Ian & Actress Lisa Edelstein on set of "Special Delivery"

First Assistant Director Ian Woolf knew at an early age what he wanted to do with his career. Knowing an AD and being familiarized with exactly what that job entailed (as opposed to having just a rough idea or worse yet, no clue) certainly helped somewhat guarantee satisfaction, but achieving the success was up to him. Read the below profile carefully to find valuable lessons about seeking out insider information, making a good first impression, and COMMITMENT (yes, all caps) to your job.

Current position: I’m the First Assistant Director on “Criminal Minds.”

College & degree: NYU Film School, BA in Fine Arts

First job in the entertainment industry: I was an office PA at a small production company called Magnum Pictures. From there, I moved to being a set PA on a film called VIGILANTE.

Career path: After that job, I took the test to get into the DGA Training program. (Ed. note: A program run by the Director’s Guild of America to provide participants with the education, training, and paid work experience necessary to become an Assistant Director on a set. Look for a future post with more details on this program and assistant directors in general.) I had taken the test in college and hadn’t made it through.

The test is pretty involved. It includes a multiple choice personality test, an essay and 15 minutes each of math and verbal questions. The year I got in, between 2,500 and 3,000 took the test on the east coast. (Ian was in New York. There is an LA version of the test.) They picked 60 people to go to the group phase. This part involves going in front of a panel of psychiatrists in groups of eight. They would ask real life and hypothetical questions to test our reaction to various situations, such as having a life boat that only holds seven people and there are eight of us who need to be saved.

When I made it to this point, I contacted all of the DGA training program grads I knew and asked them what they did in the group phase. As I was told by the grads, I memorized the names of the others being tested and called them by name when I referred to them, and offered to go first whenever they asked for a volunteer. Out of the 60 people, they chose just 7 or 8 to join the program.

I was a trainee from 1982 to 1984. During this time, I did DUNE, CONAN THE DESTROYER, and CAT’S EYE. I got into the DGA as a 2^nd Assistant Director in September of 1984.

Big break: I got my first key 2^nd AD job the summer of 1985 on BLUE VELVET. I got that job because I had a good relationship with director David Lynch when I was a trainee on DUNE. My other big break was making the jump to 1^st AD on a miniseries produced by Raffaela DeLaurentiis (who also produced CONAN THE DESTROYER, which I was a trainee on) called VANISHING SON.

What made you want to be an AD? My sister was good friends with Ralph Singleton, who was an AD (now a producer). He mentored me through getting into the program and becoming an AD.

What made you think you’d be good at it? I knew you needed to be outgoing, and have leadership qualities.

Eureka moment (when you realized you did or did not want to do something or that you should do something differently, etc.): When I made the move from 2^nd AD to 1^st AD, I knew to never look back.

Describe a typical work day in your current position: Since I’m currently in episodic TV, there are two types of day. The first type is during prep, the eight days before you shoot an episode. On the day I get the script, I read through it twice first thing in the morning. Using a program called Movie Magic Scheduling, I break out each scene: what cast, what setting, what vehicles, props, and wardrobe, etc. From that breakdown, I create a schedule by making strips for each scene and arranging them on a board by day based on location and actor availability. I work closely with the director during prep week. There are location scouts, and mini-meetings with props and other departments. Then we have a big tech scout with department heads. We run through all the locations and have a final production meeting where everyone can get their outstanding questions answered.

On a typical shooting day, the days are 12-14 hours. The crew call is at 7 a.m., unless we have night exteriors, in which case, we do a split call starting at noon. I show up before the crew and have breakfast, usually a burrito. At crew call, I bring the director, key crew, and all of the actors to the set and they read through the lines for the scene. We’re not even blocking yet, just reading the scene. After that, I keep everyone quiet while the director blocks the scene and then the cinematographer lights the first shot and we shoot it. Over & over. Six hours in, we break for lunch. Over the course of the day, there are also problems that need to be solved and suggestions made to the director on how to do things most efficiently and economically. But that’s generally how a shooting day goes.

Ian (at left) on Criminal Minds jet set

Worst job (or day) in entertainment industry: Worst day for an AD is when actors are late for their call. When they don’t show up on time, it has a domino effect for the entire day. Or when we lose a location at the last minute and have to scramble.

Best job (or day) in entertainment industry: Best time I ever had (where I couldn’t believe they were paying me to do this) was on an aerial unit on CONGO in Costa Rico. We flew around shooting all the footage for a river rafting sequence.

Best thing about your current job: The best thing about “Criminal Minds” is that its been steady work for five seasons. I get to be at home and spend time with my family.

Worst thing about your current job: I don’t know if it’s the worst thing, but there are so many personalities and you can’t please everyone. The AD has to crack the whip to keep the crew moving because you’re the one who is responsible for getting the day of work done.

Brush with greatness: Having the opportunity to work with Jack Cardiff (the DP from THE AFRICAN QUEEN), a legend, on a couple of movies.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: Perseverance, not letting rejection get me down, and prioritizing my job. I’ve never missed a day of work or been late since 1980. My family has had to pay the price, which I’m not happy about, but it allowed me to provide for them.

Next move: Hopefully, I’ll move up to UPM, the next step on the ladder. In addition to that, I’m trying to get some projects started on my own as a producer. We came close two years ago but the writer’s strike kind of ended it for us.

Anyone who has read the novel Push knows how challenging it must have been to get that story to the screen with its spirit intact. Sarah Siegel-Magness’s profile, with its lessons about passion, heart, and the entreprenurial mindset, will surely inspire readers to create or find material that moves them and have the courage to go the distance with it. Special thanks to Sarah for taking the time during what must be a whirlwind period as a producer of an Academy Award nominee to answer our questions.

College and degree:  I have a business degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Internships during college:  I worked as a College Rep for EMI Records, promoting music in college. While I was in school, I opened up a Celestial Seasonings kiosk on my college campus and sold a successful amount of tea and merchandise with my brother and a friend. This was my first stint in the entrepreneurial world and it helped get me ready to run my own company.

First job:  I started working at the age of 14 and my first job was working at Career-Track, a business Seminar and self-help company. I got to work in all of the key departments and learned how the business operated by spending time in each area.

Pre-entertainment career, if any:  After college, I moved to New York City where I got an internship at EMI World Records. I loved working in music, but my true passion was fashion and when I was 27, I founded the women’s clothing line, So Low. The idea for So Low came to me when I couldn’t find underwear that would comfortably fit under my low-rise jeans. I decided to make a pair and brought it to the California Merchandise Mart.  I had no idea that getting picked up by a sales firm with one style is unheard of, but my ignorance paid off because it gave me a sense of confidence and I found a buyer. I immediately developed three additional styles including boxers, tank tops and g-strings and eventually, with the help of my best friend from high-school, we expanded the brand into a contemporary women’s clothing line that sells everything from dresses to t-shirts to sweatshirts. 

