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.

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.

Why Haven't I Been Posting Lately?

There has been a definite lack of new posts by me in the last few months. I have plenty to discuss and stories to share from Hollywood. The main problems are a lack of free time and (sometimes) a lack of motivation to compose a new blog.

It's not that I don't want to update my blog on a regular basis. There are just times when my brain is in "writer overload" mode.  In the past two weeks, I have written a combination of news stories, blogs, articles and white papers about these topics:

*The overseas cryptocurrency market

*Fishing season tips for residents of Texas

*Cosmetic surgery including Mommy Makeover, Rhinoplasty Revision, BBL and forms of Lipo

*Steps to take when talking to insurance companies after a hurricane

*Hot topics for parents in 2018

*How to track down company funding information

*A new cosmetics line based in Greece

*A film festival manual for aspiring filmmakers

*Duct cleaning scams

*Crowdfunding ideas and incentives for a number of companies

After spending about 10 hours a day writing, I sometimes don't have the mental energy to compose a thoughtful blog. 

While I might not be able to update you on Zach's adventures as often as I would like, I will give you a quick bullet point rundown of his recent activities:

• Contacted by "America's Got Talent" 
• Appearing on "Fresh off the Boat" 
• Stand up gigs in Burbank and Pasadena
• A show at iO West
• Auditions for series leads and recurring characters
• A part in a play running every weekend in North Hollywood

The kid stays busy while also going to college and working at Universal Studios.

Even if I don't get a chance to share everything with you on my blog, I do update his adventures in Hollywood on my social media pages. The links to my social media profiles can be found on the right side of this page.

Thanks for your patience. I will be back with more tales of Hollywood as soon as possible!

You can always check this page for updates on The Artist.

Revisiting The Secret Origin Of This Blog

If there's one thing I don't really "get" on social media, it is "Way Back Wednesday", "Throwback Thursday" and "Flashback Friday".

Don't get me wrong. I find it amusing to see old photos featuring bad haircuts and questionable fashion choices. I understand that people want to look back on their younger days. However, I rarely feel the need to post old items on my accounts. I am much more interested in where I am going instead of where I have been in the past.

Having said that, I've spent a lot of time in the last 48 hours talking about the journey that led us to Hollywood.  We've been working on a project spotlighting the three of us and part of the process has been interviews done separately and together. Sorry to be vague but I don't want to give too much away until the time is right.

The interviews inspired me to look back at some of the oldest posts on this blog. These old posts reminded me that the name of my blog was nothing more than a joke that happened to stick in the minds of friends and people that found my posts online.

Secret Origin of a Dadager:

When Zach and I were getting ready to move to Los Angeles, I did research about managers and agents to try and get a better idea about the business in general. I kept running across stories about fathers who were also the managers of their kids. The fathers of Michael Jackson, Lindsay Lohan and Beyonce kept appearing in search results as examples of fathers who were way too controlling and overbearing. As a joke, I decided to call myself a "Dadager" and the nickname stuck as time passed.

What started as a way to keep friends and family updated on Zach's career has turned into an outlet for insights into the business of acting. I've been contacted by many readers who want more information about certain show business topics and those who just want to say "thanks" for the info.

Looking at my old posts made me realize how little I knew about these topics when we arrived in Los Angeles:

• Casting directors
• Auditions
• Headshots
• Comedy clubs
• Acting classes
• LA traffic
• Callbacks
• Set life
• Pilot season
• Episodic season
• Stage Parents
• Improv at Second City and other venues
• Casting workshops
• Running lines before an audition

I am still amazed at the new info I learn on a weekly basis.

I really appreciate the support and feedback over the years. Your readership has meant a lot to me as my family has navigated the Hollywood machine for the last 5 years.

Plus, looking back at my old blog entries has taught me that a little "Flashback Friday" isn't a bad thing sometimes.

This actor makes each day an adventure in Hollywood.

The Play's The Thing...So Is The Stand-Up Stage

I was able to watch Zach Louis do something this past Friday night that I haven't experienced since 2011. I watched him onstage in a play before a live audience for the first time since he was in middle school in St. Louis. I've seen him onstage doing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles as well as improv at Second City in Hollywood. It's just been a long time since he has performed in a play.

