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I'm in college, majoring in theatre, because I'm going to be a film actor, but I'm not feeling like I'm getting the type of help I need, and have been considering just going out to LA and trying to start a career. I don't have much in the way of money, though if I managed to get my parents support I could probably get a bit, but I don't think it would be enough to get a place to live, at least at first. I also feel like I would thrive in a bigger city, and just need a big change in my life. Basically, what kinds of plans would I need to make and would this be the most retarded thing I could do?
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 05:31 |
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| # ? Nov 22, 2009 10:51 |
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you need a car
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 05:35 |
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Do you have any money saved up? Do you have any experience waiting tables? If you're going to move to LA to be a film actor you better have some money and experience waiting tables. You realize that tens of thousands of people think this exact same thing every year right?
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 05:37 |
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DONT EVER MOVE TO LA IF: 1) You have NO prior job/internship lined up. 2) You have NO cheap place to live. 3) You have NO car, or cannot afford to have a car. 4) You have NO money. Tons of wannabe "actors" move out to LA to strike it big, and go back home in tears after a couple months. Somehow the "big city" is supposed to change their incoherent thought patterns, and make them all into highly motivated highly driven wonders of society. No. If you have no theatre connections in LA, you will not get a theatre job. At all. Or any job. gently caress, dont even bother if you dont already go to UCLA/USC, or are part of some nationally recognized program that is renown for churning out the bastions of the entertainment world. Living in LA is incredibly expensive. Its an awesome city if you have a job and can afford living there. Its hell otherwise. If you are still really really really serious about moving there, then get crackin on a resume and see if you can bust into some nice internships. DO NOT just move there on a whim and expect a shower of money to rain down on your existence. This city will destroy your loving soul if you are not careful.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 05:42 |
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LA is a wretched shithole littered with the dreams of people stupid enough to think they can make it there. I refuse to set foot there solely because of the traffic, and I can assure you there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other reasons never to go there.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 05:46 |
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I hear diddy reise in westwood is hiring. That seems like an awesome job.. you know, serving ice cream and cookies to inebriated college students from 11am to 1am everyday. Sounds like the life to me.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 05:49 |
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If you havent been to LA yet you might want to visit it once. Once was enough for me now I will only do it for professional reasons (when I think it will help me build business or when I am actually getting paid.) gently caress LA.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 06:01 |
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Totally Negro posted:I hear diddy reise in westwood is hiring. That seems like an awesome job.. you know, serving ice cream and cookies to inebriated college students from 11am to 1am everyday. Sounds like the life to me. I was there the other night. Not bad for a $1.50.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 06:45 |
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I have a theatre degree. I'm an actor living in LA. I work nights delivering while auditioning and doing various acting things during the day. Tomorrow I'm shooting a pilot. It's tough, but it's not impossible. I made the move and didn't get an audition for months. My friend made the move and he had one his first day, plus a job interview (both thanks to me). But come with money. You have to pay for security deposit plus first months rent immediately, plus a myriad of other expenses. I came out with 3k and it almost wasn't enough. Don't be a mooch though. It's alright to stay on a friends couch for a few days or maybe even a week, but be prepared to get out of there asap.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 06:58 |
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Unless you're in a highly lauded program like Yale's, or at a highly lauded performing arts school like Julliard, your theater degree is an absolute waste of time and money. You'd do much better gaining experience by just doing community shows while you focus on a "real" degree. Most of the people are going to tell you you're a dumbass, and honestly you kind of are, but you're what, early 20s? If you gently caress off for a few years, it's probably not going to follow you the rest of your life. Might as well make the jump now while you can still afford to do stupid poo poo like this. You might make it, you might crawl back home defeated and get a nice accounting degree, but hey, life experience and all that.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 07:17 |
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I moved out to LA after I graduated from music school. Fortunately, I had a car and I had money saved up from 10+ years of working during high school and college. I did not have a job lined up when I moved out here, but I did find a place to live with three roommates, so rent was relatively cheap. My college has an alumni center in LA specifically to help new grads get jobs from established grads. I got a job as a film composer's assistant through them. I worked ridiculous hours for practically no money. Eventually I started getting more responsibility and bigger chunks of the projects we were working on, which led to more money and eventually starting my own company. You need at least 6 months worth of money to live on before you head out here, which in LA is a LOT. I'd recommend looking for a job as a production assistant and trying to work up from there. Expect long hours and lovely pay at first. Everyone in the business needs to put in their time before they can advance. Get to know as many people in the business as you can. You never know who your big break will come from.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 07:22 |
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I just went from never having considered living in LA to actually living here in the span of 3 weeks, but I came to do an internship that I had lined up already. It seems like a better city than I expected, but you'll really want both a car and some money saved up. I'm going through money faster than I ever expected to. I don't have a car. It's doable, but the city definitely seems to work best if you have one.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 07:43 |
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Come to San Francisco instead. You're gonna meet some gentle people there!
