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Old 03-04-2008, 11:00 PM
 
20 posts, read 58,477 times
Reputation: 28

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Nearly everyone's competing for entertainment-related jobs in this town and many are willing to start from scratch by volunteering.

Save your money before moving to L.A.

-Rents have become very expensive, averaging $1500-1800/1 Bedroom.
Many people are forced to double-up. Check Craig's list for room-mates.

-Have enough of a financial cushion to last at least 1 year (gas @ $3.50/gal, food, rent+insurance).

Believe me, it all adds up very quickly.

GOOD LUCK!
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Old 03-05-2008, 01:03 AM
 
Location: los angeles/florida
485 posts, read 1,703,826 times
Reputation: 274
Don't harm a goat!! I have an ent. publicity/communications background and have been in L.A. for three years. Finding a decent job in entertainment is extremely hard and it definitely is all about who you know - and sometimes that doesn't even work. When you do get one, you will have to scrimp and pinch as the pay doesn't even come close to covering the high cost of living here. As a previous poster said, people will volunteer and work for free to get experience, so employers feel that they don't have to pay assistants much.

I actually got a full-time job at WB and it wasn't all that I had dreamed about - just another clerical job and I had to assist FIVE demanding bosses. I got burned out pretty quickly - a lot of people are and it makes them very hard to work with. Walking around the lot during lunch was magical, though.

I am now temping for another major studio and have worked in the HR dept. - I get to see the competition first hand. It really, really seems that the people who get the good full-time jobs (there are tons of us temps) have friends and relatives that already work at the studio. Jobs are posted but they are usually filled through referrals - sad but true. If you want to work at a studio, I would suggest starting out as a temp. Alot of full-time studio employees began as temps, and you will be able to make contacts.

Last edited by gypsystar; 03-05-2008 at 01:13 AM..
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Old 03-05-2008, 01:59 AM
 
98 posts, read 325,447 times
Reputation: 34
It is definitely who you know in this town!! and even when you know someone you have to prove that you are willing to EARN it.

I know people, but they don't know me well enough yet to really make any difference in my life.

It is fun to say you know people though lol.......but they key is getting IN with them!

Good luck!! you really need ALOT of money and alot of GUTS to come out here :-)
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Old 03-05-2008, 08:39 PM
 
52 posts, read 133,149 times
Reputation: 16
This is a good thread for as well. I am moving to LA in October, and I am terrified of the jobs! I myself am also a graduating film student (in Sep). I definitely realize that I will have to start at the BOTTOM. Any suggestions would be great.
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Old 07-24-2008, 08:53 AM
 
Location: Malibu/Miami Beach
1,069 posts, read 3,272,013 times
Reputation: 443
Quote:
Originally Posted by rachela0525 View Post
This is a good thread for as well. I am moving to LA in October, and I am terrified of the jobs! I myself am also a graduating film student (in Sep). I definitely realize that I will have to start at the BOTTOM. Any suggestions would be great.
Sorry to be so blunt and this goes for all "Film School" graduates around the world,who wish to move to California to start a career in the Entertainment industry,
OK so you have spent three or four years at college watched hundreds of films analyzed them wrote essays on them and talked for hours about them.
So what do you know about the film industry?
What can you offer a prospective employer in return for you salary?
Why do they need you ?,when they can`t even send you out for a burrito for the fear of you getting lost.
Why do I say this...because I want you to wake up and realize something your film school should have told you during your last year.
California is not the place to begin any type of worthwhile career in the Film/TV Industry unless....you already live here, know the place, feel confident in your environment and most of all have something to offer.
I say this almost daily to my son 16 who of course wants to be in the film industry.
We have lived here for over a year now and he drives me mad to move to LA because Carmel/Big Sur is"boreing".
I work out of LA and originaly wanted to move there to begin with and only moved north because I thought it was the best thing for my kids.
Man sometimes you just cant do right for doing wrong!
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Old 07-24-2008, 09:15 AM
 
Location: Los Angeles, CA
236 posts, read 789,314 times
Reputation: 106
I work in LA for a major Studio and can definitely tell you there has been a slow down this year with the writer's strike and possible impending SAG issues. Many of the websites mentioned are good. There is another called showbizjobs.com. Honestly, on the production side (I work on the business side but interact with them quite a bit), most jobs come from networking. So your best bet is to get out there and meet people. Once your in, if you do a good job, you will probably get hired again. Like they say in this town, it's all who you know. Good luck!
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Old 07-24-2008, 10:08 PM
 
Location: Cincinnati
1,749 posts, read 8,337,824 times
Reputation: 784
Find out where industry people hang out and network. Networking is how much of the business in this town is done. Do free PA work in the meantime to get your foot in the door. You get experience, then you get paying gigs and off you go. Your degree is toilet paper if you don't do this.
Good luck.
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Old 07-23-2010, 05:54 AM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,329 posts, read 93,755,036 times
Reputation: 17831
Film and TV flight cost California 36,000 jobs, study says | Company Town | Los Angeles Times
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Old 07-23-2010, 08:42 AM
 
Location: Living on the Coast in Oxnard CA
16,289 posts, read 32,342,958 times
Reputation: 21891
I would like everyone that has big dreams of California to read this thread. This is just a sampling of what is happeing here in California. Oh and this thread began a few years back. If things were hard in 2008 they still are hard now.
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Old 07-24-2010, 02:54 AM
 
Location: Malibu/Miami Beach
1,069 posts, read 3,272,013 times
Reputation: 443
Quote:
Originally Posted by impala666 View Post
Sorry to be so blunt and this goes for all "Film School" graduates around the world,who wish to move to California to start a career in the Entertainment industry,
OK so you have spent three or four years at college watched hundreds of films analyzed them wrote essays on them and talked for hours about them.
So what do you know about the film industry?
What can you offer a prospective employer in return for you salary?
Why do they need you ?,when they can`t even send you out for a burrito for the fear of you getting lost.
Why do I say this...because I want you to wake up and realize something your film school should have told you during your last year.
California is not the place to begin any type of worthwhile career in the Film/TV Industry unless....you already live here, know the place, feel confident in your environment and most of all have something to offer.
I say this almost daily to my son 16 who of course wants to be in the film industry.
We have lived here for over a year now and he drives me mad to move to LA because Carmel/Big Sur is"boreing".
I work out of LA and originaly wanted to move there to begin with and only moved north because I thought it was the best thing for my kids.
Man sometimes you just cant do right for doing wrong!
I just read my own post and man how things have changed!
The strange thing is that I never really noticed it while it was happening perhaps that will be the same in the future too.
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