Meet Stephen Kogon | Filmmaker, Writer and Actor

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

Hi Stephen, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
I think a lot of people are aware of the phrase “It’s who you know” in regards to breaking into the entertainment industry, but I don’t know if they realize what that fully entails, especially for people who lean towards being introverted (like writers). The idea of schmoozing for many is unpleasant, but meeting as many people as possible is important. In today’s world, social media makes it a little easier — but you still have to approach things professionally. And don’t just be a taker. Form as many mutual and reciprocal relationships as you can.

However, while getting you in the door may largely be helped by “who you know”, sticking around is more about “what you know and how you treat people”. It is a results-based business, so you have to deliver the goods if you’re a writer, actor, director or other. And also, word gets around if you’re unpleasant to work with, so treating others well is not only the right thing to do but will help you get more work and have a flourishing career.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My first movie “Dance Baby Dance”, about an underdog tap dancer who has to overcome great obstacles to achieve his dream, came out in 2018. I’m very proud of making the film because it was a story I really wanted to tell — and the process was like steering the Titanic successfully into port 🙂

Most first films (and all films) are challenging to make, but like the main character in the film, I as a filmmaker had to overcome some pretty big obstacles (which can be read about in a book I wrote about making the film – link at my website www.stephenkogon.com).

Some of the lessons I learned about that was just how important it is to surround yourself with the right people. Even just a few bad eggs can cause tremendous damage — and when you spot red flags, act upon them. That’s difficult to do as a first-time filmmaker because you’re relying on others’ experience so much that it’s easy to ignore red flags. Don’t. You’ll very much regret it later if you do.

While making the film was difficult, there were also wonderful outcomes and wonderful people that I met. I’d work with all those people again any time, including Jim O’Heir (Parks and Recreation) and Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911). Not only are they really talented, but they were amazing to work with.

I’ve since launched another project, a comedy show called “Groad the Guardian Demon” that has both of them in it. We hope to pitch it soon to platforms/networks and have a multi-year run.

My main piece of advice for others who want to work in the entertainment industry is to focus on “love of doing.” There’s lots of ups and downs and obstacles in this business which can drag you down, and make many people give up, but if you focus on how much you love what you’re doing, whether it be acting, writing, directing, or other — that will help you ride out the rougher times.

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?
Living in Los Angeles, this list is numerous. Luckily there’s something for everyone, whether it be restaurants, entertainment, or experiential. We’ve got beaches: if you want more of a tourist experience go to Santa Monica, Venice or Manhattan Beach. For a good, probably less crowded beach day I’d suggest Hermosa, Redondo or Zuma. If they want to play beach volleyball I’d take them to Manhattan Beach.

For the full tourist experience there’s Hollywood Blvd. (with the walk of fame) and some famous bars like the Whisky a Go Go and comedy clubs like The Comedy Store.

Big Bear and other mountains aren’t too far of a drive, where you can ski in the winter or enjoy hiking in nature in the summer.

No matter your musical tastes, culinary tastes, or entertainment tastes you’ll find it here. It’s hard to blanket recommend anything specific since tastes vary — so when people who know me visit here I give them recommendations based on their personal interests.

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?
My parents are the biggest reasons for me being a filmmaker. And they know nothing about filmmaking, so it has nothing to do with that 🙂 It was about their support. I’m originally from Maryland (3000 miles away from Hollywood). Growing up, my family and I knew no one in the film industry or anything really about it. I went to a nearby college (UMBC) and graduated with a degree in Economics with a Managerial Certificate (which was the equivalent of a business degree).

But as soon as I graduated, I knew I wanted to move to Hollywood to pursue my filmmaking dreams. It would have been extremely difficult (and maybe even deterred me) if they had any opposition. But they didn’t. And my father made the drive with me out to Los Angeles — whereupon I began my journey.

Website: www.stephenkogon.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephen_kogon/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenkogon/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR6Ua7hq1FLyZToYeClLUgw

Other: For my comedy show “Groad the Guardian Demon”: http://bit.ly/Groad_At_YouTube For my children’s books “Squiglet the Rhyming Piglet”: https://bit.ly/Squiglet_The_Piglet For my Chuckle for Charity channel: www.ChuckleForCharity For the book I wrote about the making of my film “Dance Baby Dance”: https://www.amazon.com/Movie-DANCE-While-Director-Producer-ebook/dp/B07B5YNGM8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1520206863&sr=1-1&keywords=Stephen+Kogon