Should I move to NYC/LA
- Thread starter Digitally Pleasing
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My 2 cents, from an L.A. perspective...
I was in the same boat. There was plenty of production work where I was, but I decided to move to L.A. anyway. And it was worth the risk. Sure, you can make all the films you want in Boston, maybe even become successful. But it's more than just 'finding work' in L.A.. It's immersing yourself in the industry and networking with folks that live and breathe this form of art.
Don't put too much into comments from folks who see it from the outside in, I've noticed many that have posted don't live here, I do, and I get it now. I didn't before I moved here and thought the same way most do in here.
It's those moments when you're hanging out in a cafe and you look around at all the other folks in the same exact boat as you. You can walk right up to someone and start a conversation about the industry and more times than not, they get it too. It's tremendously supportive to find others in the same field at bars, cafes, parties, libraries, conventions, theatres, seminars ...grocery stores. It's those moments at wrap when you and the whole crew head to a local bar everyone hangs out at and you get smashed, talking shop and sharing filmmaking stories. It's those times when you run into another new filmmaker in town and you both have the same ambitions and become partners on a project together.
It's all in it's random but extroidinary moments that exist here that make it so special. These things do happen here, and in the right neigborhood everyone is in the industry.
It's not as easy as you think to find a job out here, but you'll find the support you need from the community if you look in the right places.
I find it disscouraging that most on this board think L.A. is a fake and shallow place. As with anywhere, it's about who you meet and the company you keep. These same people may need to re-evaluate their hostility towards an industry that they believe may have 'wronged them' somehow. It's a tough industry and when we fail we tend to blame the city as a whole, or the filmmaking animal as a whole, when usually it's because the filmmaker failed, period.
Granted, it's a dog eat dog industry, but you already know that coming in. You need to have a mixture of talent, passion, luck, professionalism, and dedication to the craft.
I say make the move, come on out and take the risk. Yes, you may fail but at least you did it. I know I can say this, and I gave up a huge career, uprooted my wife and two kids and left all our family behind to pursue what we felt was right for our family. from what I can tell you're single, just out of school and full of piss. Hell yes I'd make the move!
And like I said, I don't regret a second of it. In fact, I've been very lucky and have scored several solid jobs and built quite a supportive network of filmmaking and acting friends. Just remember a couple things. You MUST do your research on the market out here, the feasability and the logistics of where and when to do what. Set up a network first and prepare to get a solid part-time gig out here to support your filmmaking endeavors. It may take weeks, months and maybe longer to establish yourself. Most do NOT make it out here, a scary fact but if you have no illusions then you should be prepared.
Good luck in whatever you decide, whether it's Boston, NY or Los Angeles. What do you know, you just made one solid contact in L.A., not a bad start.
-alveraz
I was in the same boat. There was plenty of production work where I was, but I decided to move to L.A. anyway. And it was worth the risk. Sure, you can make all the films you want in Boston, maybe even become successful. But it's more than just 'finding work' in L.A.. It's immersing yourself in the industry and networking with folks that live and breathe this form of art.
Don't put too much into comments from folks who see it from the outside in, I've noticed many that have posted don't live here, I do, and I get it now. I didn't before I moved here and thought the same way most do in here.
It's those moments when you're hanging out in a cafe and you look around at all the other folks in the same exact boat as you. You can walk right up to someone and start a conversation about the industry and more times than not, they get it too. It's tremendously supportive to find others in the same field at bars, cafes, parties, libraries, conventions, theatres, seminars ...grocery stores. It's those moments at wrap when you and the whole crew head to a local bar everyone hangs out at and you get smashed, talking shop and sharing filmmaking stories. It's those times when you run into another new filmmaker in town and you both have the same ambitions and become partners on a project together.
It's all in it's random but extroidinary moments that exist here that make it so special. These things do happen here, and in the right neigborhood everyone is in the industry.
It's not as easy as you think to find a job out here, but you'll find the support you need from the community if you look in the right places.
I find it disscouraging that most on this board think L.A. is a fake and shallow place. As with anywhere, it's about who you meet and the company you keep. These same people may need to re-evaluate their hostility towards an industry that they believe may have 'wronged them' somehow. It's a tough industry and when we fail we tend to blame the city as a whole, or the filmmaking animal as a whole, when usually it's because the filmmaker failed, period.
Granted, it's a dog eat dog industry, but you already know that coming in. You need to have a mixture of talent, passion, luck, professionalism, and dedication to the craft.
I say make the move, come on out and take the risk. Yes, you may fail but at least you did it. I know I can say this, and I gave up a huge career, uprooted my wife and two kids and left all our family behind to pursue what we felt was right for our family. from what I can tell you're single, just out of school and full of piss. Hell yes I'd make the move!
