All of us are looking for happiness. Some of us believe we’ll achieve it when we get something – like a new job. Partly, it’s human nature to think like this. It gives us hope. But it’s also a kind of jealousy. To some extent we all want what we haven’t got.

For example, have you ever noticed when you meet someone new and find out what they do, you find yourself thinking their job seems way more exciting than whatever you do? And probably pays more too. Universally, the very pinnacle of this job-envy, is showbiz. The music business and the film business appear to be far more glamorous than anything else any of us do for a living. Sure, not everybody can be a rock star or a movie star, but it seems – from the outside at least – that going to work making movies, records, or concerts has got to be a great way to make a living.

On this edition of Out to Lunch we get a chance to find out what it’s really like in the enviable and glamorous world of movies and music. Both of Peter’s guests are people who are instrumental in creating the local film and music business.

Music

Artist manager Tavia Osbey

Tavia Osbey might not be a familiar name to you. But the musical artists she manages are. Tavia guides the careers of Tank and the Bangas, Big Freedia, Sweet Crude, Naughty Professor, and others. Tavia is co-founder and owner of the local music management company, Mid Citizen Entertainment.

Movie

Movie studio exec Jason Waggenspack

Jason Waggenspack is probably another name you don’t recognize, unless you stick around for the final credits of movies like Terminator Genisys, The True Don Quixote, Bill & Ted Face The Music, When The Bough Breaks, and many more over the past 13 years or so.

Jason’s job title is one of the greatest examples you can find of job-envy. He’s CEO & Head of Possibilities at The Ranch Film Studios. The Ranch is the 2nd biggest film studio in Louisiana, on a 22-acre complex that started out life in a less glamorous role, as a Lowes, in Chalmette.

Jason Waggenspack. Peter Ricchiuti, Tavia Osbey, Out to Lunch

Making music and making movies have their own challenges. Life in the trenches of the film business and the music industry is no picnic. But there are people like Tavia and Jason who seem to be born to work in these businesses, who thrive in the unique highs and lows of these industries, and who wouldn’t be happy doing anything else.

Photos from this show by Jill Lafleur are at our website. Here’s more lunchtime conversation about New Orleans film business.