First entertainment job: My first job in entertainment was producing TENNESSEE with my husband, Gary Magness and Lee Daniels. 

Why did you want to be a producer? What made you think you’d be good at it? I fell in love with the filmmaking process during the first week on the set of TENNESSEE. Lee Daniels made an effort to show us the magic of filmmaking and my husband and I were hooked. We knew that being on set, creating films with messages, and working with the talented crew that make stories come alive was what we wanted to do. I didn’t know for certain that we would be good at it, but we decided we wanted to give it our all.

First project you produced: The first project I produced was TENNESSE. We were first introduced to director Lee Daniels through a producer, Tom Heller, who cold-contacted me after reading about my entrepreneurial spirit and clothing line. We set a meeting to talk to Lee about his projects, but the meeting was eventually cancelled. A little while later, I received another call from Tom. He told us about Lee’s film, TENNESSEE, and we flew to where they were filming. We were immediately captivated by what Lee was doing. After seeing his talent, dedication and passion, we knew we wanted to be in business with him. The next day we agreed to finance a majority of TENNESSEE and became Executive Producers on the film.

Eureka moment: My eureka moment didn’t happen in one moment but instead happened during the overall production of TENNESSEE. I was really enjoying the filmmaking process and realized how wonderful it would be to be able to make films with positive messages. My husband and I knew that we wanted to work with Lee Daniels again, and that is when we decided to form our production company, Smokewood Entertainment, and commit to making additional films.

Lee had secured the rights to the novel, Push, by Sapphire and was interested in making it into a film. After reading the book, I fell in love with the story and knew we had to make it. Everyone told us we were crazy to make a film about a 300 lb black girl who was abused, but the story tugged at my heart and I couldn’t let it go. We struggled to cast the role of Precious because we didn’t want the actress’ real story to be what Precious went through.

Billy Hopkins, our casting director, made the amazing discovery of Gabourey Sidibe after she skipped class one day and came to an open casting call.  She had never acted before and Lee, Gary, and I knew within days that she was the right one for the role. Filming was intense, but everyone on the set knew that we were making something special. After finishing the film, we submitted it to the Sundance Film Festival and were not only accepted, but ended up winning three awards, including the Audience Award for best film. 

After Sundance, we started receiving interest from Hollywood studios. Both The Weinstein Company and Lionsgate were interested in acquiring the film, and ultimately Lionsgate ended up securing the rights. We then screened at the Toronto Film Festival and won the People’s Choice Award. No other film has ever won both the People’s Choice Award at Toronto and the Audience Award at Sundance before.

After the festival route, Lionsgate released the film in a limited number of theaters and eventually expanded nationwide. The film performed really well, earned record breaking revenue and defied all expectations. We started hearing buzz about possible award nominations and eventually received multiple nominations, including Best Picture nominations for the Golden Globe and the Academy Award!

Best thing about being a producer: The best thing about being a producer is being able to tell stories that I believe in and that hopefully make a difference. My husband and I founded the production company, Smokewood Entertainment, and it is important to us to make films with positive messages for diverse audiences.

Worst thing about being a producer: I would say the most difficult thing about being a producer is when fiscal responsibility is trumped by great creative vision. The producer has a financial and creative responsibility to the film and sometimes the two responsibilities do not go hand in hand.

Most surprising thing about being a producer: How long it takes some of the best movies in Hollywood to get made.  I recently participated on a panel with a producer whose film took 20 years to make.

Describe a typical work day in your current position: There is no typical work day when you are a producer.  Depending on where you are in the development process, a day can include being on the set of your film and working with the director to get the film made, meeting with potential directors, actors, etc. about your next project, doing interviews to promote a project, or reading scripts to find your next project.

Worst day in entertainment industry: I don’t believe one can have a worst day, because I believe we grow from difficult experiences. I find the most difficult projects in life are usually the most rewarding. 

Best day in entertainment industry: The best day is when a producer can celebrate the fruits of their effort. It’s a wonderful moment for any producer when a project is finally put on the screen for an audience to enjoy.

Brush with greatness: Some people are born to do certain things. I would say I was exposed to brilliance the first day Gabourey Sidibe started working on set. You could feel her greatness and the beginning of something beautiful. I was completely amazed that someone who had never been trained as an actress could perform so perfectly. This is when I realized that some people are born with raw talent.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: My advice to anyone new in this business is to go with your gut. Work on projects that move you. Always be humble and always be ready to learn.

Next move (or next five moves): Our next projects include a feature film based on the children’s book series, Judy Moody, and a documentary on an indigenous tribe in Brazil called AMOUNGST BROTHERS.

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Doug Jung’s Hollywood path is a fairly well-worn one: Working an admin job in the field you want to be in as a writer, spec-ing shows on the side, making connections, getting repped, and getting paid. But lest we give you the impression that it’s an easy path, or one that everyone can succeed on, we are quick to point out his years of hard work developing skills and trying to get read, his obvious talent, and the dash of kismet that got his unread script out from under his agent’s desk. Read on for details…

Current project(s): I am the Executive Producer/Co-Creator of “Dark Blue” on TNT. We are filming our second season, tentatively set to premiere in early June. I am also in the middle of adapting a book called “The Last Duel,” which is based on true events in 14^th century France, as a film project for Paramount.

College & degree: I have a BA in Fine Arts from NYU’s Tisch School.

Internship: I had a very good internship at “Saturday Night Live.” I was a Production Assistant in their film unit, which does all of the out-of-studio content for the show, which at the time was “Toonces the Driving Cat,” in addition to the fake commercials.

First job in the entertainment industry: I worked for a director on a Savoy Pictures Studios movie, then became a Production Assistant at Amblin (when it was in the process of turning into DreamWorks.) From there, I worked as an executive assistant for Darryl Frank, a TV executive at DreamWorks Television (now President of DreamWorks Television).

Big break: When my feature film spec script, CONFIDENCE, was optioned by LionsGate and then ultimately was produced.

Eureka moment: I’d been working for years steadily and I took a job on a movie rewrite that I didn’t believe in, didn’t really like. I woke up every morning thinking about how NOT worth it it was. I realized at that point the long-term benefit of only doing things that you are passionate about, which is beyond monetary rewards.

Career path: While I was working for Darryl, I was writing TV specs. (Note: TV specs are samples scripts of current TV shows similar to the ones you want to work on in order to demonstrate your abilities.) I got an agent off of a TV spec and, from there, I started getting work in TV. I got some freelance episodes, and I worked very briefly on a miniseries called “Taken,” then on a drama originally for TNT (which aired elsewhere), ”Breaking News.” While doing that, I created the spec for CONFIDENCE. I sent it to my TV agent who promptly (literally) put it under his desk.

