We were lucky to catch up with Mike Miller recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mike, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Upon growing up in upstate New York, I had a big interest in television and movies as one of my hobbies. I was in my early to mid teens when I developed an interest in possibly pursuing an entertainment career as an actor. Then at age 15, I came up with an storyline idea for a TV series that I became motivated to write and hopefully create. Haven grown up with certain family related problems I wanted to at that point accomplish an important goal for myself. I had planned to somehow relocate to Los Angeles to pursue what would have been my first big break in the entertainment industry. Unfortunately due to setbacks with family related problems at the time, things got delayed for a couple of years or so. I finally was able to relocate to Los Angeles in 1994 at age 19.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Upon arriving in L.A. back in ’94, I immediately set out to pursue my career goals through what would have been my first project and recieved help with putting a script together which like many others, I was very nervous at the time. Then upon attempting to pursue things with my first script, there were personal circumstances that I had to deal with including struggling with keeping a roof over my head as I had to move countless times which wasn’t easy for me. Then upon coming to a church in Hollywood in the mid to late 90s which I eventually became a member of as well and was also baptized, some people from a community group who were involved with advocating for the community came to my church for a community meeting which became interesting to me and I somehow ended up being drawn into community activities as a community advocate. I then spent over a decade getting involved in as many things as possible working different other community groups and advocates dealing with issues including affordable housing, hunger and cival rights among other things which sort of distracted me from my other goal with pursuing my entertainment career. When my father passed away back in 2010 which effected me very much, I then came to realize that I wasn’t accomplishing what I should have been doing and that my work as a community activist wasn’t meant to be. I then decided to leave my community work to get back on track with pursuing my entertainment career which was what brought me to Los Angeles in the first place. Around that time, a friend referred me to a website on line which then helped give me the idea to create and start my own production company which I decided to call “Family Horizons Entertainment” to produce different projects including documentaries, short films, television and theatrical related to family programming and important issues which effect our world and society. Going back to my first script, I had been made aware that in order for me to produce something like that myself, the only obstacle which was a big one for me at the time was money. That being said, I decided at first to start of with other smaller and short projects as many others who first start out at the same level normally do. With the issue of homelessness being as critical and important as it is today and with my experience with the issue on a personal and perfessional level, for my first project I decided to do a documentary about homelessness which focuses on the issue of homelessness in Los Angeles. Upon completing the documentary a few years back, I then wrote a couple of other short stories which I also completed with problems including financially. I am so far proud that I have set out to accomplish things in the entertainment industry that are important at a time when we need family programming and projects relating to important issues in our world which the business is struggling to keep up with today at a time especially when we need it the most.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

For me, I can say that it has been a very long and difficult road. Others who have faced the same path in trying to accomplish their goals understand where it may not be as easy for others to understand. I am one who believes that everyone deserves a chance. I have heard conversation on social media from some in the entertainment industry who have accomplished their goals differerently than people like myself seem quick to judge others like myself who have yet to accomplish out goals. There are reasons for everything. There is a difference between people who are failing to accomplish their goals because they refuse to try to make the effort and others who are trying but are forced to face obstacles and different challenges and setbacks which make it difficult. There are things that people need to be successful especially in a big business like the entertainment industry. It starts with the will power and desire to accomplish your goals. But unfortunately it doesn’t end there as there are other things that people also need to be successful especially when they are first starting out and that unfortunately includes financial support as well as other support that is needed including people who believe in you or more importantly what you are trying to accomplish and are willing to provide you with that. Sometimes be difficult when you are first starting out and like many others, you are reaching out to others asking for the same support and chances that they recieved from others that brought them to where they are now and to be the success that they are today. Without that same support, many others would not even have been able to accomplish their goals and dreams. I am one who unfortunately from experience has learned that things are not always as easy. I have heard of others in the business who also set out to accomplish similar goals only to fail and have considered themselves failures because they have also tried hard and yet somehow have been denied the same chance which we all deserve that chance. When you consider things from my point of view, my goals and dreams were planned years ago in the past tense before some others first came to the business and even long before some who I have even came to know personally in the last few years were even born. Not a day goes by where I do not have regrets of how things could have and should have been though many of the circumstances behind the long journey that I had to take to get to where I am now though much of it was not planned from my point of view. Nevertheless, it has been a very long rough road that has not been easy. Everyone who believes in themselves and sets out to achieve something deserves better than that and should recieve the benefit of a doubt.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As I stated, my production company is focused on creating faith based and family film projects which again will reflect on important issues in our society as I feel it is very important. It was actually late producer/actor/writer/director Michael Landon who inspired me through his television shows and programming which I was fortunate to grow up with and still enjoy very much to this day which has motivated me to pursue family programming as well. In addition to the fact that I also share personal circumstances with Michael as well as I understand that Michael grew up with a sad and difficult childhood simular to mine which I understood motivated Michael to pursue the programming that he did when he was alive. I have vowed to somehow carry out that same legacy upon being able to be provided with what is needed to accomplish that goal which is important.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/familyhorizonsentertainment
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/VjkZAn0j3CU