Moving to Pasadena (Attending ACCD), need help/ advice

diego1235467

diego1235467

Well-known member
I'm waiting for my admission into the Art Center College of Design (Where Snyder and Bay studied) to study Film Directing. The school is located in Pasadena. Depending on when I get accepted, I'll be moving there either for this Fall semester or in the Spring. I haven't lived in a big city (Mexico City) since I was 7, so as you can imagine this is a HUGE shock to the system for me. I've never had a job, and am barely in the process of getting my driver's permit. While I'm not 100% ready to make such a big move, this is the only school that I truly want to attend.

So here are my questions:

1. I'll need a place to stay, but rent in Pasadena seems pretty expensive. Do any of you know any rooms for rent in the area, or know how I could find some? I've tried searching online, but I can only find apartments for rent which are like $800

2. Can those of you living in LA give me some tips on getting used to the city? Anything I should know about moving there? Should I be careful of certain things?

3. Any other ACCD students on here?

Any help and advice that I can get to familiarize myself with LA and get integrated into it will be much appreciated.
 
1. 800.00 is about right, I pay 1200 east of Pasadena Try Azusa or West Covina. (if you have a car or dependable transportation) (You could try CL, but be careful there.)
2. Pasadena is not LA, a bit of a drive (depending on time of day, traffic, you know), but soon, you'll understand. Bwaa-haa-haa! (evil laugh)
3. Doesn't apply to me. Me gots no edu-ma......edi-ma........shoot, I gots no learnin' from them thar bunches of paper wif writin' on 'em.

Welcome to the neighborhood.
 
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Pasadena is actually a nice town. Old Town is a great place to hang out. My favorite cigar bar is Anto's, and some really great places to eat there.
 
Pasadena is a near area just about north of download LA. Old town pasadena is a great shopping area and high-end condo/apartment home living.

My studio http://lacolor.com/contact for wedding clients is in Pasadena too. Maybe I can hire you to be my assistant =)
 
Hi Diego:

That sounds exciting. Pasadena is a great town, arty, small and really warm almost the entire year around. I hope that you have some good grants, scholarships, etc. if you plan to graduate from Art Center. Last time we checked, most students were leaving with their diploma on one hand and about $150k in student loans and debt from making their films in the other. Not trying to discourage you, but Art Center is definitely almost in the Ivy league as far as costs.

I work closely with four Art Center film graduates, two are editors and two are DPs. I would say that you should expect to go to Art Center more for the connections than for graduating and immediately being employed in the film industry. If you meet and impress the right people during your time there, you can be very successful. Tarsem and Larry Fong are two people who were in school there and graduated with my friends and both have gone on to great success.

Conversely, I know three people from the same graduating class who have never been able to work in the film industry, all have their degrees and their loan debt and are doing things like taking pictures for the Pennysaver, reading scripts, etc. Still struggling and these are 40 year old adults now, not kids. They did not capitalize on their time and opportunities that were available during their school years.

As far as living near there, Pasadena is pretty expensive. Glendale, La Canada and Eagle Rock are close by and are much more affordable if you shop around. It is like everything else, if you have some friends and know someone who is struggling to pay the mortgage, you could probably find a great room for $500.00 per month. But if you know nobody in the area, you are reduced to what you can find in the classifieds and Craigslist.

As far as assimilating in LA, Just care about your looks, your status and your car, the rest will take care of itself. ;-) Make sure you are tanned, Metrosexual, that you came from one of the wealthiest and finest families in Mexico City and that you have a kick ass car. Then you will succeed in LA. (just kidding, but there is some element of truth in those statements).

Dan
 
I'm pretty sure I'll be one of those students with the 150k noose around their neck, but I'm very confident I'll be successful and be able to pay it off fairly quickly.

They do seem to have good connections, though most people seem to think that because it's an art school it's only good for the "craft."

I looked on graigslist, and surrounding areas are certainly much cheaper. I just wish there was public transportation near the school, alas the last time I checked, the closest bus stop was something like 3-5 miles away.

And don't worry, I'm already an egotistical jackass who's obsessed with his looks ;D
The car may be a problem though...
 
I'm gonna have to ponder all of this. The problem is I had everything set to attend CU Boulder, but I found ACCD after I had accepted to go. I didn't decide to cancel my enrollment in Boulder until yesterday, 2 days from my orientation. We already spent money on non-refundable applications, reservations, etc.

Since the school and living expenses would add up to an insane amount, I may have to wait until Spring semester to go to ACCD, the problem with that being that the 3k I currently have for scholarships are only for students going to school in the fall, so they'd be taken away. Sure, I'll have 6 months to save up some money, but it's still a tough decision. Unfortunately there is no win win situation for me right now. In the end it'll all work out, I'm sure, but the journey is gonna be one bumpy ride.
 
If you are serious about breaking into the film industry, Art Center will give you opportunities to meet players that no other school outside of LA could. If you are an opportunist and can recognize and capitalize on opportunities that come your way, Art Center would be very worth it.

Honestly, you can learn more about production by working on sets and get paid but you won't have as much opportunity as a PA on real sets as you will as an aspiring filmmaker at Art Center. If you come out of Art Center with your student film and it is good, your degree and some connections with people who have the power to hire you, it will have been worth it. If not, hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt kind of sucks.

Good luck,

Dan
 
Ha. No kidding. I am confident I'll do great things, and it sounds to me from my research, and certainly from what you're saying, that Art Center is the perfect place for me. As with every great film school, if you don't take advantage of it, you're not going anywhere.
 
Make sure you are tanned, (nope, as pale as a ghost, my legs actually glow in the dark)
Metrosexual, (no again, I have no sexual attraction to trains or buses)
that you came from one of the wealthiest and finest families (Hmm, redneck family, so prolly not)
and that you have a kick ass car. (had one, but some college student wrecked me on the freeway. Said he was late to class.)

Then you will succeed in LA. (And that explains why I am living outside of LA, they won't let me in.)
 
Highland Park is a good, lower cost alternative to Pasadena. By car it's 5 minutes away from Art Center. Some areas are a little edgy, but it's generally a safe place. A lot of artists and musicians live there.

If you decide to rent in Pasadena, be aware that while some parts rival Beverly Hills, other parts could give South Central a run for the money. The area along Fair Oaks north of the 210 is quite sketchy, last time I was there.
 
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