Need some help (Los Angeles, Camarillo: environment, credit, jobs)

[mr.orange]

hey all, im pretty sure by now your getting sick of hearing this but id like some answears of my own. im 19 and would like to move to los angeles from denver. i want to be a photographer or camera man for anything. i plan on finding a room mate or two. im not making that much here in denver only $9.00 an hour 40 hours a week. when or if i do move i would like to shoot for more money. i have looked on craigs list for roommates, only problem is i have no idea what cities they are listed under. i know the basics such as compton and most of east l.a are bad. so my main question is can anyone tell me some decent places to live. im not talking about newport but a place where i can feel safe.
i do understand that 9 bucks an hour is bad and id be living on top ramon for a long time but.....would it be worth it? thats another concern of mine.
i like l.a but do understand that it may be going down the drain. so if anyone could please help me out it would be much appreciated.

[CESpeed]

Why would you want to move halfway across the country to live on top ramen? There are plenty of places that are much nicer than LA and cheaper. Personally, I don't think it's worth it. That's why I'm leaving Los Angeles.

[KnoxTown]

If you don't have a degree, plan on freelance... that said, there are much easier places to find work in photography.

[PecanPie]

I guess growing up here, it is SO hard to understand why people want to move here. I mean, really, I wish I knew the reasons why (other than job-specific stuff like the "biz".)

You sound like maybe that's what you're after -- cameraman? You know my husband works in the biz and people will ask, how do you get in? And I can not really tell you... and if you ask him, he cannot really tell you. It's such a complex thing of who you know and luck, who you're related to... or being really dedicated to it and working your azz off to get in. Or maybe just being really good at something that they want you for.

Anyway, if you love photography, you can work on that anywhere, and when you are good, then think about coming here. Because you will not have a good standard of living at $9 per hour, and you didn't say what your skills are that might help you make more.

Good luck to you.

[dereistic01]

exactly, it's about who you know, not what you know.

if you come here knowing absolutely nobody, then you're looking at 5-10 years of hard work before you make enough to not have any other jobs.

[fastfilm]

Assess your priorites mr. orange; luckily you're young enough to do same. If you want a change from your home environment and like economic adventuring, sure, why not.

But if you're serious about photography or d.p. work, I would suggest you garner a few credits in your hometown to bolster your future work chances here. Poster PecanPie is correct that entree to the entertainment biz or commercial media here is far more about networking than talent. When you finally schmooze the right person to offer you work, they're more likely to choose you if you're not a beginner.

By the by, I'm a photographer, and musing back on entering the field, you have some options, even in Denver. There are way too many media that want free work from photographers. Do some! Or intern for cinematographers. Then you'll have some genuine credits. Good luck.

[Mike121]

Such negativity by the posters.

Everyone that I know that came to LA to work in the film/tv industry and gave it a good try eventually had decent career of some sort about 5 to 10 years later. But you have to be willing to stick it out, and you have to know when to jump ship.

My actor friends are still in the movie and TV business, but, few of them are actors now. They've ended up working crew jobs or day jobs around town.

Anyway, I'd start out in Hollywood because it is where a lot of the new kids start off living there. (Not that it is the center of the industry. It's not.) The first and most important thing is to make some friends so you can support one another.

[zombieon101]

Ventura County runs along the coast, it is beautiful. It's about a one hour commute to LA, but worth the distance. The air quality here is always clear and the crime is low. I live in Camarillo, very safe, quiet, nice. There's an Outlet Mall in town, you could probably find a job there. Hope this helps.

[PecanPie]

I don't think I'm being negative. I just said, it's not easy, and there's no formula to it, especially as relates to the entertainment industry. Yes, it is true, it can be and is done, but it does take work, time and something of a clear goal to get there. I would just think someone so young might spend some time defining those goals and making some progress towards the chosen skills at home, before coming out here and living on ramen.

But as I have mentioned before, I had a friend not much older, came out from FL and did quite well for herself (albeit not in the biz). It's not impossible, it just takes the right attitude and ethic.

And as Mike121 said, you need to know when to pack it in if necessary, and move on.

[dereistic01]

it's definantly do-able, but definantly not easy.

you will have to work for free for a while to build your reel, then, if you are good, you might get some work.

it's much easier to start off as a PA and work your way up.