We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zachary Roozen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Zachary , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I think the assumption a lot of us have in this business is that it will happen young and we will be “discovered” early. That someone will see us, appreciate our talents and abilities, and give us opportunities. And while this does happen for a lucky few, it is few and far between. Now more than ever, we live in a time where being an actor means active action. Gone are the days of “Well, my agent will handle that”, or “It’s just not a good time in the industry”. This mindset is the progress killer. Kill it. Adapt a new attitude, “I am working ACTively on defining projects that speak to my skillset so others will see what I am capable of”.

In my life, that took the form of writing, acting, and most importantly ‘producing’ my first film Happy Endings Funeral Parlor. I knew individual pillars of content creation but I had never tried to connect them all together. The only way to truly learn is by doing, so I recommend you get out there and make your own opportunity because people won’t do it for you.

The process of doing things independently feels daunting at first, but then you realize that you get creative freedom and ownership that you wouldn’t get in making films the traditional route. You will work in a capacity that forces you to innovate despite creative constriction and yet rewards hard work and genuine sweat equity. You will see progress and it will feel all the more meaningful when you realize you are driving the project forward.

Our film, which follows the hilarious escapades of two brothers managing a failing funeral parlor takes place in rural Iowa, a community underrepresented in Hollywood and which I have a tremendous amount of respect and passion for. It takes death, an issue that is often feared, mysterious, and universally faced and channels it through the healing power of comedy without fear of conforming to any prerogatives or agendas. Through hard work and diligence, we were able to structure a world-class cast and crew to pull it off. It is amazing how passion opens doors and encourages others to join in your efforts. Our crew and cast have a cumulative seven Emmys, two Golden Globes, a Tony, and BET/MTV awards. They were drawn to the project by our determination to complete the task despite the odds and on an independent budget. Every roadblock will be brutal, but when you watch the piece come together day by day you will realize the power of taking the reigns in your own hands.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Like most creatives in film, I fell in love with the idea of becoming a storyteller pretty young. It started with recording little projects with my cousins on a Sony handheld camera in the backyard. Originally we lacked the ‘story’ element of storytelling and focused on all of the adventures little rascals could find in rural Iowa and Minnesota. However, the more we made, the more I became fascinated by structure, characterization, and composition (although we certainly didn’t call it that back then. Ha!).

As I aged, my friends took on other career interests but I realized I never wanted to. I never grew out of the idea that I could imagine stories, film them and that people would actually watch them. Around seventeen the realization came that to make money in the film business it helps to learn the business side of the equation. I ended up at the University of Southern California where I received a BFA in film. Upon graduation, I thought hundreds of calls and opportunities would just pour into my lap. I imagined myself on a Universal soundstage sipping lattes and listening to ACTION and CUT. CUT to one year later and my newfound ACTION in life became understanding that this business is a marathon and not a sprint.

While auditioning and writing I shifted to YouTube and restaurants to keep cash in hand and to keep the dream alive. YouTube taught me how to innovate, adapt, and edit while the restaurant taught me a few things about humility and hard work. Slowly, I began to build up credits and simultaneously build up subscribers on new media outlets. I took on jobs with prominent casting directors, managed studio entities, and even edited a documentary for a major publication to sharpen my skillset and expand my portfolio. Step by step I have worked my way up to living full-time off my creative pursuits and it has been incredibly rewarding knowing that the progress, although incremental, is still very visible in my work.

Over time, the amalgamation of my work and experience has given me the confidence to work at any level. Stay open, keep searching, and keep moving forward. If you think you can do it…others will believe you. You have time… after all, it is indeed a marathon.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

There are a lot of great resources out there for creatives that have inspired me in so many ways. I had a mentor once remind me to “steal like an artist”. Essentially, use every resource you have available to keep growing and innovating. Some of my favorite books to mention would be ‘Rebel Without a Crew’ (Robert Rodriguez), ‘Creativity, Inc.’ (Ed Catcall), and ‘My First Movie’ (Stephen Lowenstein). These books are more about perspective and innovation than structure or layout. I also like to remind people that inspiration comes in more ways than the literal. Sometimes I find when I get stuck in my work to read something completely out of genre to shake things up. The is a reason poems. music and fine art have survived the test of time…they are some of the most powerful vessels for creativity.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

My response to this question is more aimed at how to accept the fact that others WILL NOT understand your journey. Parents, friends, partners – they are your most valuable resources but they can also be your greatest obstacles. Trust your intuition and focus on people in creative spaces that lift you! Never trust the highest praise or the lowest criticism – they are probably both wrong.

If you compare yourself to others it is the quickest way to death, so keep things grounded in your goals and in the day-to-day operations of what you can control. People will not understand what you are going through so be good to yourself. Take care of your mental health by hanging around positive and supportive people that lift you. Brush judgment from negative deterrents by doing things that empower and instill confidence in who you want to be. And branch out – if everyone around you is struggling to make things work and constantly talking about how much the industry sucks, it might be time for you to meet friends that bake, work in finance, or walk dogs. Your conversations will be refreshing and you may learn a thing or two along the way.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @ZacharyRoozen
• Youtube: ZacharyRoozen

Image Credits

Getty Images
Funeral Parlor, LLC