Born in Indianapolis and raised in the desert of Scottsdale, Arizona, Ericka Kelly didn’t grow up surrounded by industry connections or a clear path to Hollywood. She grew up as one of the only Black kids in a very white suburb, with very Black parents, feeling tokenized at school but completely herself in the dance studio. Dance was her power and her escape: the place she could throw punches on the floor instead of in real life, sweat out the day, and experience what she calls “full‑body meditation.” What started as an after‑school outlet turned into Disney parade work at Disneyland, then the Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Suns dance teams—professional gigs that quietly instilled the habits that now define her: be early, be prepared, and leave your attitude at the door.

In this episode of Call Sheet Confessions, Ericka and I trace how that disciplined sideline dancer became a cannabis marketing manager in Oakland, a divorced twenty‑something rebuilding her life after a mentally and financially abusive relationship, and ultimately a union costumer in Los Angeles. She walks us through getting physically sick from stress, using cannabis to manage a brutal cyclic vomiting syndrome, and following packs of Black women in the Bay’s cannabis scene into a new career—only to find herself tokenized again as the face of white‑owned brands. When COVID wiped out her job after a transfer to LA, Ericka went back to pure creativity: dance classes, styling friends, shooting music videos just because they could. A last‑minute call to fill in as a wardrobe PA on a commercial changed everything. Her organization, proactive mindset, and dancer‑trained eye turned one day of work into a mentorship under a veteran costumer and a clear path into the union.

We get into what a costumer actually does and why the job is so far from glamorous: prepping at costume houses with limited size runs, building and running high‑volume fittings, watching your favorite looks get passed over, and then spending days doing the least sexy part of the job—returns. Ericka breaks down how she manages big, chaotic days like Adidas’ World Cup jersey reveal with 40+ global creators, what it’s like to help dress Culture’s Biggest Night at the BET Awards, and the quiet thrill of hearing “no notes” from legends like Laurieann Gibson. She talks candidly about setting the tone in the fitting room, insisting people walk over rather than shout across the space, and reminding her team they’re “just putting clothes on people” when everyone’s spiraling.

We also talk about the boundaries she’s had to build as a Black woman in wardrobe—the baggy clothes and hats she wears to deflect unwanted attention, the hard line she draws at being hit on at work, and how pro sports dance culture taught her early that the players will never be the ones who get fired. From there, we dive into union reality: 10‑hour days versus 12, overtime and meal penalties, health insurance that actually works, and why she’ll always advocate for union sets. And through it all, Ericka owns her multi‑hyphenate lane: dancer, costumer, model, photographer, yogi. She talks about using breathwork to survive 10 hours of hearing her name called, staying disciplined enough to keep every creative muscle warm, and slowly getting over her fear of being seen so she can finally share more of her work online.

This is an episode about being many things at once—and refusing to shrink any of them to make other people comfortable. It’s for dancers wondering what comes after the court, creatives thinking about switching industries, and anyone trying to rebuild after a life they thought they wanted falls apart.

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Bianca Roth didn’t grow up surrounded by film sets or “industry kids.” She was the bossy oldest sister with an iPod and iMovie, forcing her siblings into homemade commercials and music videos, secretly dreaming about film while everyone around her was focused on sports and “practical” careers.

In small private schools where creativity wasn’t exactly cool, she buried the idea of directing and told people she just wanted to “write.” It wasn’t until a single PA gig on a chaotic overnight student shoot that everything clicked: this was a real job people actually did — and she wanted in. From there, she switched her major to TV writing and production, learned how to produce full pilots under SAG rules, and started quietly stockpiling real-life stories in her Notes app that would one day become her own show, 20 Somethings.

In this episode of Call Sheet Confessions, Bianca and I unpack how she went from a 9–5 assistant on the business side of Hollywood to raising $100,000 independently to shoot her own pilot — no studio backing, no famous last name. We walk through the unsexy reality of crowdfunding, asking family for money, pitching private investors, and landing brand deals and in‑kind sponsors by treating her show like a startup. Bianca breaks down how she found her AD and lead actress on TikTok, why she shot 20 Somethings both horizontally and vertically for social media, what really matters in a pitch, and how she’s using improv, Instagram, and pure persistence to build a rewatchable, comfort‑TV series from scratch. She also shares her non‑negotiables on set, her “industry icks,” the fine line between ego and collaboration, and why calling yourself a writer or director — before anyone else does — might be the most powerful move you can make.

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From Lego stop-motion in Japan to lighting Kendrick Lamar and national commercials, chief lighting technician Justin Usami (founder of Umami Lighting LLC) sits down with host Mia LePage to talk honestly about breaking into the film industry, surviving culture shock, and learning to speak up on set.

In this episode of Call Sheet Confessions, Justin shares how he went from homeschooled kid making YouTube covers to a union gaffer in LA, what really keeps you getting called back on set, and the mistake on a Taco Bell job that cost him a client—but taught him how to advocate for himself and his team.

In this episode, we talk about:

Growing up in Japan, creative parents & Lego stop-motion beginnings
Shifting from music and YouTube to film school and set life
How he “fell into” grip & electric and discovered lighting
Getting that first AFI set job and snowballing into more work
Why attitude beats technical skill for getting rehired
The politics of set life & how a gaffer protects their crew
Exactly how union hours and call sheets work for lighting techs
His favorite projects, including a Kendrick Lamar music video
The Taco Bell shoot that went wrong and why he was dropped
Learning to say “no,” leave a paper trail, and cover your ass (CYA)
Living the dream in LA and building a life outside of work
Who this episode is for:

Aspiring gaffers, grips, and lighting techs
Anyone who wants to work behind the camera in film/TV/commercials
Creatives navigating perfectionism, confidence, and “failing forward”
Immigrants and outsiders trying to find their place in Hollywood
Anyone curious what a chief lighting technician actually does