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 07:49 |
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I'm only 18, which works in my favor in some ways (more time), and I'm not in one of those prestigious places (Decatur, IL doesn't exactly produce superstars), and I do have a car, but the money is definitely a factor. 6 months of living would be how much?
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 09:25 |
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Very conservatively, I'd estimate $800/month for rent and $500/month for food. You're looking at nearly eight grand just for the basics.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 09:51 |
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I moved to LA county to go to grad school a year and a half ago. If you are going to get your own place expect to pay at least 800+ a month just in rent. My weekly food bills for myself and my wife went from $80 in Virginia to $160. I learned to shop better and got them down to ~$120 a week (without going out to eat). Electricity is expensive as poo poo here too, as it car insurance, and gas. We average $2400-2700 a month to live. That does not include new clothes, many fun activities or if anything breaks. Edit: As one person it will probably cost you ~200-300 less a month, so 2100-2500 for you. LA also has significantly higher than the national unemployment rate, and it took my wife (who is highly qualified) somewhere between 350-500 job applications to get a job as a teacher. If you are moving to LA you better have a good plan or you are going to be very unhappy and poor.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 10:09 |
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Ah, I will tell you right now, I hope you like waiting tables and menial labor. LA as said above is awful for trying to get a job at all, let alone a job "in the business." Hell, I have a ton of friends with connections in LA that are still working their rear end off to even get lowly coffee bitch jobs on films. Please, for the sake of Californians, do not come here expecting to strike it big. It's dirty, expensive, and you're in for some serious culture shock. EDIT: OK, I'll be nice and give you a budget. I'm in Northern California, but grew up in So Cal. Expect 800-1000 a month in rent, maybe 650 if you want to live with some strangers. food about 200 a month depending on how well you can avoid eating out and budget shop, and then there's the electricity, gas, and water bills which for me are about $100 more a month. Then you have your car, which needs insurance, registration, gas and maintenance, so expect another 3000 a year or so for that. So you're looking at about $1400 minimum a month to live in LA, barring anything drastic happening to you or your car (yes, a car is that important in LA) and you not going out and having any fun at all. DOUBLE EDIT: What I'm trying to say is STAY THE gently caress AWAY IF YOU VALUE YOUR SANITY AND HAPPINESS. Squirrelo fucked around with this message at Nov 03, 2009 around 17:07 |
| # ? Nov 03, 2009 16:51 |
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DON'T DO THIS. PLEASE DON'T DO THIS. I've lived here for far too many years, and seen far too many bright-eyed out-of-staters arrive and immediately crumple against the brick wall of the film industry. Breaking into the business is a one in a million shot. You literally have to either be the best or the hottest - are you? You'd better be sure. If you're still committed (wrong wrong wrong), you will absolutely NEED a car. I get by with a bike most of the time but not having a vehicle is just impossible. Also, be prepared to pay double what you're used to on rent. Even if it ends up being less than that, everything else is expensive too. Try to arrange an apartment before you leave. Ideally get a job too, since the market is so shite right now. Expect to either work for free as an intern or for minimum wage in a restaurant and as an unpaid extra on weekends. You will be taken advantage of at every possible opportunity. You will have to be good at making and keeping friends. Talent has WAAAY less to do with success than who you know. I can't give any advice here except good luck. You're in college. What ACTUAL acting experience do you have? No one cares about your schooling, you'd better have an impressive portfolio. Have a monologue ready at all times but DO NOT bust it out unless someone asks. e: the budgets posted above are pretty accurate. Be advised that where you live makes a huge difference in what you pay for rent. Upright Sloth fucked around with this message at Nov 03, 2009 around 17:06 |
| # ? Nov 03, 2009 17:04 |
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Can people who say LA sucks go into more detail about why they hate it? My plan after graduation is to move out there to become a police officer, and I'm wondering what your experiences with the city were that made you hate it.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 17:09 |
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HellsEmbrace posted:Can people who say LA sucks go into more detail about why they hate it? My plan after graduation is to move out there to become a police officer, and I'm wondering what your experiences with the city were that made you hate it. It's not full on hate of the city. There's just this weird air of smug shallowness in some parts that kind of irks me. Other than that it can be an interesting place to tool around. I hate (pitty?) the people like the OP more, who think they'll just waltz into LA and immediately become famous or get a great job in the industry. There are far too many broken husks of people in LA that tried to do the same.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 17:11 |
