Last month I sat waiting at Sydney airport three days is a row, hoping and praying that I would claim that last seat on the plane. Day 1, come back. Day 2, close, but come back. Finally it was day 3 where I began my 8000 mile journey, to the home of entertainment, media and celebrities – Hollywood! I had been over there a number of times as a kid, but now with my Media studies and entertainment and motion picture interests, it seemed so much more relevant. Even though it was only for a few weeks I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to put myself out there and start making a name for myself. “Networking”, “Networking”, “Networking”. I heard it everywhere. You could be the most talented actor in the world, but everyone needs that first opportunity to kickstart their career. We all need a door opened.

I am lucky in the sense that I already have a wonderful connection into the industry, through my dad, Rock Riddle. A current Hollywood publicist with years of experience in the industry, and former professional wrestler.

One evening, we set off for the 40 minute drive to Long Beach. Dressed in suits to look the part and to present a good first impression. Rock and I made a guest appearance at the LBAFA (Long Beach Acting and Film Association) monthly meeting. It was a great opportunity to meet new people and discuss our common entertainment-related interests. It was almost overwhelming for me, as I was bordering on a guest celebrity – the young Australian filmmaker. Everybody sought to establish a good rapport so that I could hire them for any possible future projects. The guest speaker was a man by the name of Michael Reid MacKay, who provided fantastic insight into many of his previous acting projects, including Se7en, Ace Ventura, Batman and Robin, and X-Men 2. Famous for his scream, he demonstrated how shocking and jump-worthy it was. As we were in a populated restaurant, this caused some commotion. Let’s just say many plates we’re almost dropped…

The evening closed with the shooting of a short film called ‘Pop the Question’. I played the part of Adam, the friend against the protagonist getting married because he’s secretly in love with her. Apparently that will be my first IMBD credit on the way!

It was a great experience! Hopefully I shall be returning to American soil very soon.

There will be more stories on the way – stay tuned