I had a general meeting with a producer who asked if I had any movie scripts. I sent him CONFIDENCE. After reading it, he contacted Brad Mendelsohn, then a film agent at the agency where I was repped for TV, to find out who repped me for movies. Brad stopped by my TV agent’s office and asked if I was his client and then asked him if I had a film script. My TV agent bent down and brought the script out from under the desk and handed it to Brad. Brad became my agent and then, when he left the agency, my manager. The man who read my script became one of the producers of CONFIDENCE.

Describe a typical work day in your current position: When I get to the office, which is on the Warner Bros. lot, I check in with the other writers to find out if anyone needs help with anything. Depending on what’s going on overall, either we gather in the writer’s room to work on story ideas, or I work on an outline or a script. After lunch, I tend to whatever is happening with other aspects of the show- casting issues, production issues, network or producer questions. It’s all about trying to keep everything above water.

Worst job (or day) in entertainment industry: I had written a pilot that I really, really loved and put a lot into and it was moving along with a lot of enthusiasm and then, at the one yard line, it wasn’t picked up. I remember being really crushed because I was so invested in it.

Best job (or day) in entertainment industry: Any day when I’m alone and I’m writing something and it’s working and there’s no hint of doubt about what I’m doing and at the end of the day, I know where I’m going tomorrow- then it’s just the greatest job in the world.

Best thing about your current job: Working with other creative people and also, in this world of TV, you see the whole process from idea to script to pre-production to shooting to editing. You don’t feel worry about whether it will see the light of day- it’s going to happen, it’s going to go from an idea you get to the finished episode being on TV.

Worst thing about your current job: It’s the most like a day job I’ve had since I had a day job. In other words, I have to be somewhere at a certain time. And it’s unrelenting. You have to constantly feed the machine.

Brush with greatness (can be a celebrity encounter or just being exposed to someone being brilliant at what they do): Working with Dustin Hoffman. That was good.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: I’ve never heard of any two people doing it the same way. You have to play to your strengths and be true to yourself. If you know what you’re good at and determine your own self worth, people will see that. But if you pretend to be something just because it’s in vogue or something otherwise you are not, people will see that, too. I couldn’t pretend to be a romantic comedy writer, for instance.

Next move: I’m in a fortunate position where I can wait and make things happen that are meaningful to me, as opposed to going for a “job.” This goes back to my earlier comment about if you’re doing something that you like and feel passionate about, people can sense that and the work is more fulfilling.

Become a Your Industry Insider Facebook fan for updates on when you can see Doug’s work on the small screen and on the big screen.

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Ellen Gurney’s career has been all about story. From her time as a studio executive to her transition to freelance consulting and screenwriting, she has been steeped in the beats that make a script come to life. Her own story will inspire readers and hopefully convey that often a key ingredient in the creative life is imposing some order and routine on what is often considered an amorphous process.

Current position:  I am a development teacher and story and script consultant. I am also a represented screenwriter with a project in development at Infinitum Nihil (Johnny Depp’s production company).

College & degree:  I attended Western Washington University and then the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, where I got an AA in Merchandise Marketing.

Internship:  I started as a six-month intern at Walt Disney TV Animation and was there for 13 years.  When I left, I was Senior Vice President of Creative Affairs at DisneyToon Studios.

Big break:  Really, it was that internship. I walked away from managing retail stores to get back to my creative roots, giving up a comfortable salary to start over at an entry level job.

Eureka moment:  As I rose up the corporate ladder, I realized that I was moving away from the ability to fulfill my creative desires. I loved being an executive, but I also wanted to exercise my creative muscles. I had to work hard to keep that balance.

Career path:  I was lucky to have a straight trajectory with Disney, which culminated when the company bought Pixar. It was at this point that I knew we were exec-heavy.  That’s not how Pixar works. So I saw an opportunity to reinvent myself as a writer and consultant.

Describe a typical work day in your current position:  The freelance world is very different, but I hang on to some of my executive techniques.  I give myself a weekly schedule with specific times (just like meetings) during which I do my own writing, read scripts, and do notes  for the consulting business, develop new projects with colleagues and prepare and teach my classes at Emerson.

Worst job (or day) in entertainment industry:  I actually drove in to work on 9/11 because there was a big presentation scheduled. Of course, it was cancelled.  I turned around and went right back home. Devastating.

Best job (or day) in entertainment industry:  Any time I got promoted, it was always a surprise. Nothing feels better than acknowlegement and appreciation. Also, we had a retreat that featured speakers like Malcom Gladwell, Cokey Roberts — real big name people. Alan Mencken played the piano and talked about his creative process. It was awesome, brought tears to my eyes.

Best thing about your current job:  The flexibility.

Worst thing about your current job: The uncertainty. 

Brush with greatness:  I was at a recording with Tom Hulce (ANIMAL HOUSE, AMADEUS).  I’d just had a scary experience with the brakes in my car going out. I was shaking, trying to pull it together. Tom gave me the kindest, warmest hug.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: Stay connected to your passion, and keep the well of creativity full.  Hang around people who inspire you.

Next move:  I’m lucky to have a fantastic agent and a manager who believe in my voice as a writer.  Next move is to prove them right by creating and selling some awesome original material this year. Also, I’d love to expand the scope of my teaching at some other colleges. I love the energy of being around folks just starting out.

To find out more about Ellen’s story/script consulting services, visit The Story Society.

Know anyone who could use an entertainment industry insider? If so, please encourage them to subscribe to YourIndustryInsider.com and sign up to receive YII’s Mogul Mindset eBlasts today! Also, please visit Your Industry Insider Store to check out recommended books and DVDs. Content will be added regularly as suggestions come in from industry insiders!

Your Industry Insider originally profiled TV producer Herb Ankrom in mid-2009. He had recently left “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” to work with one of the other producers, Denise Cramsey, as she launched a production company. They had just gotten a second season pickup for their first project, “True Beauty.” We wanted to check back in to see what Herb was now up to.

Current Position: I am Executive VP, Production/Senior Producer at DC/TV.

Current Projects: We have four or five series in development being pitched to networks and larger cable channels in the coming weeks and are finishing a feature documentary on breast cancer called “Expedition Inspiration,” which will be making the film festival rounds next year for distribution. We’re also venturing into scripted television, docu-reality (scripted reality), and also feature films. With regard to the last one, we’re finalizing financing on a feature project about a straight man who finds himself married to his gay best friend a week prior to his wedding to a conservative judge’s daughter.

The second season of “True Beauty” will air on ABC this summer. (Editor’s note: It’s a television series in which contestants are competing to see who is truly the most beautiful. They think they are only being tested on outer beauty, though.) This season, Beth Ostrosky Stern and Carson Kressley were part of our judging panel. We’re very excited about how it turned out.

