there are some that are better left in the "don't respond and the crazy people will go away" file. If I ever disappear for an extended length of time, check the email from my blog because the likely suspect is probably somewhere in my inbox.

I always welcome email from this actor.

A Recap of (Recent) Life in Hollywood

Instead of focusing on one topic this week, I'm going to do a mixed bag and discuss a variety of "life in Hollywood" events from the last few weeks.

• I was recently approached by a writer, who is also a bestselling author, about doing a profile piece on me. He found my blog and wants to feature me in a magazine article about people who take the unexpected path in life. We are working out the final details and the interview should happen in a few weeks.
• Zach, along with two of his friends, decided it was time to give back to the community. They helped plan and implement a bowling event to raise funds for cancer research. The "Bowling Bash To Strike Away Cancer" raised over $15,000 during the 3-hour event. They served as the red carpet, social media and recruitment chairs for the event. They also helped host the bash and enlisted some of their talented friends to perform as well as serve as the official event photographer and event support. It was nice to see them excited about helping a great cause and work so hard to make the event such a success.

Zach Louis hosting the start of the ceremony.

• I've had a couple of conversations in the last week about turning my blog into a book. In fact, I've spoken with two people from different companies in the past week about writing a book. One of them found me through hashtags I use regularly on social media. The other person found me searching for blogs about acting and Hollywood. I'm in initial talks with them and it's definitely an intriguing idea.
• There was a production crew in our neighborhood last week. I discovered them while taking Doc on his morning walk. The crew asked us to stop for a moment while they finished filming a scene. I was fine with waiting but Doc kept pulling on the leash, When it was finally time for us to pass through the trucks and crew, I noticed Doc had peed on the stack of daily sides left on the ground by the guy who wouldn't let us pass. I smiled at Doc and quickly started walking. My dog knows how to show his displeasure while not messing up the scene being filmed.
• Zach just started his summer vacation from college. On the agenda for this summer? Creating a YouTube channel and its content, writing new stand-up material and testing it around town, guitar lessons, sleeping late, acting classes and auditions. It might be summer break from school but the kid doesn't know how to take it easy. He is determined to create opportunities while waiting for auditions from his agents.

Writing this update reminds me I need to get book proposal samples together for both of the interested parties! I need to review the samples closely because spell check likes to spell "dadager" as "dada get" or "da did ma". Looks like a manual review night ahead of me.

This actor is looking forward to summer fun.

How I Spend My Time When I'm Not Writing About Acting And Hollywood

Besides spending my time writing about Hollywood, I do copywriting and PR for a living. My worlds intersect sometimes but there are many subjects I promote that have nothing to do with acting. I'd like to give you a glimpse into my world with some of my favorite business related conversations from the past 2 or 3 weeks. All of the quotes below are from people who sought me out for my PR or writing services:

• "I'd like you to represent me and help me get some speaking engagements. I've written a 5-volume book series about being abandoned as a teenager as well as my life in foster homes and drug dens. I'm thinking my presentation can conclude with a medley of my favorite Broadway songs performed by my line of copyrighted sock puppets."
• "The copy needs to speak to a 50+ female who might be a mother but could also be a cougar while still retaining her dignity after a night in the arms of her mid-20s co-worker. Do you think you can find the written voice for our line of weight loss snacks?" 
• "The event will be in June. If you don't raise enough money to reach your projected sponsorship goal, would you be okay with covering the rest on your credit card?"
• "I'd love to hire you but I'll need to take credit for everything you write so my wife won't know I didn't do any work on the project."
• "I was looking at your sample copy. It was really good but you wrote "practice" when it should be "praktice". (I'm not making that up!)
• "I'm thinking of holding the world's largest hamster race in DTLA on a Sunday morning. How much press can you get and can you ask the reporters if they would stand inside giant hamster balls?"
• "My book should be done soon and I need a press agent to help me promote it. I think there's an audience for a book on how standing on one leg can activate your psychic abilities."
• "I don't understand what public relations does for a client. Can you run a 3-month campaign for me for free so I can observe what you do to see if I like it?"

As odd as Hollywood can be at times, it's nothing compared to some of the weird questions and requests I see on a daily basis while working.  

Don't get me wrong...I welcome your business ideas and the chance to work together. There are just a few business proposals that amaze me every week!

This actor is always ready to work on his career.