Hollywood Dreams

About Hollywood Dreams, The Unexpected Journey

Hollywood Dreams, is a documentary that follows the lives and careers of many different artists throughout the different areas of the entertainment business. Though there has been a shift in parity and the increase in hiring women and people of color, it is still incredibly difficult to break into a career in entertainment. This industry is unique in that there is no oversight except that of the public eye, and no traditional path to success either in front of or behind the scenes. Social media has changed the playing field, which is already oversaturated. Making it as an entertainer, or in production is often the equivalent of waiting on the outside of a velvet rope, hoping to be noticed in a sea of competitors. Even for those in positions of privilege who have inside connections and advantages, success is never a guarantee.

There is a public misconception that if one appears on a reality show, or stars in a film, puts out a musical single, or gets on a production crew, that they are financially set for life. It’s also a misconception that those who reach success will maintain it indefinitely. But nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, even those who have tasted public success can struggle to keep body and soul together. Additionally, there is no privacy anymore, especially for those in the public eye. The slightest perceived misstep in one’s past can resurface online out of seemingly nowhere, and completely derail a career overnight.

With the impact of ever-changing technology, and with the rise of social media, accessing the public eye is, in a sense, more of a possibility than ever before. Despite this, the day-to-day realities of supporting oneself as an artist or a behind-the-scenes professional haven’t changed much since the golden era of the studio contracts. It is a gig economy, fueled mostly by the quality of one’s connections, where gate keepers seem to wait at every corner. It is a place where those in front of and behind the scenes often live job to job, and sometimes go years without employment in their fields. The industry as a whole is highly charged, and can be brought to a standstill in an instant by forces outside an artist’s control. Currently, this includes the pandemic, but past examples include strikes by various unions, blacklisting by the government, wars, or any number of variables.

On a political level, the influence of storytelling and of storytellers is so powerful that it has often caught the attention of the government. From the blacklisting campaign of the Hoover administration to Trump’s repeated demands to investigate Saturday Night Live, politicians have attempted to police the industry whenever they felt it was subverting Washington’s influence.

For every film, TV, and musical star, there are countless others who have become casualties of the industry. Our documentary follows several subjects at different levels in the industry whose lives reflect the reality of what it takes not only to succeed, but to simply survive. We will explore what it is about entertainment that drives them, and why the public thrives on the industry. We explore what drives people to stay in this industry above all others, when the stakes of economic and personal survival are so high.

You are invited to ride along with us on this very special journey, to get a behind the scenes look at what inspires these individuals to pursuit a career in the entertainment industry.

Throughout this documentary you will meet some fascinating people who work in the entertainment business, both in front and behind the camera. These interviews will give you the insight into their lives, their dreams and their actual journey through Hollywood, the good, the bad and the inspiring. Come fall in love with these remarkable people, just like we did.

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