We have also just had an order from NBC for a two-hour pilot for a project called “School Pride” which will be shot in April. The show, which is like “Extreme Home Makeover” for schools, is being produced by Denise Cramsey, Cheryl Hines, and myself, and features us facilitating a community rallying around a school to make it over in whatever ways it needs most, whether it be a new roof and carpeting, a science lab, a library, outfitting the music program, etc. It was inspired by a principal in South Central Los Angeles who got a tennis court donated to her school, among other things. Six months later, when the students were tested, the scholastic scores were up 50 to 60%. It seems that when attention is paid and the school is respected as a valuable commodity in the community, the students pay more attention to their studies. So we’re going to go back to the school we help several months after our makeovers and test the students and see what other changes have resulted.

After initially being both underwhelmed (by the work choices) and overwhelmed (by the scope of the industry) when she arrived in Hollywood, Henri Hebert found a way to use her technical and storytelling skills in a way which serves her personal passion, providing a voice to children. Her path to where she is today, being the right person at the right place and time, can inspire all YII readers to pay attention, on their own career journey, to the intersection of their talent/skills and what truly moves them.

Current Position: Producer and director of feature-length documentary, “Dream With Me: One Year in America’s Public Schools” (along with producer and co-director, Kimberly Goodman).

College & degree: University of Massachusetts Amherst, BA, Communications

Internship: I did three internships: One in NY, at MTV Networks, where I worked in programming and also in the casting department, one at WCVB in Boston, working on a religious panel show called ”In Good Faith,” and one at the local public access station in my hometown. For that one, I was involved in putting together the newscast, working the camera, writing, and doing a little bit of reporting.

First  job out of school: I had saved up money during school and I bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles. Within a week of being here, I had a job at “Inside Edition” / “American Journal.”  They were amping up their crew as a result of the OJ Simpson trial. I moved from nighttime receptionist to daytime receptionist and then to researcher very quickly.

Career Path: Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I was a bit let down when I first got here. I had worked so hard in school and felt ready to greet the world, but I hadn’t been aware that there were so many jobs and paths in the industry and how news is different from scripted and game shows were different from both of those.

In 2000, I ran the LA marathon for the first time and I was astounded at the amount of community support there was at the event. It got me thinking in that direction and then, after the September 11th terrorist attacks, I made a firm decision to start giving back. I found a non-profit called the Step Up Woman’s Network and began producing different programs for them on Saturdays. A 6-week photography program I did inspired me to tell the stories from the children’s perspective.

During the same period, I went from being the script coordinator at the game show, ”The Weakest Link,” to associate producer on the series, “Average Joe,” segment producer on a special about “Seigfried and Roy,” and then producer on a couple of seasons of “The Biggest Loser.” On those shows, I learned how to use a camera, put together a story, and understand character development. And I met Kimberly, with whom I formed FiveFold Productions.

Kimberly and I started doing our own docu-shorts during this time. Simultaneously, we were working with Step Up Women’s Network documenting a photography program for at-risk teen girls entitled, “When I am President,” for which we won the Commitment to Philanthropy Volunteer Award. That was a gift to Step Up, which they used, and may still use, as a fundraising tool. We made two more shorts for Step Up, one called “Real Beauty” sponsored by Dove and the other one, “I Believe…,” sponsored by Crystal Light documenting the college tour that Step Up does for its teens.

Eureka moment: When I saw the effect “When I Am President” had on people when they watched it at Step Up’s annual luncheon. The room was filled with chatting women but early on in the film, everyone fell silent and it was clear that people were inspired. I thought, “We have a way to reach people, to allow children to have a voice to adults that isn’t often heard.”

During this period, I read “The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts,” a report which was put out by the Gates Foundation. I was so affected by it, it motivated our current project, “Dream With Me,” which examines the current state of the US public educational system. We met with reform teams of various school systems to see who we wanted to follow and ultimately chose Los Angeles Unified as the central focus. We also went to New York and Texas, in order to compare schools in other parts of the country to what we were finding at the LAUSD. So we spent all of the 2008 – 2009 school year fundraising and filming. We are now in post and currently raising completion funds.

Big break: Rather than having a big break, it’s more like every point led me to this place. And it wasn’t a clear cut road.

Describe a typical work day in your current position: I spend two – three hours researching new articles on education and putting them into my Twitter feed so I can be current – and be a source on what’s current – on what’s happening in education. I also spend thirty minutes each morning answering email. This is followed by about three hours of looking at footage and putting together sequences, as well as logging tapes, and a couple hours of filling out grant applications for more funding to finish the film. I’m  also trying to create a blog post a week on the “Dream With Me” site.

Worst job (or worst day) in entertainment industry: “Most challenging” day, I think, was in New York, when I was producing a reality show. There was a blizzard and everything was shut down. I had to take the cast and crew to the location via the subway and then choreograph shooting the cast sledding on a very popular hill in Central Park. (This was on the fly, by the way. No permit or advanced planning.) The park was packed and I was sure either the footage would be unusable because of non-cast members in the shot or, far worse, one of the cameramen would be injured during filming. Luckily, everything turned out okay, but it’s very stressful to be responsible for that many people in that type of situation.

Best job (or day) in entertainment industry:  One of ”The Biggest Loser” seasons I did was Navy wives versus Marine wives. We followed the Navy wives to Hawaii, to Pearl Harbor, to greet their husbands coming back from Iraq. When the ship rounded the corner with the American flag waving and all the men suited up on deck, it was breathtaking. And then we got to go on the ship for a tour, followed by a tour of the base. It was one of those experiences I only got to have because of my job.

Best thing about your current job: Being able to inspire people into action in the name of education for children. One person we know of saw our trailer at an event and because of it, six months later, signed up to become a teacher. And the kids we film are so great and so hopeful, and knowing you could have a part personally in making their dreams come true reinvigorates me to be even more passionate about education and giving them voice.

Worst thing about your current job: The lack of funding and being an independent production team looking for the money to finish the film.

Brush with greatness (can be a celebrity encounter or just being exposed to someone being brilliant at what they do): The two principals that we followed at Markham Middle School in Watts, CA. No matter how challenging the environment can be with everything that is thrown on their laps, they are so focused and positive. I don’t know how they do it. I am in awe. When you are with them, you just know that everything is going to work, even though you have no idea how.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: Perseverance, openness to possibility, trust that where you are now will get you where you want to be. Being willing to work hard, really learn the craft… and build a network as well.

Next move: We need to raise $250,000 to $500,000 to finish the film and $150,000 to market it. Once we are finished, we’re going to take the film across the country on a yellow school bus on a tour to show people the reforms that have worked in the schools we have filmed and help other schools improve. We want to teach the school community to do it themselves. We want to inspire action.

To find out more about DREAM WITH ME: ONE YEAR IN AMERICA’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS, visit the website by clicking here.