And like I said, I don't regret a second of it. In fact, I've been very lucky and have scored several solid jobs and built quite a supportive network of filmmaking and acting friends. Just remember a couple things. You MUST do your research on the market out here, the feasability and the logistics of where and when to do what. Set up a network first and prepare to get a solid part-time gig out here to support your filmmaking endeavors. It may take weeks, months and maybe longer to establish yourself. Most do NOT make it out here, a scary fact but if you have no illusions then you should be prepared.
Good luck in whatever you decide, whether it's Boston, NY or Los Angeles. What do you know, you just made one solid contact in L.A., not a bad start.
-alveraz
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
alveraz said:
Hmmm... aside from one post, you sure read more into the comments in this thread than I did.
Regardless, it should take more than a pep talk to convince anyone to uproot their lives and move; especially when the guy has basically said he wants to stay put. He said that other people expect him to move. That doesn't mean he's forever chained to Boston never to experience the "L.A. Experience". Perhaps, he could make that move in a year or more. But, if you understand what he's saying, then you'd encourage him to be better prepared before making the leap. He doesn't want to have any regrets should it not work out. Therefore, he needs more prep work. He needs (not only) to work on his craft, but he needs to research potential employment and living arrangements.
Ah, let me clarify, I meant in general the feeling towards LA looking in is usually pretty rough, not necesarily from this particular thread, just an overall outlook in general I suppose in most industry forums (imho).
Agreed, the preperation is a must before any decision is made and I'm not looking to encourage one way or the other, just providing my take on the situation, since I experienced it myself. You mirrored my same sentements regarding preperation, I thought I was pretty clear about that. Overall, I agree with your thoughts, Terry, but I stand with my convictions regarding my own move and the overall outlook on the move in general.
Oh, and 'pep talk', what's was that? It wasn't meant to be a pep talk, just a point of view.
Agreed, the preperation is a must before any decision is made and I'm not looking to encourage one way or the other, just providing my take on the situation, since I experienced it myself. You mirrored my same sentements regarding preperation, I thought I was pretty clear about that. Overall, I agree with your thoughts, Terry, but I stand with my convictions regarding my own move and the overall outlook on the move in general.
Oh, and 'pep talk', what's was that? It wasn't meant to be a pep talk, just a point of view.
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
Hey Alvarez, I definitely respect you for the career choices you've made and shared with us here. I think we both agree that DP could use his time wisely by doing some research and more prep.
Thanks for the supportive words, Terry. I agree regarding the prep, here's my original post...
"Just remember a couple things. You MUST do your research on the market out here, the feasability and the logistics of where and when to do what. Set up a network first and prepare to get a solid part-time gig out here to support your filmmaking endeavors. It may take weeks, months and maybe longer to establish yourself. Most do NOT make it out here, a scary fact but if you have no illusions then you should be prepared."
"Just remember a couple things. You MUST do your research on the market out here, the feasability and the logistics of where and when to do what. Set up a network first and prepare to get a solid part-time gig out here to support your filmmaking endeavors. It may take weeks, months and maybe longer to establish yourself. Most do NOT make it out here, a scary fact but if you have no illusions then you should be prepared."
well im moving to LA in 2 weeks. Im not just moving to look at the pretty girls and hot sun. And im leaving Vancouver, which is spot #2 (just raised above NY) in the world for filmmaking..
Like anywhere, its who you know, or more important who knows you, and who likes you. Its the same in Boston, Vancouver, or LA,... but the difference is there is alot more opportunity in LA.. Once you make a few friends there in the industry, or trying to get in, which should take a couple months, you are pretty much where you started in boston when you left so you can only go up. There is probally more shooting in LA today than in boston all year. Plus if your into directing or producing you got a huge talent pool to choose from in LA.
I assume NY is about the same.. however it snows there... and NY is kinda getting brushed off.. i mean they even shot the Mayor of NY's biography in Toronto.
Like anywhere, its who you know, or more important who knows you, and who likes you. Its the same in Boston, Vancouver, or LA,... but the difference is there is alot more opportunity in LA.. Once you make a few friends there in the industry, or trying to get in, which should take a couple months, you are pretty much where you started in boston when you left so you can only go up. There is probally more shooting in LA today than in boston all year. Plus if your into directing or producing you got a huge talent pool to choose from in LA.
I assume NY is about the same.. however it snows there... and NY is kinda getting brushed off.. i mean they even shot the Mayor of NY's biography in Toronto.
mcshyd
Well-known member
I'm surprised that noone has mentioned san francisco in this whole search for work.
