By Bethany Nicole
Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) 06/17/2023
Zack Arnold is the associate producer of the hit series Cobra Kai and is the CEO of Optimize Yourself, a business that enables him to help thousands of creative professionals to design a more balanced and fulfilling creative career. Basically, if you are in the entertainment industry or looking to get into the industry, or even potentially looking to run screaming away from the industry, Zack is the guy to know. Yet he emphasizes that creatives across all works of career life can benefit from what his service has to offer.
We got the opportunity to sit down with Zack and pick his brain on all things writers’ strike and beyond, and trust us, you are going to want to hear with this impressive entrepreneur had to say.
What Is The Writer’s Strike About?
So, we started off by asking Zack his entertainment industry opinion on what the Writer’s Strike is and what is it all about.
Zack credits the current entertainment crisis to three main issues: AI incorporation, streaming services reimbursement, and writers’ room practices including the use of something called “mini rooms.”
While each issue has its own layers, details, and intricacies he gives us a quick overview of each. He explains that with television’s evolution “or as some would call it de-evolution,” to streaming services, a more complicated payout situation is created. The show’s success is not as easily measured and therefore not as easily calculated or divvied up the way it was on network television or via film/movie theatre production. Therefore, creatives often get the short end of the stick in payouts, sometimes creating entire series and shows but only receiving small residuals for their immense contribution. There just hasn’t been a good system in place to handle this move, and creatives are the ones suffering from that.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) inclusion is also another aspect of the strike, as AI is now able to create content that before would be credited to writers, actors, etc. Many are worried that AI could reach a point where it takes jobs from writers and despite that being more conceivable in the future, it still is currently allowing Hollywood industries to cut corners and threatens to continue to do so. Writers are looking to come to an agreement on how much/type/and what AI inclusion in the industry is going to look like moving forward.
Last but not least, Zack explains, that writers’ rooms have become a very hot-button issue in the industry as well as the practice of “mini rooms.” Mini rooms are thinly staffed writing rooms where a group of creative professionals creates a concept, pilot, and sometimes an entire season for a show. Unfortunately, they have no idea whether that show will be picked up or not, and if it isn’t they are out of a job. And even worse, sometimes even if it is picked up, much of the staff will be cut anyway, relying on an overworked group of individuals to carry on the series, leaving fellow creatives out in the dust. Then with the addition of streaming, the residuals some of the creatives receive for creating an entire series concept is incredibly low. The practice is unstable, unfair, and ineffective in the long term as series cohesion often suffers from the practice. Zack also points out that it creates a lack of experienced writers, showrunners, etc. because they do not get to be part of the process from beginning to end, they are basically shoved into a room to be “idea machines” without seeing the rest of the process.
Zack explains that unfortunately, this is the industry standard in Hollywood, basically, this is nothing new. Creatives have been struggling in the industry for a long time and everyone from writers to actors to editors are affected. Zack revealed that he himself while working on an editing project would often work so many hours, that he rarely saw his family, often having to put his kids to bed over Facetime, but more on that later. He feels now is almost a reckoning for Hollywood in how it has operated for many years. These outdated and exploitative practices have to change, yet Zack reveals that could be a long time coming. The networks are resistant to making big changes, choosing often to simply wait the writers out, to hold out until the writer’s cave. Yet many feel this is a reckoning for all of Hollywood, not just for writers as actors and other entertainment professionals could be getting in on the action too, basically grinding the industry to a halt.
In other words, this strike could last a while.
Zack Offers Another Way
This is exactly where Zack and his business Optimize Yourself comes in. Zack shares his own personal experience of burnout and serious existential reckoning when yet another night of Facetime bedtimes led his then 5-year-old son to question why his father didn’t love him. Ouch. No wonder Zack made some serious pivots after that! Yet Zack realized he was by no means alone in his burnout, many other creatives felt the same and Zack decided there had to be another way. So, he created Optimize Yourself and he began to help creatives find sustainable and fulfilling careers whether within the industry or outside of it entirely.
So, our big question was—How? How does he do it? Zack explained the very first step for all of his creatives is a mindset shift. A shift around their value, a shift around what’s possible, and a shift around the concept of one job, and one ladder. He explains that that dynamic is shifting and that many creatives can expect to have five different jobs/pivots in their career. We discuss it as chapters in a book, as he helps creatives find the thread that connects their chapters and creates the theme of their book. He helps take away the sense many often feel of failure, wasted time, etc., and helps them realize that all of their experience has connection and value. Such a powerful message.
The Three Key Creative Takeaways
Zack was also kind enough to share his top 3 takeaways with us for creatives in the industry or those looking to break into it.
Find Your Story
Hone your Craft
Make Connections
Zack gave one of the best explanations we’ve heard (literally gave us chills in the video, check it out!) “Find Your Story So Others Will Become Invested In Your Journey.” Yes, Zack! He teaches his clients not only how to find their story, but how to tell it.
Hone your craft so that when you do get in front of the right people, you wow them! You want to talk the talk and walk the walk.
Making connections and relationships are key, especially in the entertainment industry. We discuss how even in life and other career pursuits when you are looking for a new decorator, gardener, or anything really, the first thing you do is ask friends for a referral. Do they know anyone? Do they have someone they use that they really like? “No one wants to post a job and go through 500 resumes” Zack explains, so if they can find someone in their network that’s going to be their first step. Building those connections (especially in the industry) can help you be that referral. It can also set you apart from the pile of resumes. Zack also details how knowing your story and how you can solve that organization’s specific problem can also be a skill set the other pile of applicants might not have.
To see what this looks like in real-time and how Zack helped a client put this plan into action to land her (and everyone’s really) industry dream job, check out the interview!
Zack is a person you will want to get to know and is available for one-on-one consultation through his website but you’re going to have to take a number because we are definitely already in line ahead of you. Seriously, this guy is the real deal in helping creatives find their way, and with the industry and careers changing so quickly it’s time to start looking to the next chapter of our lives. Check out the video interview to see how you can use the various chapters of your life to weave together one amazing story. Then try not to knock anyone over on your way to book your spot with him.
Zack also hosts the Optimize Yourself podcast where he gives lots of additional creative resources, advice, and interviews. It’s an excellent resource for anyone in a creative career, in the entertainment industry, or even who just wants to see how they might expand their own career pathway. You can find out more about ways to connect with him below.
Keep Up with Zack Here:
Optimize Yourself Podcast