Know anyone who could use an entertainment industry insider? If so, please encourage them to subscribe to YourIndustryInsider.com and sign up to receive YII’s Mogul Mindset eBlasts today! Also, please visit Your Industry Insider Store to check out recommended books and DVDs. Content will be added regularly as suggestions come in from industry insiders!

Director of Photography Lloyd Ahern first balked at being interviewed for this site because of the way he got into his field. (His father was a DP and back when Lloyd was coming up, being a “legacy” got him into the union.) But we here at YII know a good story when we hear one and despite his “in,” Lloyd had a lot to teach us about getting as much experience as possible early on and then the benefits of working “too” hard once you have the job.

Current position: I’m the Director of Photography on “Army Wives” and I directed 2 episodes last season and 2 episodes the previous season.

College & degree: I never enrolled in college, but I say I “dropped in” at USC. I was there all the time.

Internship: My father was a Director of Photography, so in those days, I was a legacy. The union accepted me based on that but more importantly, I was raised in a dark room. I shot my own movies all the way through my teen years and hung out on my dad’s movie sets all the time. (Editor’s note: Lloyd’s father Lloyd Ahern, Sr.’s first job as a DP was on MIRACLE ON 34^th STREET.)

First job in the entertainment industry: I started as a film loader at CBS Radford. I loaded the unexposed film into the magazines and then unload it for processing. It was a great place to start because there were twenty productions at any given time and, all day long, I was on set, learning how to conduct myself, how to deal with people… I made friends with a DP who approached me one day to say he was going to start shooting a show called “The Big Valley” the following week and he needed a camera assistant. I jumped at the opportunity.

Big break: I was shooting a TV pilot (by this point I was an established television DP) when I was contacted by Walter Hill (note: the legendary writer/director/producer). He was about to start a movie, TRESPASS (1992, Bill Paxton, Ice Cube, Ice-T) and his DP wasn’t available. This allowed me to break into DPing movies and now I could do both.

Eureka moment: I was making a movie on location in Mohave, UT in a projection room after a long day shooting in the hot desert sun. We had all of these cowboys and Indians up on the big screen and everything was perfect. Four cameras, great light, perfect shot. I knew that I always overplanned and overthought and, in spite of my anxiety, it always worked out. At this moment, I realized that it was because of my overplanning and overthinking that it worked out. It was not a lucky accident. It had been eight years of worry before I got to this place of confidence and knew I was on the right path.

Career path: I went from camera loader to slate to focus puller to camera operator to DP. I got promoted from operator to DP on an established show (”Simon & Simon”). I was bored to death. On an established show, the look is already defined. Everything is old news. During the hiatus from that show, though, director Robert Butler (who had directed the pilots for “Moonlighting” and ”Hill Street Blues”)  hired me to shoot a pilot and it launched my career. If Robert Butler wants you, everyone wants you.

Describe a typical work day in your current position: You come in the morning and create an energy on the set, get the momentum of the day going. (You know what you’re shooting from the day before, having collaborated with the director, the gaffer and the key grip before leaving set.) You set up the first shot, focusing everyone on the plan, and getting it. And then the second shot. All the way through the shooting day.

Worst job (or day) in entertainment industry: I’d rather not bring it up, but if there’s not unity at the top, it makes for a bad set.

Best job (or day) in entertainment industry: Working on “Geronimo: An American Legend” with Gene Hackman and Robert Duvall (see “eureka moment” above). There was massive cooperation and integration with every department. It was just a joy.

Best thing about your current job: When you get to a certain point in your career, you have an incredible amount of knowledge and you can use your experience to solve problems unique to each situation. You get an incredible rush of getting great images in the constraints of TV. It’s fun, invigorating. There’s no time to contemplate. You’ve got to keep moving and do different things every time. Confident, prepared DPs and directors do better work. It’s a rush.

Worst thing about your current job: Literally nothing.

Brush with greatness: The only thing I can think of, the only time I’ve ever been impressed by a celebrity… When I was real young, I did a John Wayne movie. He was completely dressed and up on his horse. That was the only time I’ve ever really been in awe. Very impressive. (Though personally, I didn’t like him. He was a mean son of a bitch.)

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: If you’re in film school, the secret is to be constantly making movies. As a DP, you’ll make a couple of big mistakes and realize half the mistakes you make end up being the best shot in the movie. And then get into the editing room. Practical shooting is ten times more valuable than learning theory. The bottom line is that what you think you’re shooting and what you end up with is never the same. And once you learn that, you automatically give yourself options. You don’t learn that sitting in a classroom. You learn that on a set.

As a beginner, realize that the whole movie business is a Catch-22. Basically, you can’t do something unless you’ve done it already. But the whole business is filled with people who were told they couldn’t do something and did it anyway.

There is nothing fair about the movie business. Sometimes you get a break and sometimes you get your heart broken. Which leads me to… Make sure your life is full so that when you’re not working, you’re not worried and you have something fun to do.

Next move: I’m always looking for either a script that’s exciting or people you admire to work with.

Know anyone who could use an entertainment industry insider? If so, please encourage them to subscribe to YourIndustryInsider.com and sign up to receive YII’s Mogul Mindset eBlasts today! Also, please visit Your Industry Insider Store to check out recommended books and DVDs. Content will be added regularly as suggestions come in from industry insiders!

YII first approached Stephan Fleet to be included in “New Media Month” for his work as Director of Digital Media on “Ghost Whisperer.” Little did we know we were dealing with such a multi-talented professional who has managed to become a serious hyphenate relatively early in his career. As you can tell by reading his profile, he is also a strategic thinker who has set and is working toward big goals. He is setting his own course to his ultimate dreams and doing great work along the way.

Current position: Visual Effects Supervisor and Artist at Encore Hollywood. I work on about 10 shows, including “Castle,” “90210,” “Melrose Place,” “Big Love,” “House,” and “The Middle.”

College & degree: BA in Theater, UCLA and MFA in Film Production, USC

Internship: I did a Stage Management Internship back in 1999 at the Geffen Playhouse for some Davet Mamet plays. Met some great people who helped me get where I am today.

First job in the entertainment industry: This is a weird question for me to answer. Technically, I was a child actor. I starred in a film (not released) opposite Christopher Lloyd in 1986. However, my first job in the television industry would be Director of Digital Media at “Ghost Whisperer” / Development Executive for Sander/Moses Productions circa late 2006. Note: Sander/Moses produces “Ghost Whisperer” – I wore two hats at once.

Big break: Ian Sander, one of the showrunners of “Ghost Whisperer,” taught a television class at USC. It became clear to me that Ian liked to pitch TV shows with a lot of visual aids. Having been a graphic designer in a past life, I decided to go all out on a class project and make a full on, hard cover bound pitch book with about 30 pages of graphic design. I also produced a sizzle reel pitch video. The project went over well and got me a meeting with Ian and Kim Moses, his wife and also another showrunner of “Ghost Whisperer.” (As a wise teacher once told me, “When you see the door to opportunity ajar, jam your foot in the gap and pry the thing open.”)