In fact, he is currently in two plays in North Hollywood. Friday night saw him take the stage in a production of "The Marriage Zone" at the Secret Rose Theatre. Zach plays the child of the couple in the play as well as the narrator who sets up the play at the start of the show. The plot revolves around a married couple who are both unhappy in the marriage for different reasons. They are visited in "The Marriage Zone" by younger and older versions of their characters so they can see where they started and where they might end up as a couple. There are certainly some heavy moments in the play but Zach helps to keep things light with a number of funny lines.

The cast features a combination of younger performers and veterans who have appeared in such TV shows and films as "CSI: Cyber", "Grimm", "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". If you are near North Hollywood, and looking for a night of entertainment in an intimate theatre, you can find your tickets here. Zach's next performance is Labor Day Weekend and a code for discount tickets will be provided if you sign-up for emails from Plays 411.

Why is Zach not in the play this coming week? Because he is performing three shows this week during the Burbank Comedy Festival. The list of comedians is a mixture of established names and emerging comedians. Zach's three shows this week include:

1. Laugh Revolt Repeat
2. Emerging Comedians
3. Opening for Hal Sparks

All of the comedians hope to make a good impression on the crowd as well as the organizers of the festival so they will be invited to take part in the "Best of the Fest" shows on the last night of the festival. The festival also features panels, parties, podcasts and networking opportunities for all of the comedians taking part in the event.

I'm looking forward to a week of comedy with many people I've never seen before as well as watching Zach do his "thang" in front of industry veterans.  As always, I haven't heard his set in advance so I hope I haven't done anything stupid enough (lately) to be made fun of in his set. If I am made fun of by Zach, he is too old for me to ground so I guess it's all just part of the #funnybusiness of the festival.

This TV and movie actor is living onstage this week.

All The World Is A Stage

The Artist had an audition last night for a play. While this isn't his usual type of acting gig, he has performed in plays in the past.

Zach arrived at the theater and was greeted by a long-haired dachshund and four older gentlemen who looked like they were booked by Central Casting to play the part of theater directors. They were dressed in a variety of hats and scarves and sat in the shadows to observe the proceedings happening on the stage.

After the initial introductions ended, Zach was called up to the stage to perform his scene, The character was a smarty pants teenager having a conversation with his mother. He performed the scene with a reader sitting to the side of the stage. The scene ended and there was silence in the room. Finally, the guy in charge of the group of theater people said this insightful comment:

"Huh."

Silence once again filled the room as everyone tried to determine what he meant by that one word comment. Zach was the first to speak up:

"I have absolutely no idea what that comment could possibly mean."

Everybody laughed and the audition director gave Zach a few notes while looking at his resume. The director noticed all of the comedy and improv in his background and remarked that he had perfect training to play a kid with a smart mouth. After a few more jokes back and forth, they started the scene again. Zach got halfway through when the director said that was enough. Of course, Zach was afraid that he had missed a line or not followed the directions properly. Instead, the director said:

"Callbacks are Monday night at 8pm. Can you be here???"

After agreeing to the time and date, Zach was dismissed from the stage.

Think good thoughts for him over the weekend and into Monday night for his callback. He is okay with not getting much in the way of conversation from the folks running the audition as long as they keep inviting him back to the theater.

This actor also has a stand-up comedy gig next week.

An Audition Road Trip Story

Most of Zach's auditions take place in and around the Los Angeles area. However, he had a recent commercial audition that required a road trip to San Diego. The amount of money for the role was enough to make the trip worth our time so we hit the road to the former home of the Chargers. 

The only areas of San Diego I've spent much time in are the downtown area and Point Loma. Both of these areas can be reached by driving the 5 from our area of Los Angeles. I decided to use the Waze app to monitor any traffic issues, Imagine my surprise when the app decided to not put me on the 5 going to San Diego. My journey took me from the 101 to the 134 to the 210 to the 71 to the 15 to (briefly) the 79 and then back to the 15. 

In other words, I had no idea where I was going in terms of getting to San Diego. 

It was a fun drive because I got to see parts of California I didn't know existed as well as the locations of a few casinos I had heard of but didn't know where they were located. The trip took about two and a half hours which isn't bad for a drive to San Diego.

