moving to LA (to become a cliche) and I need some help... hey hey? (trying to rhyme, sorry) (Santa Monica: rent, how much)

[BitofEndearment]

Originally Posted by John Serrano

Are you implying that I am not funny? ...... No seriously, I'm asking. Because you could also be implying that there are many comedians in LA as well....

@ BitofEndearment

Thanks for the reply! Very helpful. Just curious, where do you live? and what's it like there?

Right now, I'm leaning towards the Culver City/Santa Monica/West LA area but the apartments are much cheaper in Mid-Wilshire. Does anyone have any more info on these places?

I live nearby Exposition Park/USC. Culver City/Santa Monica would be a good choice but they are much cheaper in Mid-Wilshire. Just maybe try and get as close as you can to them, rather than on the side closer to Pico and Koreatown? So you will not be that far anyways.

[John Serrano]

Originally Posted by BitofEndearment

I live nearby Exposition Park/USC. Culver City/Santa Monica would be a good choice but they are much cheaper in Mid-Wilshire. Just maybe try and get as close as you can to them, rather than on the side closer to Pico and Koreatown? So you will not be that far anyways.

What about the traffic? I've heard the traffic in Wilshire is the worst in LA. Most of the apartments I've found are a bit pricy in the West LA area though. But I did find some good deals in North Hollywood.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by John Serrano

Hi, I want to move to LA to become a walking cliche. No, but seriously, I want to move there because I want to "make it" in the big time, not as an actor, but a filmmaker. So yeah, I will actually become a walking cliche.

I am a former film guy. There are 100s of thousands of people in LA who are trying to break into the film industry, and more move to LA every year. It is extremely competitive and one of the hardest industries to break into. Where you live in LA does not matter. In fact, you do not need to live in California at all. Do not be surprised if you go 10, 20 years before you get your foot in the door...if you can even manage that.

If you want to move to LA, cool. If you want to move to LA to specifically break into Hollywood then I would suggest that you either stay where you are and continue to make a name for yourself there and make as many connections as you can.

[John Serrano]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

I am a former film guy. There are 100s of thousands of people in LA who are trying to break into the film industry, and more move to LA every year. It is extremely competitive and one of the hardest industries to break into. Where you live in LA does not matter. In fact, you do not need to live in California at all. Do not be surprised if you go 10, 20 years before you get your foot in the door...if you can even manage that.

If you want to move to LA, cool. If you want to move to LA to specifically break into Hollywood then I would suggest that you either stay where you are and continue to make a name for yourself there and make as many connections as you can.

I'm aware of all of this and it honestly doesn't phase me a bit. I'm in the Philippines right now and I don't want to stay here any longer. I want to move back to the US (where I was raised) so I thought as long as I'm moving back I might as well go to LA.

Anyway, I didn't post this thread to talk about my future career, I would prefer to stick to the topic at hand if you don't mind. I appreciate your advice though.

[John Serrano]

Ok so, some of the best deals I've found so far are either in the San Fernando Valley (around Van Nuys), Wilshire (oddly enough, near Koreatown and Mid-Wilshire) and I've also found a few near Culver City and down in Inglewood and Downey. In terms of nice areas (safety, traffic, or anything else you can think of) and proximity of job opportunities (in the film industry, but this isn't as important because you probably don't have much insight in this area, unless you work for a production company or something) which should I choose? By the way, thanks for all your help so far guys.

[John Serrano]

I've been having a huge problem. I've found lots of great apartments but none of them allow co-signers on the lease. Are there no co-signable leases in LA?

[readymade]

If it makes you feel any better, I (and my husband) made a documentary when we were living in Boston. We knew nothing about making movies, had never made one before, and we shot it all on Flip Cameras. We planned to put it on YouTube. We moved to LA, and within 5 months, we had producers, several famous (Oscar winner) people agreed to be in it, a celebrity narrator, and distribution interest. Currently, three networks are interested in airing it, a major VOD distributor has made an offer, and it's being shopped in 8 or 9 countries.

So, the whole "Nothing will happen for you for 10+ years" and "You don't need to live in LA" isn't necessarily true. NONE of what happened to us would have happened unless we moved to LA.

It was probably all a fluke, but still! It can happen.

Also, I vote North Hollywood. Also, try Eagle Rock. I haven't seen a ton of crime, traffic/parking is not NEARLY as bad as people make it out to be (unless you're from a small town. Then it probably is), and people are annoying everywhere.

[billiemjean]

Originally Posted by readymade

If it makes you feel any better, I (and my husband) made a documentary when we were living in Boston. We knew nothing about making movies, had never made one before, and we shot it all on Flip Cameras. We planned to put it on YouTube. We moved to LA, and within 5 months, we had producers, several famous (Oscar winner) people agreed to be in it, a celebrity narrator, and distribution interest. Currently, three networks are interested in airing it, a major VOD distributor has made an offer, and it's being shopped in 8 or 9 countries.

So, the whole "Nothing will happen for you for 10+ years" and "You don't need to live in LA" isn't necessarily true. NONE of what happened to us would have happened unless we moved to LA.