If you don't know anyone and have no experience, moving right to la is the dumbest idea i've ever heard of. It seems like you don't hate yourself, yet you feel like the only solution to bostons lack of filmmakers is for you to cut off body parts and sacrifice them to the gods.
I was in the exact same position that you are in two years ago and i decided to move to the northern city that has more oppurtunities for "computer users". There is an assload of advertising agencies out here and theyre always making some kind of internal marketing video to celebrate 20 years of blah blah blah and the r and d department needs to interview people for blah blah blah, so on and so forth. I would beta test video games for money (etc. section in craigslist) and started throwing my demo reel full of homemade crap to everyone. Well, it worked, and now i work with people in LA, while living in SF. that sounds better than working with noone in LA and living in LA doesn't it?
If you don't know anyone and have no experience, moving right to la is the dumbest idea i've ever heard of. It seems like you don't hate yourself, yet you feel like the only solution to bostons lack of filmmakers is for you to cut off body parts and sacrifice them to the gods.
I was in the exact same position that you are in two years ago and i decided to move to the northern city that has more oppurtunities for "computer users". There is an assload of advertising agencies out here and theyre always making some kind of internal marketing video to celebrate 20 years of blah blah blah and the r and d department needs to interview people for blah blah blah, so on and so forth. I would beta test video games for money (etc. section in craigslist) and started throwing my demo reel full of homemade crap to everyone. Well, it worked, and now i work with people in LA, while living in SF. that sounds better than working with noone in LA and living in LA doesn't it?
i hear you mcs.. but its pretty much like that everywhere... we call that corporate video and every city has a demand for it.
I guess its how high you want to aim... if you want to do big projects LA is the place, and to me the earlier in your career you get there the better.. because if you make it big you probally will end up there anyways, so to develop relationships early on is worth it in the long run.
If your happy making your own movies on your own buck you can do that anywhere... including LA. But if you do that in LA you have a better chance of getting noticed... and meeting people in the industry.
I guess its how high you want to aim... if you want to do big projects LA is the place, and to me the earlier in your career you get there the better.. because if you make it big you probally will end up there anyways, so to develop relationships early on is worth it in the long run.
If your happy making your own movies on your own buck you can do that anywhere... including LA. But if you do that in LA you have a better chance of getting noticed... and meeting people in the industry.
mcshyd said:
You can offset that easily enough. Before moving to Los Angeles I made a bunch of cold calls, set up a bunch of interviews, and for the week that I was out here (on a client's dime) I had meetings all over town, all intended as no-pressure-test-the-water stuff, two of which ended in job offers, which I had to decline because I wasn't even living in town, yet.
But by the time I did move out, one of those offers was still good. And as usual, the first job led to all the others.
And, yes, being surrounded by actors and designers and cinematographers and grips and carpenters and f/x people and honey wagon drivers, cannot help but exert a positive influence on your own work and productivity. And yes, Los Angeles is the place, for that.
mcshyd
Well-known member
well, the difference here is that jarred, you run the biggest filmmaking forum in the country and have established a pretty solid base for yourself and sad max- you tested the water on a clients money and something tells me you went with a demo reel. it sounds like this guy is jumping in with absolutely nothing...
if you have the drive and the work to back it, of course you should go to la. All im saying is that you don't show up for the special olympics when you're just out of the hospital.
if you have the drive and the work to back it, of course you should go to la. All im saying is that you don't show up for the special olympics when you're just out of the hospital.
mcshyd All im saying is that you don't show up for the special olympics when you're just out of the hospital.[/quote said:now there is quote of the day for me
i get what your saying.. but still, sometimes you just gotta take a chance you know... very rarely do things just fall from the sky.
mcshyd
Well-known member
Jim Kilgour said:
which is why 80 percent of the people i run into want to "be in my movie" and why i can't buy a freakin cup of coffee without the "barista" asking me what I do to stay afloat while i look for work and why people think that just because they were an extra in Collateral that their acting career is taking off and all of a sudden they have fake boobs and a heroine problem and are turning tricks in front of the chinese theatre for a pimp named iceburgh slim.
Paul Coleman
Veteran
Jarred Land said:
Cool. Tell us when you get a place so we can bring you housewarming gifts and food and hookers and beer.:engel017:
...now, now. Back to the original idea. Making such a large commitment takes balls, commitment and preperation, like myself and others have mentioned. It's not an easy move, but worth the risk in my opinion regardless of experience. Many have lost it all here and many had nothing to lose in the first place.
i think its easiest if you have nothing to loose.. and if you do loose, it builds character.. and you never have that "what if" thing... so you come out ahead eather way.