PLAN: Moving to WeHo for Acting! (Help!) (Highland, West Hollywood: apartments, find a job)

[SirFlyGuy]

Hey Folks!

My main goal is to move as a independent provider to West Hollywood from Wisconsin in about 30 days. My questions pertains to if this plan seems fiesable and what tips you might advise! I've done enough research to understand the difficulties of getting into the acting business but for the time being I was wondering if this plan/ bartender job can keep me afloat. I'm 21 and postponed my UNI education (Various reasons/financials), I have a sufficient amount of background acting experience. (few plays/student films/govt reels) I intend on working very hard to sustain myself 1st then use my available time focused on networking/acting.

Assets: $6k Cash, Vehicle payed off, 3 Years University background (unfinished) in Acting/Marketing Minor. My unyielding charisma to become an actor for the right reasons! (Not for the money or fame)

Before the Move:Receiving my Online Bartending License and training in my local town, optimize my finances and savings plan, get more involved in acting material/ Basic resume and business cards etc. Also, working more to save up a bit more cash.

After the Move: Find a solo studio near N highland/H boulevard for 800-1000k/mo within the week. Land a Barback/bartending job off within the 1st 1-2 weeks as my (survivor job). Getting involved with acting classes by day and finding unpaid work to start off my resume.

Location:
I plan on living around the West Hollywood ( Highland/Hollywood Blvd) area as there are workout/dance/acting amenities in walking distance and most importantly the abundance of bars in proximity for work. After Studio hunting, I found roughly 10 places that offer living sectors at around 800-1,000$/mo.

Bartending?
My reasons because the tips are great and flexible for working actors that need the daytime for auditions/classes 10am-6pm slot. Also, there are so many bars around this region and I assume it shouldn't be to difficult to land a barkeep job to start off in one of the 100s of bars around my living sector within the 1st 2 weeks. The money is good (avg 150~ nights) and its during flexible times for actors.

Cost Demographics:
- $900 mo/ Living
- $ 40 utility
- $ 150 Gas
- $ 150 Food
- $ 150 Miscellaneous
= ~ $1,400 /mo LIVING

Upkeep:
- Bartending 25-35 hrs (About 5days/ week)
- 150~ AVG pay/night with tips?
= 2,500-3k /Mo Revenue (before taxes & expenses)


My questions!
- Is this plan reasonable? Any alternatives , suggestions about a preferred process(Job 1st/apt/etc)?
- Do I have enough startup funds? 6k (MAX 8k)
- Are the expense/earning values reasonable?
- Can my bartending job (in full swing 1 month in?) be enough to support my expenses?
- Likleyhood of landing a bartending job in 1-2 weeks?
- Other job alternatives? Additionals
- Any other miscellaneous advice?what to expect?


Thanks guys! Spent a few weeks researching and looking at apartments/demographics and wanted to get as many pointers from locals as possible!

[Aldous9]

if your dream is to get into the entertainment business then i say go for it. If you had a friend to move out with you'd have an easier time. It's going to be difficult for you but 6k is a good pot to start with. The thing is, if you don't find a job that dough will go fast.And finding a bar tending job is not going to be easy. Those jobs are in high demand and most people land jobs through personal connections. You're not going to have any when you first move here. So, the likelihood of you landing a bar tending job in 2 weeks? Not very likely. Also, I'm told by working bartenders(I once considered working as one) that bar tending school credentials aren't that important.

A few more things...your highland/Hollywood studio might be a little bit ambitious. You could save yourself from money getting a studio in East Hollywood.

$150 monthly food budget is pretty low. Actually very low. That's $5 a day. Yeah, you could eat top ramen every day but you're going to have lousy energy. You're going to need good nutrition if you're going to be out there auditioning. I'd triple that food budget.

The odds are against you lad. But if want to make a go at it then don't let anyone stop you

[disgruntled la native]

You'd be living in Hollywood not West Hollywood, and you probably should look at East Hollywood with that budget. Nothing wrong with that, plenty of kids from the midwest and south live there.