Eureka moment: I’ve always known I wanted to be in and around the entertainment industry.  I’ve dabbled in (almost) ever aspect of film, television, and theatrical production and I love it all.  I’ve naturally gravitated towards the things that I like to do more (also the things that the industry wants more of from me). There was a stint, right after my undergrad, when I was scared of not having work. So I did about 2 years as a graphic designer for some dotcoms and Virgin Entertainment. I could tell that I definitely had taken a turn down the wrong path. Then 9/11 happened. Virgin canned me while I was on vacation, and I met my beautiful (now) wife Becca all at once. Becca quit her job (at Virgin) and together we spent some great years poor, but focused on what we love to do: filmmaking. It was during this time that I directed my first short feature, “The First Person” starring Ed Begley, Jr. (I met Ed Begley, Jr. at my internship at the Geffen Playhouse. Everything matters.) 

Career path: Ian Sander (Ghost Whisperer) is mostly responsible for my current career path and attitude. At first, when I went back to film school, I purposely hid my graphic design, VFX, and computer skills. I didn’t want to be stereotyped and categorized as “that techie guy.” Ian taught me to use all my strengths, not to hide anything. There are so many people dying to get into this business… anything that gives you an edge you simply have to exploit! Thus a year after school I had proven myself to Ian and Kim and was trusted with the position of Supervising Producer for  the “Ghost Whisperer” webisode series (Season 2). Ian and Kim also involved me in the creation of pitch materials for their production companies development slate. I learned a great deal from them about pitching TV shows. 

After “Ghost Whisperer,” I was able to take my knowledge from producing webisodes and produce an indie film for under $40,000! I used all the tricks I learned on GW to line produce that sucker tightly. I’m very proud of the film. It’s called PLAYER (player.legend44.com) and we just locked a distribution representative. My father wrote/stars in it and my mother directed it. It was a family affair. 

I then reconnected with a close friend from USC who, with his brother, had worked their way up to a really cool opportunity: to do a few visual effects per episode for NBC’s new “Knight Rider” series. They brought me on to help out, and within three months, we had beaten out the main company involved and built our own company, Master Key Visual Effects. At our peak we had 20+ people working on “Knight Rider” and I was a VFX Producer on a network show. Again, it was my understanding of the “languages” of VFX, Cinema, Computer Geek, and TV Producer that helped me there.

Describe a typical work day in your current position: Hah! If I am going to the office – I eat my oatmeal in a paper cup, drink two cups of coffee, sit down at my desk, rifle through all my emails, then dive into working on any number of VFX shots. Sometimes it will be adding a skyline to an episode of “Castle,” or making a giant stuffed cat pull down a curtain for a crazy video for a famous director.  Often times I will be asked to confer with VFX producers, clients, and inferno artists on the best approaches to shots and help hash out a plan. 

On other days, I’ll go on-set for a show and supervise. The hours are really random and each set has a different vibe. Generally I try and hang out near the director and writers at video village to get a grip on what they are shooting and what they want. When a VFX shot is up and it is my time to shine, I’ll run around like a madman taking all sorts of reference photos, measuring camera angles and lens lengths, answering questions for anyone and everyone who asks, and all in all trying to do my best job to ensure the VFX shot is shot right and I get the necessary data and info to help my company do the best job they can in post.

Worst job (or day) in entertainment industry: One specific day doesn’t stand out to me. I’ve been lucky. My skills have prevented me from having to be a PA. I don’t think I could maintain the humility involved with those gigs. I will say at one job, I did have some issues with a co-worker who was, quite frankly, wrong for the job. The problem was mine, though. I let this person’s ignorance get to me. I learned a valuable lesson – it’s not worth it to build up anger and frustration. It accomplishes nothing other than making you feel like crap.

Best job (or day) in entertainment industry: I directed a short film called “The Outlaw Emmett Deemus” starring Larry Hankin. We were invited to be in the gala opening of the 2008 Hollyshorts film festival. I get there and find our film amongst films by Josh Brolin and Jessica Biel. I found myself on a panel with them, in front of an audience of about, like, 500 people, at the Egyptian. It was filled to the brim. All I can remember is this one guy on the panel was yapping on and on about how perfect his film was. I could see Josh Brolin and Jessica Biel about to fall asleep. When the mic came to me, for some reason, I screamed out, “Fuck the rules” (in regards to movie making) – the audience cheered really loud. That was a good moment! 

Best thing about your current job: The people! By some unexplained miracle of life, they are all really nice and cool.

Worst thing about your current job: It’s not producing my own TV show!

Brush with greatness: You meet lots of celebrities if you hang out in this town enough. They’re hardworking people like you and me. But I did get to go to the 10 year anniversary screening of THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION a few years back. Morgan Freeman was there. That guy has a magical energy. Also, when I went to see “Flight of the Conchords” at the Orpheum a year ago, I sat RIGHT NEXT to Eric Idle. Holy crap no one even realized he was there! Oh, and lastly, Clint Eastwood spoke at my graduation and shook my hand. It was like shaking the hand of Zeus himself!

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: Learn anything and everything you can. Figure out what makes you valuable to the industry. You have to be valuable to get the job. Valuable is NOT having an idea for a movie. Valuable is knowing how to save a production money, make someone’s life easier on a production, or make the production (and people involved) be better.

Next move (or next five moves): Now it’s about striking a balance between lending my skills to the industry and maintaining my personal goals. I want to produce, direct, and one day run my own show. My strategy: I’ve found that I can use my skills to help TV shows. And helping TV shows means making friends with all sorts of people – producers, directors, actors, one day superstars. Really, it’s best to make friends with everyone, and help everyone the best you can. I believe in Karma. It’s also amazing how many of my peers from UCLA and USC are now up and coming. I already know Junior Agents at CAA, and famous actors and actresses, but when I met them they were classmates and friends.

My new thing is sharing.  I was reading John August’s blog (Editor’s note: More info on John August’s blog here.) and he said he wrote a blog because he believed that it was his duty to help people learn what he had learned. I like that attitude. I’m currently in the works on a series of video tutorials for my site exploring all the languages of movie making. One thing I have noticed in this industry is that everyone in every department speaks a different language. It’s kind of like we’re building a tower of digital-babel. Since I have a sort-of cross pollinated filmic education, I want to post tutorials that help give little tips and tricks to help communicate inter-department.

For example, I could do a 5 minute definition of “rotoscoping” that could easily help explain all the various pros and cons of this VFX technique to producers, directors, DPs, writers, and so forth.  I have a ton of cool VFX tricks for After Effects. Or maybe I’ll do a piece on how to use EP Scheduling and Budgeting for an indie, lower budget flick.  The sky is the limit, so keep checking my site, my first tutorials will be released soon and they will be on some practical After Effects techniques.

