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^Umm, you're the one who's never even been to LA, right? So what do you know?
A lot of us here are LA natives. We see people like the OP coming to LA all the time. We know what's up. I especially do, because I know many people in the industry who actually did make it (I grew up in the westside), and I constantly run into people trying to make it and don't (I live in weho/miracle mile area) Honestly, I almost never hear of someone making it. Yes, a few do. But the odds are so against you. I'm not saying don't do come out, but if you do, make sure you have a job lined up or at least a lot of savings/parents helping you! And be prepared to work some other job. The stupid thing to do is come here with a couple grand to your name and big dreams.
OK, this is what I see. A kid who is two years out of high school, is talented, smart, has a rough outline of a plan, and is getting educated towards it.
Here's my advice. Intellectual property law isn't a bad choice, you'll have to be in a major city, it will be an expensive education, and will take several more years. Film industry, at present more movies are being made in NYC than in LA. Check out the mayor's film commission website for what shooting. The last sound guy I talked to was flown in from LA, and as you have those talents already you may have an in there as an initial career with the proper networking.
Music, you will have to go to where the publishing houses or recording studios are. There are also jobs managing college and local performing arts centers including the one in DC. You could put together a talent booking agency yourself where you are. You should also make good use of your alumni office for contacts and ins and above all get a targeted internship or several.
My name is Eric Thomas and I am from Hartford, Connecticut. I currently live out here while I am finishing up my bachelor of arts degree in Performing Arts Management at the Hartt School of Music (Univ. of Hartford). At the insistence of the people close to me, I have begun to look around the country for an appropriate place to settle as I begin my professional career in the entertainment industry.
Naturally when anybody thinks entertainment business, they think Los Angeles (even here in the shadow of NYC). I am confident in my prospects for acquiring a good position in the business so I am not worried about that. What does concern me is where in the L.A. metro would I live??
If anybody could advise me on a suitable town/city/neighborhood in Los Angeles based on the following criteria I would be extremely grateful. Feel free to respond to this thread or to send me a private message. Thank you all so much!!
Needs:
1 BR or studio apartment around $1,000 monthly rent (slightly higher is okay if it buys safety)
Safe neighborhood with low blatant criminality (street gangs, robbers, shoot-outs, drug corners). I grew up in Hartford, Conn. so I am streetwise and capable of navigating the average neighborhood, however I would prefer not to live in a shooting gallery. My girlfriend will be making the move with me and I want to be somewhere where she can go out to her car or walk down the street without having to carry a gun.
Good transportation options to get around the region. L.A. freeway traffic is the stuff of horrible legend here on the East Coast. Is it really that bad? Is it worth having a car, or are there good public transportation options? Access to L.A. city-proper, Hollywood, Santa Monica, etc is key as most jobs in the industry I am seeing are listed in these areas.
Neighborhood with a little character would be nice. My New England instincts compel me to reject subdivisions and strip malls, however I will accept a sterile landscape if it means safety.
Schools are unimportant to me at this point (no children).
If you need any more information just ask. Thank you!!!
-Eric Thomas-
Postgraduate at USC...end of!
Bring as much money as you can and Good Luck!!
^Umm, you're the one who's never even been to LA, right? So what do you know?
What do I know? Well for starters, let's all just disregard the fact that I've been helping hundreds of people move to LA for the past 2-3 years on C-D. If any of you cared to check my profile stats instead of listening to 'tards like Fontricka, you would have known that. I know just as much about LA as your average Jose. I mean, really, I've been studying the frikkin area for like 5 years. Name any city or county in LA and most likely I would already know the location, demographics, geography, the colleges, the top employers, and etc. I'm so LA-informed that anytime I meet someone from LA or watch on tv, I can automatically guess which area they are from. After all, when you have a million LA natives moving to your city in droves, you kinda get to recognize that fact. What else do I know? I know that I have a few connections to the industry already. My cousin who works in the music industry happens to know Pharell aka Skate Board P. One of my best friends was cast on the international hit series The Walking Dead. I've talked to several "famous" people so-to-say on different social websites as well. I've talked with Gary LeRoi from Even Stevens and Bring It On 4 fame, I've talked with Tahj Mowry (you should know who that is), I've talked with Derek White who's worked on the recently renewed national hit series "The Game". What else do I know? I know that I could move easily and safely to anywhere in the California area and know what routes to take to get to my destination, what restaurants to eat at, what clubs to go, where to pay my electric bill, where to go to the movies, where to shop. I mean please. Don't try to undermine my intelligence when you don't know anything about me at all. You really thought I was some southern bumpkin that didn't know anything about California? In the words of Kat Stacks, pssh anywaydoe.
Quote:
A lot of us here are LA natives. We see people like the OP coming to LA all the time. We know what's up. I especially do, because I know many people in the industry who actually did make it (I grew up in the westside), and I constantly run into people trying to make it and don't (I live in weho/miracle mile area) Honestly, I almost never hear of someone making it. Yes, a few do. But the odds are so against you. I'm not saying don't do come out, but if you do, make sure you have a job lined up or at least a lot of savings/parents helping you! And be prepared to work some other job. The stupid thing to do is come here with a couple grand to your name and big dreams.
