that anyone can become a star out here. People look up to the big screen and see actors and directors and writer and producers and think they can create or be a part of such endeavors in the same way. And there are plenty of stories about people who did just that. Of course, it really isn’t true in the strictest sense because there are so many walls that keep everyone, talented or not, out. It certainly makes sense because if there was an open door policy throughout the town nothing would ever get done because every single production would constantly get deluged by everyone who was out here…and most of them aren’t good anyway. It was the ultimate illusion because it was based in fact and reality. It certainly was possible to become an overnight success…it just wasn’t very likely. Everyone always heard about those people who did while they didn’t heard about the countless others who did not. Such realities didn’t deter people like Carl though. Much like Peter, he had been out here scraping away doing whatever it took to pay his rent while going to auditions and workshops in his spare time so he was certainly putting in the effort. Of course, he also hung out at plenty of coffee shops and he didn’t even like coffee. He still partied like he was in college but he knew when he needed
to get serious and get to work. Between staying on top of bills and trying to get something going with his career, there actually wasn’t that much time to do anything else anyway. Lucky for him he got in enough partying during one night to last for several weeks. He was an optimist, but I wanted to ask him realistically what he thought his prospects to become successful out here were and told me in no uncertain terms that he had gone through some pretty tough times just to keep living out here. His successes so far were limited to appearing in promotional pieces that had little chance of ever going anywhere. That wasn’t even the worst of it though. He had to deal with endless auditions, agent calls, sending out resumes, updated headshots, going to call-backs, getting in contact with anyone who might be remotely interested in you…it turned into a rant and actually made my head hurt. It was a dangerous game to play. If you’re not careful eventually you turn into someone content to look forward to something
that was never going to happen. And that’s not to say that’s what Carl or anyone else was doing here. I had just seen too many people who had let their dreams pass them by but stayed here because they didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to turn into someone who spends their whole life trying to do something while actually doing nothing. Or worse…I didn’t want to end up in a line where you’re not even waiting to audition but just waiting to get something to eat. I’m sure some of those people had also come out here to pursue their dreams only things didn’t work out the way they thought it would either. Carl was determined though. He was driven. And that…that was the