Meet Josh Opper: Storyteller (Producer / Director / Actor / Photographer)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josh Opper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Josh, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
To succeed, I have had to manifest daily goals, which help pursue larger goals I set throughout the year. Because the nature of being a freelancer, new projects come up out of the blue, which temporarily pushes my goals to the side, adding new goals along the way. In my days of starting out as a storyteller, I am thankful to have had the humbleness to give my time freely, learning on a wide variety of projects. Being a multi-dimensional storyteller allows me to apply my experiences everything I work on. Doing what I love helps me keep persevere through all opportunity costs.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets me apart from everyone else is that I have worked in so many different positions on so many projects. From being an actor, director, producer, photographer, editor, assistant director, script supervisor, and more, I have been able to learn so much about how to successfully produce any type of project within any type of position as a storyteller. I feel like I am able to successfully balance being a business person as well as being an artist, as they both go hand in hand, respectively. The ability to make decisions on the fly which impacts each production as a whole or something that’s very subliminal within the story makes working on each project so exhilarating. From photoshoots, music videos, theatrical productions, television series, short & feature films, and other types of productions, they all have given me a leg up on what to expect in different types of positions on each project.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
California has so much to offer, from the Bay to L.A. and I recommend checking out as much as you can. Once you touch down you have to stop at In-N-Out burger and order a double-double mustard fried burger or an El Pastor burrito with salsa verde from any Mexican restaurant. First, we’ll have to go to either the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (in the Bay) 0r Venice Beach (in L.A.) to catch some waves. After that, suit up in your gym clothes to play some 5 on 5 pick-up basketball at a local park’s court. Lastly, we’ll have to pack for a picnic from a sandwich shop with Erik’s Delicatessen at the top of Mission Peak (in the Bay) or The Carving Board right below the Hollywood sign at Lake Hollywood (in L.A.) I recommend bringing a camera to photograph your trip, but also the amazing artistic imagery you can find all around this gorgeous state. There is so much to find and more which comes with being a resident of California. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have had the opportunity to be a part of amazing programs throughout my life, which have shaped my growth and development as a human being and storyteller. I first found my passion for storytelling at St. Leonards/Our Lady of Guadalupe school and church, where I got to be in my first productions. Within my time within The Boy Scouts of America, I gained the Eagle Rank and saw what true character is and how to set developmental goals. Once I reached college and attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, I learned how to dive deeper into who I am as well as the world around me, maintaining a curious personality. A book that has always stood out to me growing up was “The Giver” by Lois Lowry because I believe it has a lot to teach storytellers about the potency what we do for a living and how we change the world around us through sound, imagery, and text. Above all else, I want to shoutout my mom, Lisa, who has always been there for me every step of the way, educating me upon the art of just about everything.

Website: solo.to/joshopper

Instagram: instagram.com/mr_oppertunity

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/joshuadavidopper

Twitter: twitter.com/mr_oppertunity

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaTMjonMKcVms64MiqYQE6A

Image Credits
Shawn Kelly Jr. and Calvin Picou