It was probably all a fluke, but still! It can happen.

Also, I vote North Hollywood. Also, try Eagle Rock. I haven't seen a ton of crime, traffic/parking is not NEARLY as bad as people make it out to be (unless you're from a small town. Then it probably is), and people are annoying everywhere.

Hey, i really like your story, do you mind sharing what were your first steps when you moved...whom did you turn to, to share your work and your material. When you first move somewhere - you know nobody, did you know anyone prior to moving? If not, what was your plan, how did you meet the right people? I know each story is different - there isn't a standard path, but I am still curious for every success story - it does give a general idea for what to look for... Thank you...

[readymade]

Well, my husband & I had already lived in LA for about 8 years before we moved away (for 2) and then we moved back. So, the second time I moved... we had friends here. The first time I moved here, I knew no one. I mostly met people through work & playing in a band. People are a lot friendlier here than where I'm from (Boston).
So we moved back here with a bunch of footage that we shot that I planned on editing myself. As soon as I learned how. Our movie had been accepted, already, to play at a festival (based on what it was about. Long story)... so we absolutely had to get this thing done.
Then I discovered that I knew nothing about editing and we had, like, 30+ hours of footage. We put an ad in Craigslist for an editor, and this company contacted us. They said they were interested in our documentary, again, based on what it was about, and they wanted to meet with us.
We met with them, and they said they were super interested in working with us. They'd been looking for a documentary to work on. They wanted to edit & co-produce our movie for a percentage of the profits. They have a ton of contacts and were the ones who set us up with interviews with various celebrities (who agreed to be in our movie for free) & our narrator (who we did have to pay) as well as sales & distribution. Stuff that NEVER would have happened if we'd just done it on our own.

So, like I said, total fluke! One of the producers & I totally hit it off, and I now consider her a friend. My husband is a writer and he's pitching a comedy show to her that he & his co-writer wrote, as she has contacts with Comedy Central (among others). His co-writer has been in the business for almost 20 years and over that time has built up contacts with Fox, Sony, etc. She wrote and produced a web series that ultimately tanked, but it got her the interest of various networks, and they want to see what she's doing next... which is this series with my husband.

So, yeah, it's a LOT of luck and a LOT of who you know. Who knows what's going to happen. It could all tank... or maybe we'll show up in the doc category at next year's Oscars. You never know, heh.

I should also point out that we'd saved up quite a lot of money to put a down payment on a house out here... but instead we used a bunch of it to make this movie. So it helps to have a lot of $$ saved up.

So, basically, what you need is: $$+luck+contacts.

[billiemjean]

Originally Posted by readymade

Well, my husband & I had already lived in LA for about 8 years before we moved away (for 2) and then we moved back. So, the second time I moved... we had friends here. The first time I moved here, I knew no one. I mostly met people through work & playing in a band. People are a lot friendlier here than where I'm from (Boston).
So we moved back here with a bunch of footage that we shot that I planned on editing myself. As soon as I learned how. Our movie had been accepted, already, to play at a festival (based on what it was about. Long story)... so we absolutely had to get this thing done.
Then I discovered that I knew nothing about editing and we had, like, 30+ hours of footage. We put an ad in Craigslist for an editor, and this company contacted us. They said they were interested in our documentary, again, based on what it was about, and they wanted to meet with us.
We met with them, and they said they were super interested in working with us. They'd been looking for a documentary to work on. They wanted to edit & co-produce our movie for a percentage of the profits. They have a ton of contacts and were the ones who set us up with interviews with various celebrities (who agreed to be in our movie for free) & our narrator (who we did have to pay) as well as sales & distribution. Stuff that NEVER would have happened if we'd just done it on our own.

So, like I said, total fluke! One of the producers & I totally hit it off, and I now consider her a friend. My husband is a writer and he's pitching a comedy show to her that he & his co-writer wrote, as she has contacts with Comedy Central (among others). His co-writer has been in the business for almost 20 years and over that time has built up contacts with Fox, Sony, etc. She wrote and produced a web series that ultimately tanked, but it got her the interest of various networks, and they want to see what she's doing next... which is this series with my husband.

So, yeah, it's a LOT of luck and a LOT of who you know. Who knows what's going to happen. It could all tank... or maybe we'll show up in the doc category at next year's Oscars. You never know, heh.

I should also point out that we'd saved up quite a lot of money to put a down payment on a house out here... but instead we used a bunch of it to make this movie. So it helps to have a lot of $$ saved up.

So, basically, what you need is: $$+luck+contacts.

Yeah, that is needed combination no matter where you go )) I am not an author or a writer or anything of that kind, in fact i am not creative at all, i am just curious how people are making it in their field starting from nowhere, knowing no one..., The documentary - the subject it was about ( sorry, i don't mean to pry... ), was it your husband's idea what it is going to be about or was it more like reality story or smth... And where did you have to turn to get it to the festival in the first place... Having it accepted for the festival is already a big deal - that's what i think made the editor's interested too )))) Again, i don't mean to pry - so you can reply as much as you feel comfortable with, without giving away the inside secrets )))