We found the audition location in the Sorrento Valley area of San Diego. Zach entered the building and came out about 15 minutes later drenched in sweat. He explained that part of the improv audition involved acting like he was passing out and having water thrown on him in order to revive him. He seemed to feel good about his audition and I left the studio with a wet kid in search of food.

Even though I didn't know it at the time, that is when I made my big mistake of the day.

There is a place in San Diego that has tofu with a great thai peanut sauce. Since I was in town, I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to eat there. The restaurant was about 10 minutes away from the audition location which took me just far enough away from the 15 that Waze decided to put me on the 5 going home. 

Good news: Easy to navigate all the way home

Bad news: Traffic on the 5 is often a nightmare

Remember how I told you it took me two and a half hours to go the 135-140 miles to San Diego? It took me almost double that time as I spent over four and a half hours driving the same distance on the 5. On the plus side, it gave me some serious bonding time with Zach in the truck. 

Whether or not he books the commercial, it was nice spending the day with him since he is always off on an adventure at school or a comedy club or acting or with his friends. He even stayed awake and talked with me the whole way. A teenager talking to a parent for more than 5 minutes! What are the odds of that happening???

New Zach Louis headshots on his IMDb page.

The Week In Acting Review For The Artist

Zach had a big audition this week for a comedy project that is also a dream gig for him. As with most auditions, I can't give too many details but it involves some of his favorite comedy folks currently working. Fingers and toes crossed.

The audition itself was on the former NBC Burbank lot. The production facility is now known as The Burbank Studios. They currently film "Days Of Our Lives" there and I've seen the back parking lot used for a crowd scene on "Superstore". The building was the home of The Tonight Show for Johnny and Jay for many years. I was there for a work meeting once and got lost trying to find my destination in the building. I somehow ended up on the set of "Days Of Our Lives". The show crew was very nice to me after it became obvious that I wasn't trying to crash the set. 

As with most auditions, it is now the "wait and see" game when it comes to hearing whether or not he gets a callback. I was happy he got the audition because it was his first chance to pass out his new headshot.

The new headshot for auditions

He won't need a headshot this Saturday because he is not going on an audition. He is attending his first class at The Groundlings Theatre on Melrose Avenue. Zach has been doing improv since 2012 and was a cast member at Second City for 2 years (before he aged out of the teen troupe). While he enjoyed these opportunities, the chance to take some classes at The Groundlings to improve his sketch writing skills is very exciting to him. Zach doesn't even mind getting up early on a Saturday morning!

The final bit of actor related business this week was the arrival of his new computer. The one he used for a few years worked fine but Zach needed an upgrade to a computer with better editing software. As part of his sketch writing plans, he wants to film and edit some sketches and put them on YouTube. Be on the lookout in the near future for Zach's videos online. He also plans to videotape some of his stand-up comedy gigs and put them online as well.

Dana and I will be uploading his new demo reels to IMDb soon so you can take a look at the reels that get sent to casting directors when Zach is submitted for a part. 

So long (for now) from Hollywood!

This Actor Likes To Write Comedy Material.

VITs For Your Next Audition

With pilot season gearing up, and auditions becoming more frequent, it is more important than ever to have a good audition. A good audition experience is more than simply knowing your lines (although that is an important part of the experience). Here are 5 VITs (Very Important Tips) to help you have an ideal audition each time you enter the room.

1. Know your lines – You will be sent lines for your character when you get your audition time. Unless the audition is completely improv, there is no reason not to know your lines. Even if the audition is for a voice-over gig, you should still know your lines in order to sound natural and not like you are reading right off the page.
2.  Don’t try and fake it if you don't know your lines – Casting directors would rather watch you read off the page instead of watch you stumble your way through an audition. It’s better to be honest and admit you don't know all of your lines. Would you rather the casting director remember your honesty or remember you as the person who butchered the part?  
3. Always have a resume and headshot – Just because you got an audition doesn’t mean the casting director knows who you are when you walk in the room. Always bring your resume and headshot (complete with your contact info) to an audition. If you want to be remembered, be sure and have your materials ready to hand over when you enter the audition room.
4. Make a good first impression – Some actors take the baggage of their day into the room with them. Always be on your best behavior and act like you are having the best day ever. You might not get the part but the casting director could keep you in mind for another role in the future. Being professional at all times means a good chance of paying off with a future booking. 
5. Remember what you wore to the audition – If you’re lucky enough to get a callback, wear the same outfit you wore to the first audition. As great as you were as an actor, there is also a good chance that the casting director liked your look. Wear the same clothes again to reinforce the idea of you playing the part in the mind of the person making the casting decisions.

