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Making It In Hollywood – with Michael Dermen – ON THE GO – Episode 76

November 12^th, 2017

by Fabian ChaundyNovember 12^th, 2017

This week on cinema5D ON THE GO, we talk to Argentinean Line Producer Michael Dermen about building a career in Hollywood.

Michael Dermen is a successful Line Producer with credits in TV shows such as Car Chasers, Naked and Afraid and Top Gear. Although he is now based in Los Angeles, it was a long journey from his home in Argentina.

He got his first taste of the film and TV industry after securing a football scholarship to study in the US. Upon his return to Argentina, he used the knowledge he had acquired in the States to find high-profile jobs, such as helping produce Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s reality show Q’Viva! The Chosen. Michael then continued travelling with Jennifer Lopez on her world tour, which eventually saw him land once again on US soil.

Michael tells us how networking proved essential for the bureaucratic aspects of acquiring an 01 Visa – the kind reserved for those with extraordinary abilities – as one of the requirements is eight letters of recommendation from industry peers.

Michael Dermen goes on to tell us a bit about his love for the city of Los Angeles, a multicultural metropolis with beautiful sights and many opportunities to work in the industry. He tells us, however, how his move from Argentina meant he would take a step back from his Line Producer role, deciding to work as a coordinator for a time in order to figure out the way things worked in this new town.

Stay tuned for next week’s episode, where we will discuss Michael’s experiences in shooting the survival reality show Naked and Afraid.

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