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HellsEmbrace posted:Can people who say LA sucks go into more detail about why they hate it? My plan after graduation is to move out there to become a police officer, and I'm wondering what your experiences with the city were that made you hate it. It's two main things and a gazillion small annoyances. 1) ENVIRONMENT: I'm from rural Northern California, and I miss fog and rain and overcast. It gets very hot during the summer and I don't have AC. Also, it never gets dark at night. You can literally see your way by the reflected glow from the sky. By the same token it never gets quiet. It's also polluted and dusty, which combine to make particulate-heavy smog that's very unhealthy. You can get to some nice nature areas within ~20 minutes drive, but for this you need a car, and there will always be people there with you. 2) PEOPLE: Smug, shallow, peacock-people roam this barren land. Direct contact isn't a problem, no one will insult you, but walking in the city is an exercise in being judged. I know I feel this more acutely than most, but it's still an unpleasant, back-of-the-mind oppressiveness. Also, you will not know 99% of the people you encounter day to day, so it can be a little overwhelming. Fashion advertisements loom to the skies. Beyond those, just be prepared for everything to take longer and cost more.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 17:22 |
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HellsEmbrace posted:Can people who say LA sucks go into more detail about why they hate it? My plan after graduation is to move out there to become a police officer, and I'm wondering what your experiences with the city were that made you hate it. There's a countywide hiring freeze going on right now, just FYI. LA Sheriff canceled a bunch of employment tests for this year. Personally, I love it here, although I live in the north part of the county (spitting distance from Kern county) and commute into the city every day. My rent is cheap but my daily commute is 5 hours. My lifestyle is a little extreme, but not that rare.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 17:23 |
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Dang I had this window up for 10 min before I replied and I got beat^^HellsEmbrace posted:Can people who say LA sucks go into more detail about why they hate it? My plan after graduation is to move out there to become a police officer, and I'm wondering what your experiences with the city were that made you hate it. I hope you have done your research on the city you want to work in because Fire and Police have got the budget axe on them. Fire has already frozen hiring, police I think is still finalizing it, but it will happen. Of course this is moot information if you still have 4 years of college left.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 17:33 |
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Save me jeebus posted:Personally, I love it here, although I live in the north part of the county (spitting distance from Kern county) and commute into the city every day. My rent is cheap but my daily commute is 5 hours. My lifestyle is a little extreme, but not that rare. This is worth pointing out: 5 hour commuting is not that unusual. This is because public transportation barely exists. Unplanned urban sprawl and the original city's design deliberately based on central highways mean millions of cars on the road at the same time.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 17:37 |
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HellsEmbrace posted:Can people who say LA sucks go into more detail about why they hate it? My plan after graduation is to move out there to become a police officer, and I'm wondering what your experiences with the city were that made you hate it. Pros: 1. The Weather is fantastic all the time. 2. Food, especially produce, is amazing and it's really easy to eat healthy. Cons: 1. Smug, self-important people are everywhere. 2. Everything is incredibly expensive. 3. Traffic is the worst you'll find anywhere. 4. It's a terrible sports town. 5. Prop 8  My career dictates that I either live here or in NYC. I'm a lot closer to family in LA and gently caress Winter in New York, so LA it is. I'm either lucky enough or good enough at my job to have made a living out of it without needing to get a job out of the entertainment field. As long as you buckle down and work harder than everyone else, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to make it in this town.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 17:38 |
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Upright Sloth posted:This is worth pointing out: 5 hour commuting is not that unusual. This is because public transportation barely exists. Unplanned urban sprawl and the original city's design deliberately based on central highways mean millions of cars on the road at the same time. What I found very sad when I was doing undergrad on the Westside, was that kids that lived in cheaper parts of the city (Long Beach, a lot of the time) had the same commute time-wise as I did, even though I live 70 miles away. My commute NOW is on public transportation, but before I had to drive in because, well, public transportation doesn't necessarily go where you want to be. So: you will pay out the rear end in time to go to wherever it is you need to go in the city, or you will pay out the rear end in money to live close to where you need to be. In any case: prepare for some assrape.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 17:41 |
