Today we’d like to introduce you to Louisa Sharamatyan.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Louisa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I first got my start in the entertainment industry with an internship for Entertainment Tonight at CBS. It was my first time being exposed to TV hosts, production sets, etc. I fell in love. I knew that one day I will become a TV Personality. I learned how to transcribe interviews and did a whole lot of filing tapes in their tape vault. These were actual VHS tapes. We don’t really use those anymore, lol.
I also got a taste of how fast the newsroom works and everything happens in a matter of seconds. This was when Mary Hart and Marc Steines were the hosts of Entertainment Tonight, a lot has changed since then. During my internship at ET, I started interning for Hollyscoop, which is now called Obsev Studios. Diana Madison gave me my first opportunity on the red carpet. I remember going out with a tiny tape recorder and made sure I had extra batteries with me at all times. After completing the internship both at ET and Hollyscoop, I decided to continue school full time and put Hollywood on hold for a while. I wanted to get my bachelor’s degree and have a “Plan B” in case things didn’t work out. I graduated CSULA with a BA in Sociology with a focus in Law and Society.
I thought I would go to law school for a safe, secure career. I was very wrong! Deep down, I knew that law was not my passion at all. My first job after graduating was at Deluxe Media. The world’s largest post production company. I started off as an HR Assistant and them moved into the Post Restoration department handling all the client services and then and then finally changed departments into Localization which handles all the subtitles and dubbing for films. I was a training coordinator which is basically the welcome wagon for all the new employees. As much as I loved the people I worked with, I hated my job. It sucked the soul out of my creativity. That is when I knew I had to quit and pursue my career in Hollywood, I knew I was meant for more. I knew that I wanted to be on TV, produce and work in the entertainment industry. I just knew, so I quit.
I started taking hosting classes with Marki Costello to get my feet wet. I started hosting After Shows at Afterbuzz TV, created by Maria Menounos and her husband, Keven Undergaro. Afterbuzz TV is an online broadcast network that specializes in aftershow podcasts for every TV show. From that point, I started to network like crazy just to get back on the red carpet. I started doing red carpet coverage and press junkets for FABTV.Com which is where learned everything I know today about red carpets and the art of interviewing. I met some incredible people working for FAB TV. Robert Deniro, Al Pacino, Steven Zaillian, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantinol, Brad Pitt, Leonardo Decaprio, Rosario Dawson, and even got to take a selfie with Morgan Freeman.
I am blessed and grateful for my opportunities, from then on, I started meeting different producers that needed red carpet hosts and then it all escalated from there. I started covering red carpets for Dubai TV, a phone app called 360 VUZ which is based in Dubai. I also was chosen to be on a reality show for Food Network… called Worst Bakers in America which was a blast. I am ever-growing and evolving in this small town called Hollywood. I have a lot of ideas about producing and writing films and TV shows. One step at a time.
Has it been a smooth road?
This has been the farthest thing from a smooth road. If you want to make it in Hollywood, you first have to fall in love with the journey. You hear everyone say it, but it does not happen overnight. Years of consistent work, jobs that do not pay, I call them “Fancy Internships” constant networking and self-improvement. A lot of us start off as freelancers, working gig to gig until we land a job at a big network.
Everyone has different routes. It’s also very common to have several side jobs on the side to pay the bills. A lot of my friends in the industry still have their day jobs and go on auditions during lunchtime and continue to work on their passion during the evening. Some outlets won’t pay you but in exchange, they will give you content which you do really need. You absolutely need the content and experience. That is what will make you certified and seasoned. That is what gives you credibility. That is what grows your resume, portfolio and hosting reel.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m a jack of all trades. I like to think I am able to do it all when needed! I am a red carpet reporter, and on-camera host, TV personality, host, producer and an Emcee. You have to be able to do it all. There are times when I edit my own footage which is the best feeling in the world. If you want something done, you have to do it yourself.
FabTV.com and 360 VUZ is mainly where I do my red carpeting hosting and press junkets. Afterbuzz TV is where I moderate panels for LIVE discussions, also I have one on one interviews with inspiring people. My debut as a TV personality was on Food Network’s Worst Bakers in America. One thing that I am most proud of is that I always listen to my heart in all situations. If a certain task or job does not bring me joy, I stop doing it. I can only be great at doing the things I love.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
A lot of the entertainment industry has gone digital. The goal of being an actual TV host is changing because of the rise of all the digital platforms. In some ways, it makes breaking into the industry much easier. The rise of digital streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, has decreased the actual process of going to the movies. I will forever be a traditional “Moviegoer.”
There is something about enjoying a film with a large theatre surrounded with like-minded individuals with popcorn and bonbons. YouTube channels and influencers creating content with large followings have secured several paid sponsorships that they don’t necessarily have to work for major corporate companies anymore. If someone has a unique idea for a show, they can just start it by renting out a studio or even starting their own podcast. It’s a great time in Hollywood.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @LouisaSharamatyan
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