Monthly food budget is too low. YOu can make things stretch, but you have to buy at like food for less or jons or a hispanic supermarket and cook for yourself only. If you like to eat out its much much too low.

Bartending jobs are not easy to get. Unless you have a lot of experience, you'd usually have to start as a barback. Then work your way up. It depends how you look partially.

Most likely you can get a barback job or some sort of food service cashier job within ac ouple weeks. But a full on bartender, no. Even the best looking and hard working guys and gals start out at barbacks when they're young. At least in LA.

[SirFlyGuy]

THanks @Disgruntled and @Aldos.

Yeah i figured i would be Barbacking and I intend on literately hitting every available Bar during opening hours to talk with current workers and build connections, send out my resume and introduce myself. Hopefully a secure bar job in 3 weeks -mo at most?

In terms of looks, Im 5'10 Asian male, very fit/buff, with a very eccentric and extrovert personality.

Food- Might have missed a few angles, probably more like 250 mo/avg. I cook and rarely go out dining

Connections - Forgot to mention but I have a budy from my UNI that is fairly involved and has alot of coaching references and casting directors (ALUMNI) that will help bolster my connections. (actingwise) bartending not so much

What are productive things to do for the 1st 2-3 weeks financially? Pick up oddjobs around town? Tempwork?

[Aldous9]

Originally Posted by SirFlyGuy

THanks @Disgruntled and @Aldos.

Yeah i figured i would be Barbacking and I intend on literately hitting every available Bar during opening hours to talk with current workers and build connections, send out my resume and introduce myself. Hopefully a secure bar job in 3 weeks -mo at most?

In terms of looks, Im 5'10 Asian male, very fit/buff, with a very eccentric and extrovert personality.

Food- Might have missed a few angles, probably more like 250 mo/avg. I cook and rarely go out dining

Connections - Forgot to mention but I have a budy from my UNI that is fairly involved and has alot of coaching references and casting directors (ALUMNI) that will help bolster my connections. (actingwise) bartending not so much

What are productive things to do for the 1st 2-3 weeks financially? Pick up oddjobs around town? Tempwork?

you might consider doing some courier work. You said you have a car right? There are loads of courier companies in hollywood/burbank etc that deliver scripts, production stuff etc. And the employee turnover is so high because the pay is pretty lousy and for most its a temp job. About a decade ago whenever I needed work I'd just walk into a courier company with a thomas guide and they'd put you to work. Most of the guys working there were trying to break into the entertainment industry. We delivered a lot of face shots to casting agencies and this one guy would sometime slip his own face-shot into the envelope with his contact info...ha ha!!! Not sure if it ever worked.

Now i'm sure a good smart phone with GPS would work even though you don't know the area. Worth giving it a shot if you're down on your luck finding other work.

[Count David]

OP, your verbal syntax reminds me of 21 year old poker players from abroad.

I hope you come off as well in real life as you do in your post. It will help.

Don't give up, hit the ground running, and pound the pavement as hard as possible. Take any work you can get initially. It's worth a shot.

And most of all: Let us know how it goes.

[SirFlyGuy]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

OP, your verbal syntax reminds me of 21 year old poker players from abroad.

I hope you come off as well in real life as you do in your post. It will help.

Don't give up, hit the ground running, and pound the pavement as hard as possible. Take any work you can get initially. It's worth a shot.

And most of all: Let us know how it goes.

I'm flattered by your remark, haha! I spent some serious time reworking my writing skills in Uni! Yeah, I'm extremely excited for this jump. I just started researching on extra works and temp jobs to hopefully line up some form of work when I arrive. Just to get my feet wet!

- I will be updating this thread on a recurring basis!

[strikefirefall]

Security is also a job where you can set up interviews before you move if you're interested in that.

[Cinema Cat]

Originally Posted by Aldous9

There are loads of courier companies in hollywood/burbank etc that deliver scripts, production stuff etc.

Is that still true? Over the past several years, whenever anyone requests a script from me, or asks me to read one, they assume it will be sent via email as a PDF file.

I don't think paper scripts are couriered around so much anymore. I'd assume that other production paperwork is similarly emailed.