You know what's up? Have you ever even worked as an actress/actor to know what it's like? Half the people that come to LA don't have the connections nor the talent to last. It takes a long time to establish a reputable career in film. Most of those same actors will be working for years in low budget student films and independent features trying to land a union affiliated gig. But the fact is, some "make it" regardless and you never know who will. The industry is always looking for fresh faces and new talent. As long as you have the dedication and perseverance, you will succeed. Half the cast of that terrible tv show "Glee" we have never seen before. I know I hadn't! Now it's one of the biggest series in the nation and it's cast are infamous and making mega big bucks. My thing is, I'm not a dream killer and definitely not a pessimists. If someone wants to go do something like acting, they should go do it. It's up to them to try their hardest and receive the best training so they can actually make something happen. It's really not that impossible with good representation and an agent. If a person wants to work in the entertainment industry, why would you tell them to work elsewhere? I don't understand why everybody's advising college when over 80% of college grads don't even a job in their respective fields. Their usually working the same jobs the aspiring actors are. In retail. So what is the point? Alot of us have different paths in life and not everyone is on the college bound path. And in this economy, it's definitely not looking up anytime soon. So my advise is you might as well try to make your goals happen while you can. If the hollywood career doesn't work out, the great thing about college is that it doesn't matter what age you are. You can always go back. But that's basically restarting your life. Since acting is a lifetime commitment, your in for some hard times but that's the risk you gotta take. Acting is not for the faint-hearted. It's a tough industry. It doesn't require any educational abilities but it does require alot of emotional ones. It's rejection after rejection after rejection and criticism on every aspect and part of your body that they deem not right. It's a total breakdown of everything about yourself that you've liked. It's no longer that. It's mental sick mind game of judgements. You have no idea what is it like for an actor. Some people get surgery to correct what the execs say is wrong, some commit suicide, some kill the execs. It's a crazy insane world and your probably wondering why anyone would want to become an actor. For the majority, it's their passion in life. And I say, if you really feel like you can't do anything else but acting, than that is what you should be doing. Provided you have a solid structural foundation, a strong support system, and a healthy mental history before you start.
Last edited by allenk893; 01-15-2011 at 10:52 AM..
^Umm, you're the one who's never even been to LA, right? So what do you know?
A lot of us here are LA natives. We see people like the OP coming to LA all the time. We know what's up. I especially do, because I know many people in the industry who actually did make it (I grew up in the westside), and I constantly run into people trying to make it and don't (I live in weho/miracle mile area) Honestly, I almost never hear of someone making it. Yes, a few do. But the odds are so against you. I'm not saying don't do come out, but if you do, make sure you have a job lined up or at least a lot of savings/parents helping you! And be prepared to work some other job. The stupid thing to do is come here with a couple grand to your name and big dreams.
LOL @ this whole thread. Either you do something or you don't. Talking about it and getting "advice" on a message board is passive and usually leads nowhere.
But I am throughly enjoying the "look who I know" stuff. It's really amusing.
Thank you all for your help. As an aside, does anyone have any recommendations of places to go/places to avoid when I come out to visit in August? I will be staying at the Westin downtown and will not be renting a car (will be making use of the 7th street Metro station).
I don't go to the San Antonio forum and start telling people about it, even if I had happened to spend years researching online and talking to people about it. To know a city you need to live there and experience it. For example, I've studied New York City a lot, and have even been a few times, and have my opinions about it, but generall I keep it to myself since I am not a NY native and I defer to those who really know.
Glee is one of TV's biggest shows and not more than a dozen unknowns are benefitting hugely from it. Most popular TV shows have already famous people just getting more rich and famous. Most hit movies already have our big stars who already made it. There's not a lot of room for people. Glee is an extreme, and very very tiny example.
And if we're name dropping, I won't even go there.
I'm not the original poster, but I would like to thank all the posters who responded my posts as well as the OP. I didn't mean to hijack this thread, but I've been going through a very similar experience in deciding whether to move to Los Angeles, and pursue a career in the entertainment industry (one difference, is that I spent a year in LA, and I'm already very familiar with the city). I just felt a tremendous need to post under this thread, and, I guess, share my feelings about the things I was learning from the responses. Also, in response to a comment made earlier, no, I'm not a troll. I'm not trying to be a nuissance, but rather, use this forum as a tool in finding answers and solutions to my own issues (where to live, what career to pursue, etc.), and even help others in finding answers to the same kinds of issues or concerns.
But, I am very grateful for all of the responses. I now have more clarity, and now have a better idea of what I need to do. As a number of you have stated, I need to change my attitude, and get rid of this unhealthy desire to become rich and famous. I'm addicted to this power fantasy (it's really the power and "superiority" that comes with fame and fortune, that I'm really after), that has made my life so chaotic, and yes, I've noticed some Obsessive Compulsiveness and even alittle paranoia in my life as well. I have to recognize this issue for what it really is--an addiction to fantasy, and at the same time, a diversion from reality. The lines have become so blurred, that I've been interpreting my fantasy world as part of reality, and as the result, I've become dillusional. This is why I actually believe that I am destined to be successful in the entertainment business, even though I haven't done anything to reflect the possibility of an outcome like this. Like you guys have been saying, I need to forget about fame and fortune, and start making films. Take advantage of the digital technology that has made it very cheap to make good quality films. If I am creative and artistic, then it won't matter if I'm paid a dime or how many people get to see my work since I'll be doing it because I have to, plain and simple. Artists have to create art because, well, they're ARTISTS!
I certainly have alot of things to think about now. So thank you all for the responses and the advice. And again, I'm sorry for hijacking, this topic is just too relevant in my own life to pass up.
Jman
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