Moving to a new market

W

wluprocks

Member
I know this question does not have a simple answer, but I'd really appreciate your thoughts...I graduated college a bit over a year ago and I live in Milwaukee. I've been making a living from doing freelance work since I graduated. Right now I want to move to a market with better opportunities and where better work is produced. My basic question is do you think it would be better to save as much money as I can and then move or to save some and also invest in more gear? I have an AF100 with a few lenses and a decent editing suite. I'm making enough that I could save up a reasonable sum of money and still buy at least a few thousand dollars worth of equipment before I would want to move.

My dream is to make anything that is funny. If I can't make that happen then I'd like to be a DP or a Director for TV, commercials, music videos, or high end internet content.


Bonus questions:

I've heard a lot about how long it can take to climb the corporate ladder in LA and how many people go years as a PA and never really get a chance to prove what they are capable of. Are other large video markets like this?

These are the places I am considering moving to in no particular order, do you have any thoughts on these cities?
Chicago
LA
New Orleans
Albuquerque
Atlanta

Thanks!
 
As advice, I would suggest that you are absolutely sure you have no opportunity where you are. I live in LA and I can tell you from first hand experience......the grass is not greener there. But it has plenty things with prickers.

Competition is FIERCE here. And chances are, you may have to get a day job for sometime before people start seeking you out and paying you to film.
 
You say your dream is to create comedy. So do it now where you are. When and where you will need to move will be dictated by events and circumstances that are in play because you put them there and the answers will be more forthcoming.
 
Doc Bernard said:
As advice, I would suggest that you are absolutely sure you have no opportunity where you are. I live in LA and I can tell you from first hand experience......the grass is not greener there. But it has plenty things with prickers.

Competition is FIERCE here. And chances are, you may have to get a day job for sometime before people start seeking you out and paying you to film.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. The problem with where I am is the type of opportunities there are. 95% of the companies in Milwaukee do mostly corporate video work(not commercials, straight up corporate video). Lots of my freelancing is corporate work as well. I want to at least be in a place where there are opportunities to create things that people actually want to watch. I don't need to be in LA, I just need to be somewhere with opportunities to create things that people want to watch and get paid to do it.

@Jordan_S

Thanks for that. I am currently producing/directing a short comedy and have another one lined up after that.
 
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