To Live In LA

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  • To Live In LA

    Forgive me in advance if this is the wrong section for this topic.

    My brother and I are planning to move to LA at the beginning of the new year. I'm pursuing a career as a screenwriter, he's pursuing a career as an actor. For him the reasons for moving to LA are obvious; it's where the vast majority of auditions and acting classes are. As a screenwriter, I always hear that moving to LA is beneficial. My question is, what should I do while in LA? I'm already writing screenplays, entering contests, and sending out query letters. What can I do in LA to add to that?
    Last edited by Done Deal Pro; 10-09-2020, 02:02 PM. Reason: Added tags

  • #2
    Re: To Live In LA

    You can get an entertainment industry paying job or unpaid internship where you meet people who can show you the ropes and help you advance your career.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: To Live In LA

      You could also attend screenings, director Q&As, and any other relevant industry events you can, where you'll be able to not only learn, but potentially network as well.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: To Live In LA

        There's a crap-ton of industry events and meetups happening constantly in L.A. network like a mo-fo 😁

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: To Live In LA

          A couple of questions:
          • Where are you coming from?
          • Do you have any desire to work in TV?
          • Do you have enough cash in the bank to last 4-6 months out here without working?
          • Do you have a car(s)?
          • Where did you go to college and what did you study?
          • What are you doing now for day jobs?

          Based on the answers to those questions I think we can give you better advice.

          .
          Last edited by KitchonaSteve; 11-06-2018, 12:22 PM. Reason: typo
          Just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary.

          -Steve Trautmann
          3rd & Fairfax: The WGAW Podcast

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: To Live In LA

            Originally posted by KitchonaSteve View Post
            A couple of questions:
            • Where are you coming from?
            • Do you have any desire to work in TV?
            • Do you have enough cash in the bank to last 4-6 months out here without working?
            • Do you have a car(s)?
            • Where did you go to college and what did you study?
            • What are you doing now for day jobs?

            Based on the answers to those questions I think we can give you better advice.

            .
            I'm coming from New Orleans.
            I do have a desire to work in TV, but mainly focused on film.
            I live paycheck to paycheck.
            My brother has a car.
            Some college for accounting, dropped out.
            Right now I work at a hospital doing patient registration to pay the bills.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: To Live In LA

              Originally posted by ricther View Post
              I'm coming from New Orleans. I do have a desire to work in TV, but mainly focused on film.
              Unless you're laser focused on TV and have 6-8 pilots/specs under your belt, wait to make the move until you've got a few really good samples.

              If you're focused on film you don't have to be here. In fact you're probably better off staying put and connecting with local filmmakers and getting stuff made in NOLA. This is more likely to attract attention from reps and possibly producers.

              Also, your brother might want to think about staying in the area and working to get local-hired on projects there and/or in Atlanta. I know several actors who have moved from LA to work in Atlanta, and also know NOLA based actors who work occasionally in Atlanta.

              I live paycheck to paycheck.
              LA is expensive. Rents for a 2 bedroom apt. run $1500+/month (plus security deposit and last month's rent). Gas is almost $4/gallon, etc. You need money in the bank.

              My brother has a car.
              You must have a car or at least be able to rent one for the first month or so, and even then public transportation isn't great, but there is Uber & Lyft. If you want to get a PA or asst. job a car is usually required.

              Some college for accounting, dropped out.
              It's helpful for some people who have gone to larger schools to tap into their alumni community in Los Angeles.

              You don't need a degree in film or writing, but you need to have great samples to get any traction. It's much cheaper to learn the craft outside of LA, and then make the move when things are starting to pop for you.

              Right now I work at a hospital doing patient registration to pay the bills.
              There's plenty of hospitals and medical jobs here. Check job sites to see what might be a good fit and how much opportunity there is for those gigs.


              HTH,
              Just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary.

              -Steve Trautmann
              3rd & Fairfax: The WGAW Podcast

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: To Live In LA

                Originally posted by KitchonaSteve View Post
                Unless you're laser focused on TV and have 6-8 pilots/specs under your belt, wait to make the move until you've got a few really good samples.

                If you're focused on film you don't have to be here. In fact you're probably better off staying put and connecting with local filmmakers and getting stuff made in NOLA. This is more likely to attract attention from reps and possibly producers.

                Also, your brother might want to think about staying in the area and working to get local-hired on projects there and/or in Atlanta. I know several actors who have moved from LA to work in Atlanta, and also know NOLA based actors who work occasionally in Atlanta.


                LA is expensive. Rents for a 2 bedroom apt. run $1500+/month (plus security deposit and last month's rent). Gas is almost $4/gallon, etc. You need money in the bank.


                You must have a car or at least be able to rent one for the first month or so, and even then public transportation isn't great, but there is Uber & Lyft. If you want to get a PA or asst. job a car is usually required.


                It's helpful for some people who have gone to larger schools to tap into their alumni community in Los Angeles.

                You don't need a degree in film or writing, but you need to have great samples to get any traction. It's much cheaper to learn the craft outside of LA, and then make the move when things are starting to pop for you.


                There's plenty of hospitals and medical jobs here. Check job sites to see what might be a good fit and how much opportunity there is for those gigs.


