Daily Inspiration: Meet Dade Elza

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dade Elza.

Hi Dade, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve always had a passion for dramatics haha, I can remember as a child doing plays for my school and church, and even making home movies where my mother would make me costumes and create these intricate cardboard set pieces for my friends and I so we could let our imaginations soar, immersing ourselves in all the worlds we wanted to be a part of. I guess thats where it started and as I grew I craved that ability, to immerse myself in another world, another part of the human experience. So naturally I moved to Los Angeles to increase the opportunities to do just that, along the way I met some friends who really helped me realize that in between booking projects I didn’t have to sit around and wait for the next opportunity, I could do what I used to do as a child on a grander scale and actually create my own chance to live in the worlds I wanted to live in. Through that I’ve been fortunate to be a part of countless stories alongside my friends in the world of super heroes, fantasy, mystery, etc. and ultimately create and star in a very successful online pilot “Mystery Incorporated”. I learned so much in that process and I’m taking those lessons into my next chapter as I find new ways to create and bring the stories I want to tell to life.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Anything worth having comes with it’s own share of challenges and creating is absolutely no different. For starters, you can’t do anything without a budget and you can’t gain a budget until you sell others on your idea. Even then the challenges that arise are impossible to predict but the absolute hardest thing to do is to actually start. Everyone has an idea, taking the time to take that idea and turn it into something tangible is no small task. I commend anyone who’s able to make that step. Once you cross that hurdle and build your stride, surrounding yourself with people who believe in you and believe in the vision, you can overcome anything. Just takes some hard work and perseverance.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m an actor and content creator working on creating my own opportunities in the industry to play the characters I’ve dreamt of playing and live in the worlds I’ve dreamt of living in. I’m most known for the pilot “Mystery Incorporated” a modern live-action retelling of Scooby-Doo. I wrote, produced and starred in the episode as Fred Jones. I’m most proud of how that episode turned out and how the fans interacted with it. Within the first week of release we hit IMDB’s top 100 shows on television and as of writing this we’re nearing 5 and a half million views on youtube. I’m looking forward to my next couple of projects that I’m currently working on and seeing how the fans react to those as well. As far as what sets me apart from others is honestly the friends and teams I’ve been lucky enough to work with. I literally couldn’t have done any of what I’ve been able to accomplish without the people who surround me, they’re the real MVPs!

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Oh man, this industry is ALL luck haha. You can work and prep all you want and make something you’re super proud of but that doesn’t mean it’s going to hit the audience the way you want it to. Sometimes it’s all about timing and who it hits when, which is a HUGE matter of luck. Best thing you can do is just leave it all out there and do something you’re proud of, the end result is out of your control.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dadelza
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/mysteryincorporated
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/dadelza

Image Credits
Eric Carrol, Mike Saffels