Be sure and put these tips to good use this pilot season. It never hurts to have some tips and tricks up your sleeve to stand out from the rest of the audition crowd. If you get the attention of the casting director in a positive way, your chances of landing a callback and booking the part are better than the others reading for the role. I hope these VITs make you a VIP during your next audition!

This actor has a voice-over audition today.

Missed Interviews and Unexpected Opportunities

I've received a few emails out of the blue recently regarding my "dadager" duties with The Artist. These emails prove that you never know what will strike a chord with people.

I do a lot of social media for a living and try to tailor each post to the needs of the client. However, there are times I create a post simply because I find something amusing or because I want to share a joke with the fans of the client. While many of the posts I spend a good amount of time on do very well in terms of views and interactions, the posts I create on the spur of the moment sometimes gather more attention than the planned posts. I worked at a plastic surgery conference last weekend in downtown Los Angeles and I kept thinking of silly jokes while walking around the conference. I posted a few of them on my Instagram page and they caught the attention of the plastic surgery community around the world. 

When Zach and I moved to California in 2012, I started this blog as a way of documenting our adventures in Hollywood. I called myself a dadager because I thought it was a funny name to use in the title of the blog. Little did I know that the word would come to define me in the eyes of many people in the film and television industry. The fact that people refer to me by that title is not a bad thing. I'm just amazed by that fact since I started using the name simply as a joke. In fact, it is the name many people use when they are searching for me on the Internet.

The first email I received was around Memorial Day. A well-known author (the kind of author that it seemed like it should have been a prank email) contacted me through this blog wanting to know if he could interview me for a very mainstream magazine. His editor ran across my blog and became interested in my stories about learning my way around the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and what it's like being a father at auditions when the majority of stage parents are females. We set-up a weekend where he could see Zach do improv at Second City and interview our whole family. The weekend neared and the author had to cancel our interview because he was assigned another story. It was like auditioning, getting a callback and then going to test for producers. I was close to landing the part (being interviewed) but the part went to someone else (he was assigned another story).

The second email came in early August and it was from a television production company in New York City looking for parents active in the careers of their children in Hollywood. I did a phone call to get more information and seemed to hit all the right notes. According to the production executive:

• I had great/funny/moving stories
• I was knowledgeable without being boring
• I was an easy interview
• I was the kind of person they wanted to cast for their project

I wasn't sold on the idea of being part of a TV project about Hollywood parents but I wasn't going to completely dismiss the idea. I did the phone call on a Wednesday and she asked me to leave the following Wednesday or Thursday open for a Skype interview. The executive needed to do her weekly production meeting before our Skype interview so she could get more details together for me. We set-up a time to Skype and then she dropped out of sight. I made a few calls and emails but got no answer. When I finally heard from her, I was told the project was on hold because they were having trouble finding other parents (besides me) who weren't jerks or looking to boost their own careers by being on a realty TV show. In acting terms, I did the audition and had the part in hand but troubles assembling the rest of the cast put the project on hold.

If those two emails count as strike one and strike two, is there a strike three in this story?

Yes.

The well-known author emailed me again in the middle of August to ask if I was still interested in doing the interview. His editor asked him why I hadn't been interviewed yet and wanted it done in September. We set-up another weekend for him to visit us and see Zach perform around town. His last email to me said he would be in touch soon to finalize the details for the September interview.

Welcome to October. Still no interview. Still no word from him. I'm not surprised but I am amazed at all of the trouble he has gone through only to miss the interview twice. I'm especially amazed since I didn't initiate the interview process either time. 

Both of these experiences have given me a better understanding of what Zach goes through at auditions. It's tough being told you're the perfect choice for a project and then never hearing back from the person who praised you. While being stood up for an interview isn't the same as not booking a part, it still helps me when I'm talking to Zach after he doesn't hear anything after reading for a role. 

It's the kind of insight that would be great to share on TV or in a print interview. All I need is someone to actually do an interview with me!!!!

This actor has been interviewed many times