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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

JOHN HERMANN

John Hermann’s acting credits include independent films, television and commercials. Lately, the Wisconsin native spends more time as a line producer. Working in the entertainment business can be frustrating at times, as jobs frequently come and go, but finishing a creative project is equally rewarding, Hermann says. How did you get into the film business? Six and half years ago I drove out to L.A. to be an actor. I started on that side of things, taking classes and getting training. I decided to get into crew work to make contacts. That is where my path is taking me. I owned my own production company for a few years until I sold that. A lot of people come out with a specific goal in mind, but for me the acting fell by the wayside. Do you miss acting? I do, but it is not a door I have totally closed, as long as I get jobs on the production side of things. I think the acting is tougher. There is more competition. I miss the creativity. They are lower-paying jobs and I do not miss that part of it. What’s the toughest part of your job? The inconsistency. Being a freelancer makes it tough to have a consistent job and a consistent paycheck. You can’t make plans. I had a friend call about going out of town in three weeks. I said to him that I can’t commit until a week beforehand. I can find out a week ahead of time that I have a job out of state for three months. What’s the most satisfying part of your job? When you wrap. Watching all the pieces you put together and successfully navigated through a film shoot. They can be a challenge. But when you call wrap and everything is in the can that is the best feeling there is. Would you move to another state to stay working in entertainment? Yes, as long as it’s consistent. If someone told me I could move to New York City and have a consistent career, I’d do it. I would move to a city with a robust film community. I would not move from L.A. to go somewhere where the jobs are few and far between. Do you get star struck? Not yet. I have not run into the likes of Tom Cruise. I have worked with notable actors and met notable people. They are all the same. They are people like us. It makes it easy to see them for what they are. What’s your next project? Unemployed. Again with the inconsistency. I do not have another project lined up. I am finishing wrapping up the books (on my current project) and then it is on to finding new work.

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