Stephan Fleet can be found online HERE (at his very cool website). Also, please note that Stephan is one of the judges for the 2009 – 2010 Third Screen Film Festival, which we profiled here in April. Visit the Third Screen Film Festival website for more details.

Know anyone who could use an entertainment industry insider? If so, please encourage them to subscribe to YourIndustryInsider.com and sign up to receive YII’s Mogul Mindset eBlasts today! Also, please visit Your Industry Insider Store to check out recommended books and DVDs. Content will be added regularly as suggestions come in from industry insiders!

With his educational background in IT and his passion for – and deep knowledge of – the evolving music business, Jason Feinberg is supremely qualified for his chosen profession: marketing music online and managing the web presences of artists. The story of his career path will be very instructive for those YII readers who wish to have a successful career in a branch of the entertainment industry that is struggling to adapt to the new technologies increasingly impacting its bottom line.

Current position: Founder and President, On Target Media Group, a music industry digital marketing firm. I am responsible for finding and retaining artist and record label clients, devising digital marketing plans, interfacing with everyone from technology companies to gossip bloggers, and staying aware of daily trends in the music and technology industries.

College & degree: BA Management Information Systems, Western Washington University

Internship: I did college radio promotion at Nitro Records and I worked at the LA chapter of  National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) doing event coordination.

First job in the entertainment industry: I started as a DJ, but quickly rose to Music Director at the UNLV college radio station KUNV. It wasn’t paid, but it certainly was a job. My first full time paying music industry job was at Favored Nations, the record label run by guitarist Steve Vai.

Big break: That’s a tough call. I’ve had a lot of good people help me along the way, some of who are still giving me breaks. But I’d have to say the biggest boost was Steve Vai offering me a job at his record label at the end of a three-hour guitar lesson and deep conversation. Yeah, that was a pretty amazing day!

Eureka moment: I have a eureka moment every three months or so. They tend to relate to massive successes or mistakes at my company. For example, when I lost a project to a competitor that I thought was a sure thing, I suddenly became well aware of the areas my competitor was stronger, and instantly began working at improving our services there. When an idea I thought was an average one exploded and brought us a bunch of new business, my eureka moment was realizing I am so entrenched in this industry that I understand some things even deeper than I give myself credit for. If I had to decide on one ultimate eureka moment, it was when I realized that being my own boss is the only arrangement that works for a guy like me.

Career path: My career path was almost derailed when I graduated college. Instead of going the hard route and looking for a job in the music industry, I went the fairly easy route and took a high paying computer job. It was at a very formal, corporate company and I was instantly miserable. It paid well and offered a very clear and prosperous path ahead, but that wasn’t enough to get over the stuffy environment that went against everything in me. I quit and took a job at a six-person startup in a basement and loved every second from there on out. However that only lasted a few years, as my music industry calling never went away and I eventually realized I needed to move to Los Angeles and get back on the path that had been clear since I was six years old.

Describe a typical work day in your current position: I start every day by trying to grasp all the amazing things that have happened since I left the office the night before. In the area where music and tech collide, interesting developments happen every single day, and I read many blogs and newsletters to take a current temperature.

I spend the next eight to ten hours alternating between sending and replying to a mountain of email, phone calls, meetings, Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, web development, sending out invoices, finalizing reports, and brainstorming interesting marketing strategies. The benefit of running a small company is I get to do a little of everything; the downside is I have to do a little bit of everything.

Who are your clients? We work with a lot of established artists, and record companies marketing special re-releases and boxed sets. We’ll consider newer artists but only they need to have some level of momentum, already playing shows and building up followers on FB, blogs, Twitter, etc. We can turn up the volume on that, create new avenues for marketing, connect them with some of the bigger players and on-line opportunities.

Worst job (or day) in entertainment industry: The worst job in entertainment is working as an intern or assistant for someone that is neither giving amazing training or has any intention of helping you in your career. When I bring on an intern, I make sure they receive some level of value. If I can’t hire them, I at least make sure they leave here with solid skills that will help them in a future job. A lot of people in entertainment thrive on taking advantage of others without giving anything back; if you are in this position, you have the worst job in the industry.

Best job (or day) in entertainment industry: The best job in the industry is artist management. Managers run the show at a level like never before. It is creative yet structured, requires imagination but also a business sense, and is involved in every influential decision an artist makes. In the past, managers had a far more limited role; these days they act as manager, record label, marketing consultant, merchandiser, retailer, artist development rep, and much more. It’s worth noting however, that all these things can also make this the hardest and most demanding job in the industry.

Best thing about your current job: The best thing about my current job is feeling that I am part of developing an entirely new business model for the music industry. We spend a lot of time working on direct-to-fan initiatives – enabling an artist to market and sell directly to their fans. I am a firm believer that for many artists this is the future of the business and being a part of that is very rewarding.

Worst thing about your current job: The worst thing is that we (as an industry) are still having a very hard time creating a sustainable, quantifiable, scalable business model. It is often frustrating being able to get an artist a tremendous amount of eyes and ears yet not have it translate into tangible results. We’re all still searching for that magic formula, and we’re still quite a ways off. At least I am in the growth part of the industry, versus many of my colleagues in areas that are shrinking.

Brush with greatness: I’ve been fortunate to get to meet and work with many amazing people, from famous musicians to industry leaders. I am often impressed with what they have accomplished, but what always stands out to me is character. I consider my brushes with greatness the times that someone of massive character has seen something in me and offered honest, meaningful advice or direction. You can work for an entire year and not learn as much as when someone far more experienced sums it up for you in three sentences.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie:  The secret of my success is that I am always thinking two steps ahead. I wish I were thinking four steps ahead, but two will do for now. In an industry as fast paced and as uncertain as entertainment, people that can base today’s decisions on tomorrow’s realities are the ones that will be successful. This is easier said than done – one needs a hefty dose of common sense, a deep reserve of passion for when things get tough, and more important than anything else, relationships and people that believe in you. 

Next move:  For people in my position, there are three primary options (that end well). The first is to do this for as long as possible, hopefully getting better and better all the time. The goal here is to be an industry leader, have influence, make good money, and have a real impact on an artist’s career. The second option is to merge with a different yet complimentary company to enhance each other’s strengths. The third option is sell the company, buy a big private tract of land, become a hermit, and spend the rest of your life growing your own vegetables and thinking about the good ol’ days. Not sure which of those three is for me…

In addition to building his thriving business, On Target Media Group, Jason also finds time to blog about music business issues on the PBS Media Shift blog, which tracks how new media is impacting society and culture. (Here’s a link to one of Jason’s posts that should be required reading for anyone interested in the future of the music biz.) He has also taught at Musicians Institute (subjects include internt and mobile marketing, independent artist marketing, how to start and run a record label) for the past six years.

