A few years ago I met my girlfriend on the ABC TV show Nashville. I had known her from working with her daughter before that.
For over 20 years, I have been a songwriter, musician, production manager, dancer, animator, and engineer.
One day I was going to the PO Box to pick up royalty checks and she asked what they were for?
When I told her she uttered the famous line "Why don't you, instead of writing 3-minute stories that rhyme, write some longer stories and cast me in them?"
I thought, 'That's easier than getting an agent, just date a writer.'
So I started to write screenplays.
Pre Covid we had two features in acquisition and two in production. Then March 2020 happened and shut my worlds down.
Both music and writing.
I felt like Mr. Spock when Vulcan blew up.
So I went to work for Dr Evil, at the time the richest man in the world, and would on rare days off, Produce my YouTube show and write.
Write I did. About a show a month. Dozens and dozens.
When I left, I rented a writer's room in Murfreesboro TN, and polished, registered the good ones, and wrote some more. I even converted a screenplay into a manuscript and have had it published on Amazon. (FYI might be the hardest thing I have ever attempted.)
In September of 2022, I came back to Los Angeles to re-establish connections. Go to Holiday Parties, meet-ups, and FYC's.
In March I drove back to Tennessee and we shot a pilot for an unscripted Game Show. The Cash Evator.
https://youtu.be/B6CBBOP1-Hg?si=OJAR78IP5rCqLcka
Arriving back in Los Angeles I started pitching again and had 2 live, in-the-room pitches in April when the WGA went on strike.
Having exhausted most of my savings and maxing out all my credit cards, I had no choice but to join the WGA in solidarity. I used to joke that I walked from 9:00 till they fed me. I opposite of a cat. Feed me and I leave.
(BTW if I go too long in a pitch meeting that may work.)
Then SAG went on strike. Since I am a member of SAG as an actor and dancer, I switched my local from Nashville to Los Angeles and became a strike captain.
I started at Disney for the first five weeks, The lot captain announced that they really needed help on the West side. Since by then I was living in my van I moved.
I spent the next three weeks at Amazon,. I find it very doubtful I will ever work for Dr. Evil again. After a couple confusing incidents with the strike organizers, I moved to Sony.
I spent the last five weeks of the strike at Sony and had a blast.
A few weeks before the WGA reached an agreement with the AMPTP my friend and fellow actor Audrey Moore helped to organize a farmers market for the IATSE, WGA, SAG-AFTRA, and anyone else in the entertainment industry that was having food insecurities. I was very blessed that she allowed me to help with that. A few weeks before it ended I was told they had enough volunteers so I moved on.
While I was in Nashville I was able to help with a group called Musicaly-Fed. They take catering from the major shows and donate it to local shelters. I have been able to take food from Metallica, The Luminars, Eric Clapton Crossroads, and many other shows at the Hollywood Bowl, Sofi Stadium, and Cypto Arena. I still continue to help them. (It's free shows, can you blame me?)
The day the WGA ended their strike I started pitching again. This is where I am now. Pitching as often as I can. I am still writing 6-10 pages most days or about a script a month. Starting the first of next year. I will be looking for a production house where I can help develop scripts according to whom they have output deals with.
If you hear of anyone looking for a writer let me know. I am famous for my generosity.
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