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Aschlafly posted:Very conservatively, I'd estimate $800/month for rent and $500/month for food. You're looking at nearly eight grand just for the basics. In case you want any perspective, the other coastal city actors flock to (NYC) costs at least double this - but you save money on being forced to take the electric sewer everywhere you go rather than being able to keep your own car. Also replace "Peacock-Smug-Shallow" for people with "Passive Aggressive-Elitist-Neurotic". Tatrakrad fucked around with this message at Nov 03, 2009 around 18:13 |
| # ? Nov 03, 2009 18:10 |
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Move to northern San Diego county or Irvine and commute to LA instead.
Lanithro fucked around with this message at Nov 03, 2009 around 18:17 |
| # ? Nov 03, 2009 18:15 |
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Why not come to Vancouver? It's probably not significantly cheaper or easier to get an acting related job but at least the people are friendlier and the public transit is better.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 18:17 |
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rexelation posted:Why not come to Vancouver? It's probably not significantly cheaper or easier to get an acting related job but at least the people are friendlier and the public transit is better.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 19:10 |
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First, you need a car. Also you'll need a nice nest egg. Unemployment is super high and crap happens, so you'll be fighting for jobs and poo poo might break. My advice is save up 5 to 8k. Do not live in LA proper. LA isn't a "city" like other cities - it sprawls out and it doesn't ever really end. As such, don't look to live in a place like Westwood, Downtown or Santa Monica. If you're poor and trying to make it in Los Angeles then you should live in the nicer areas of Long Beach [anywhere from the 22 to Orange Street, don't go past 8th street (def. not past PCH) and try to stick as close to the university as possible]. The cost of living tends to be cheaper in Long Beach, and its an easy commute to any of the major areas like Orange County, Huntington, Santa Monica, Downtown, etc. At my worst, I was able to live off 1200 a month in Long Beach. Do not move to Irvine or San Diego county. Irvine is a wasteland of corporate smugness and it has no soul. And its expensive as poo poo. And the commute to LA is awful. I really don't know why people are bitching about the traffic. Its bad, but its like that in every city. It will not take you 5 hours to go 30 miles in Los Angeles. If you're a chode and leave at 4:30-5 then expect about an extra hour on your commute. Same with your morning drive. Because I was a student and I was smart enough, I was able to travel during the off times. LA will eat your loving soul if youre not careful. There's a totally unrealistic standard of LA life that people seem to be constantly judging each other by. Drugs are also very popular, and refusal to do poo poo like coke or pills will result in judgment by a large portion of the people you are probably looking to meet. In short, there are a number of ways in which tens of thousands of people get lost in LA and those ways will eviscerate you. I have lost so many friends to a hosed up LA lifestyle that its sad. By lost I mean they all went on to become really shallow douchenozzles who don't have a shred of empathy or desire to change things anymore. Honestly, I don't really see what the draw for LA is. Without a single contact in the industry, you will be spent sucking poo poo trying to get your SAG card. Your best bet is to find some friends in your area that are extremely motivated [motivation matters more than raw talent/potential] and start making movies there. If you're good enough, you'll be able to make something of quality and create a minor name for yourself before you even step foot in LA. Further, if your group has talent, moving out to LA becomes alot easier since you and the others will be able to make headway as a unit instead of as individuals. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 19:34 |
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If the high unemployment and cost of living isn't enough to deter you then just come and suffer like the rest of us. There's hardly any jobs around for the unemployed and if anyone tells you otherwise they're fortunately employed and short-sighted. California is one of those places where you couldn't live off the minimum wage alone really unless you want to go without eating some days and live in a constant state of chaos (at least depending on what your lifestyle is like now). Even then, you'd be pinching every penny always and never be able to save money for anything, which is a bad strategy. Basically only go if you have nothing to lose and don't mind lowering your living standards at the possible chance of success.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 19:40 |
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Driving in L.A. for one 24 hour period I developed a thin but noticeable film of black crud on my car. Think of your lungs man!