Josh Randall works a lot. Even when he’s not shooting a film or TV show, he is at meetings and auditions for upcoming projects. And, as he says below, the work you do to get the work is often more arduous than actually shooting a role. But he’s obviously doing something right on both counts, as he is a very sought-after member of the Hollywood community. YII was lucky to get a chance  to find out about his journey and pass along a few of his hard-earned lessons to our readers.

Current part: I am about to shoot a movie called SAY HELLO TO STAN TALMADGE directed by David Moreton. They’ve shot most of it and the director decided he wanted to add another dimension to it, a window into the future. The rest of the movie takes place in the 70s, I am in the present day.

College & degree: I started as a Civil Engineering major at UC Davis, but I realized engineering wasn’t for me and ultimately got a degree in English lit with a creative writing emphasis from San Francisco State.

Internships (if any): Nope. I worked as a grip on movies while I was a student (practically for free), but that was more of an apprenticeship. 

Acting while in school (professional or amateur): The first major thing I did that made me think I should be an actor was in college. I was paired with a playwright in a writing  class who had me read scenes from his work with him. He ended up putting on a play at school and cast me as one of the three leads.

Day job while you were working towards being a working actor: I was a grip, mostly on rap videos. I started out during school and then after graduation, carrying sandbags and eventually working on technical aspects of the job. I had a DP friend and I ended up as a key grip on some of his jobs. He kept me afloat while I was doing theater and striving to be a working actor. I always had a play in my tool belt that I would study during down time.

First post-graduate acting job: It was a play in Berkeley, one of my favorite acting experiences to date (and it actually paid a little). Around the same time, I was working as a grip on a movie in Santa Cruz called SOMEBODY IS WAITING with Gabriel Byrne starring and Martin Donovan directing. They needed someone to play the main bank robber. They thought I looked mean so I got the job.

How did you get repped? I’d moved to LA and gotten some things on my own so I had a head shot and a bit of a resume and I knew an assistant at Don Buchwald. I got hip-pocketed (Editor’s note: That’s where an agent sends you out without actually signing you as a client.) I got a few auditions, went on some things and didn’t get them then, and while I was out of town on a family emergency, they dropped me. First real rep was a manager named Carolyn Govers. She repped me for seven years and was  really, really helpful. That changed things for me after she signed me.

What was your first significant paid acting role? I did a pilot called “Stuckeyville” for CBS, which CBS decided not to pick up. But since Worldwide Pants, David Letterman’s company, was the producer of “Stuckeyville,” Les Moonves, the head of CBS, agreed to let them shop it around to other networks (which was unprecedented at the time- typically, when a network doesn’t pick up a pilot it develops, that project is dead). It was refashioned as “Ed” for NBC the next year. It was a huge deal for my career. I’d done little guests roles- one on “Angel,” for instance- but nothing like this.

Since then? I’ve done several pilots that didn’t get picked up, including one called “True” with Ann Heche created by Kari Lizer (“The New Adventures of Old Christine”), and a bunch of guest star roles. I was also on a series called “Courting Alex,” which was on for 13 episodes. One of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had was working on “Pushing Daisies.” After two episodes, I was scheduled to go back for more, and was thrilled about what Bryan Fuller had described was in store for my character, but sadly ABC did not pick up the show for the back nine (episodes).

Do you continue to train (acting classes, coaches, workshops)? I always challenge myself to learn. I think it’s important, particularly to retain a sense of enthusiasm (the audition process, when you are lucky enough to get sent out a lot, can start to feel like a means to an end). I continue studying with new people because it keeps it challenging and interesting. I worked with Tom Todoroff in the early years. I was in class with Invana Chubbuck for a while. Now I train privately, and have also worked with Steppenwolf West. There’s something great about being in a play or even working on a scene in a class, that helps preserve whatever it was that made you want to be an actor in the first place.

Has ageism been a factor in your experience as an actor? Not so much for me, because I was cast a little older when I was in my 20s and now I’m playing my age. But I think it’s particularly an issue for women. To be an actor by profession is very challenging, but for women, it’s that much more so.

Have you used your acting career- or are you planning to use it- as a way of branching into producing or directing? I haven’t yet- though I was on the boards to direct an episode of “Ed.” Unfortunately, the season got cut short, but I’d started to prepare and pay attention in a very specific way at that time, so I got a lot out of the experience. I would like to make my own movies that I would write and direct.

Eureka moment (when you realized you did or did not want to do something or that you should do something differently, etc.): I’d been playing basketball at San Francisco State and I was in my last year of eligibility and a play came up and I had to decide whether to be on the basketball team or do the play. I realized there was something more significant and defining about the play. I was nervous about making that decision, but as time went by, I realized more and more that it was the right one.

Describe a typical work day (either when you are working on a project or working to get a new project): In some ways, a “going to set” day can be easier than a “going out to acquire work” day. If you have more than one big audition in a day, it can be really trying. For one, it can be challenging to stay up and be sharp during a day of auditions, whereas when you are working on set, you have the luxury of other actors to work off of. Also, at the very least, you get a camera rehearsal, and you don’t have to actually create the world as much, you have the world laid out for you. When auditioning, you are driving all over town, getting yourself fed, and having a couple of changes of clothes for multiple appointments. You’re a suited up lawyer for one role and a blue collar worker for another, for instance. It can make for a challenging day.

Best thing about being a working actor: To make a living doing something creative is a pretty great thing, and something to be grateful for no matter how trying aspects of it can be at times. I also love getting to travel and meet new people all the time.

Worst thing about being a working actor: No matter where you are in your career, stability is going to remain an illusion. It’s always a bit of a fight no matter where you are in the pecking order.

Brush with greatness: Very early on, when I was a grip on SOMEBODY IS WAITING, I was on the set watching Gabriel Byrne doing a scene and it didn’t look like much was happening. That night, like every night, the cast and crew watched dailies being projected in 35 mm. I remember watching Gabrielle Byrne’s close up and there was so much going on, even though he wasn’t doing much. It was a learning experience.

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie: I think it’s really important to have something else in life to ground you. It could be meditation or religion for someone, community service, a meaningful family life, or another creative endeavor, something. As actors, we’re always being told when we can act and when we can’t and having something else in life will minimize the career peaks and valleys. Also, if you go into an audition and EVERYTHING is riding on the audition, you can’t be your best. The people in those rooms have very sensitive desperation radar. It can have an effect on your work and on your piece of mind. It’s really dangerous to have your sense of self-worth entirely attached to being hired as an actor. Also along those lines, with the changing technology and resources that are available for almost no money, if you have an idea that is stimulating to you, there is no reason not to produce it yourself.

Next move: I’m taking steps to have a more proactive hand in my career, to be more actively involved. And that could be to create my own material to act in, but not limited to that.

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