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 19:44 |
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skipdogg posted:Do you have any money saved up? Beat. posted:gently caress LA. If you want a nice experience living in this area, it's better to live and work in the 'burbs. Since you are an apartment dweller by nature, this is not hard to do. Most of the people I know around here live a few minutes from where they work. I've done the long commuting thing and I can't recommend it. Many companies have flexible hours, because they know you have to deal with traffic, but working in the film industry you'll be dealing with their hours on their terms & you can't expect any leeway at all on that. Yes, there are shallow people who do drugs. No, this is no different from any big city in the entire country. I've lived here all my life and I have no exposure to such people. I don't hang out with or near dickheads. If you are worried that some fashionable person is judging you as you walk down the street, either look into building up your self esteem or stay in some boring podunk town forever. The big city is full of all kinds of people, and some of them will be tools, just like everywhere else. It doesn't even occur to me to wonder if anyone is judging me, ever. If they do, they're welcome to think whatever they want, just like they're welcome to spend $250 on a few square inches of fabric to wrap around their hips. When I was a kid, the air quality was wretched. Now, it's pretty good. Visibility is usually around 30 miles, even in the summer.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 20:11 |
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what is the venice beach area like?
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 20:11 |
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Fangorn posted:what is the venice beach area like?
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 20:16 |
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Huns posted:When I was a kid, the air quality was wretched. Now, it's pretty good. Visibility is usually around 30 miles, even in the summer. Good as compared to what? LA has the worst smog I've ever seen outside of China.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 20:29 |
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I don't care what you do while you try to make it here with nothing, as long as you stay away from the freeways, and the beach. Like everyone else is saying, before you can "thrive" in the LA environment, you've got to hustle your rear end at home and thrive there first to even be considering the move.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 20:35 |
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Taima posted:Good as compared to what? LA has the worst smog I've ever seen outside of China.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 20:38 |
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Yoshifan823 posted:I'm only 18, which works in my favor in some ways (more time), and I'm not in one of those prestigious places (Decatur, IL doesn't exactly produce superstars), and I do have a car, but the money is definitely a factor. 6 months of living would be how much? Are you prepared to turn tricks for dirty old men? Cause that's exactly what happens to people like you that "Go Out to LA to get into Acting". Are your good looking? Like Model good looking? If so, then MODEL first. Basically don't even consider a move to LA or NY until you get some experience/exposure in the entertainment/fashion industries. Talent does not matter, especially if you want to get on TV/Movies. You have to have a pretty face and be short or have a great body and not be timid. Otherwise start writing. You will not be able to move from Decautr, IL and work as a PA or some other Tech job. There are too many people in the area that already want those jobs and have some sort of connection. If you are brave and determined, then you can accomplish anything in this world. But LA is a HUGE area and its filled with predators, looking for people exactly like you to exploit in ways you never thought imaginable.
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| # ? Nov 03, 2009 20:56 |
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