                HTH,
                Thanks for the detailed response! I'll definitely take this into consideration.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: To Live In LA

                  Originally posted by ricther View Post
                  Thanks for the detailed response! I'll definitely take this into consideration.
                  In talking with showrunners and reps recently, one of the experience areas that writers can exploit is the theater and short film areas of their resumes. Having plays produced, short films made, and accolades won, are a form of social proof that can grab attention. I'd also add web series to that if they're fun and/or popular.

                  The intangible here is how involved the writer is with the production. If you direct and/or produce your own stuff, even in theater or digital, it shows your ability as a producer and your value to a TV production. On the film side writers continue to be second class citizens and quotes are stagnant or dropping, but success begets success if you write good stuff.

                  HTH,
                  Just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary.

                  -Steve Trautmann
                  3rd & Fairfax: The WGAW Podcast

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: To Live In LA

                    Originally posted by KitchonaSteve View Post


                    LA is expensive. Rents for a 2 bedroom apt. run $1500+/month (plus security deposit and last month's rent). Gas is almost $4/gallon, etc. You need money in the bank

                    Where the hell are you getting 2 bedrooms for $1500!? My one bedroom is substantially more than that.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: To Live In LA

                      Originally posted by CthulhuRises View Post
                      Where the hell are you getting 2 bedrooms for $1500!? My one bedroom is substantially more than that.
                      The neighborhood's a little on the dodgy side, and that's why I added the '+'.
                      Just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary.

                      -Steve Trautmann
                      3rd & Fairfax: The WGAW Podcast

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: To Live In LA

                        Originally posted by KitchonaSteve View Post
                        Unless you're laser focused on TV and have 6-8 pilots/specs under your belt, wait to make the move until you've got a few really good samples.
                        Generally good advice in KS's post, but I wanted to highlight this one part because it's something I vehemently disagree with. I hate it when people offer this advice, because it ultimately leads to people staying put where they are and never trying at all.

                        I moved to LA without having written a single word of a script, only with the desire to write movies. If I listened to someone like Steve before I moved, I seriously doubt that I would have ever made the move at all. I doubt I would have remained focused and motivated 3,000 miles away, I certainly wouldn't have the friends I've made, and I definitely would not have met my wife and have my three children.

                        Other things happen out here besides writing. You build a life, make life-long friends, and maybe even start a family. If you're young, unencumbered, and just crazy enough to move thousands of miles to try to get into this nutty business, ****ing go for it. Yes, it's expensive, but you'll find a way. And other things besides breaking in to the business just might happen to you.

                        Good luck.

                        Also, I should note that I did stay motivated and focused out here. I have an agent, manager, and lawyer, two scripts that went wide, an option offer on the table, another potential paid development gig, and the potential to get two scripts on the BL this year.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: To Live In LA

                          Originally posted by KitchonaSteve View Post
                          The neighborhood's a little on the dodgy side, and that's why I added the '+'.

                          Hah, I bet. L.A. rent is actually the worst in the country (N.Y. and S.F. are higher, but more of our salary goes toward rent). It's pretty nuts right now. I agree, be careful about moving here unless you're prepared for the costs.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: To Live In LA

                            Yeah, putting the move off might mean that you will never make the move. That is certainly true. You might keep saying: In six months, in six months, etc.



                            BUT


                            It would really help to have some works to show and also experience of some kind in film/theater.


                            I used to know a guy, a pretty well-known screenwriter, who went to school where I did, a long time ago. I knew him but did not have classes with him. He worked for the university doing some film work. He also made some campaign films for a politician.


                            His big break came after he wrote a play (which I never saw, unfortunately) that was filmed and broadcast (on the state PBS, I think). He ended up writing for Saturday Night Live for a couple of years (back in the day when it was still worth watching). This led to a move to Hollywood, where he has had a pretty good career, as far as I know.


                            One thing he said, about twenty years ago, is that when he went to Hollywood, he was shocked at the level of incompetency. I think he was talking about all of the people who were trying to break into the industry or were working on the margins of it somehow. I think we can draw a message from his words: that it is good to have some experience before you jump into the competition.


                            BUT


                            Of course, you have to weigh all the factors and decide what would be best for you.


                            Initially, you should probably get a job in a hospital doing what you have been doing. I am a physician and have some knowledge of the registration process. The turnover of registration clerks is pretty big, so you should be able to get a job. Be sure to leave your current job on good terms with everybody, because new employers WILL check with your last employer and will ask: "Would you hire this person again?" That is a standard question to ask.


                            Good luck!

                            "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: To Live In LA

                              Originally posted by CthulhuRises View Post
                              Hah, I bet. L.A. rent is actually the worst in the country (N.Y. and S.F. are higher, but more of our salary goes toward rent). It's pretty nuts right now. I agree, be careful about moving here unless you're prepared for the costs.
                              Yeah, I just did a quick search, and in my (pleasant but not crazy expensive) LA neighborhood, 2brs are at least $2500-- and generally much more. The situation has changed dramatically in the last decade or so. In 2008, you could get a 2br in the same (and equally-nice-back-then) neighborhood for around half that.

                              Another change: a decade ago, the joke was that Angelenos only talk about traffic, while New Yorkers only talk about real estate. You need look no further than this very thread for evidence that that's no longer the case, that real estate costs have become one of the major pain points of our lives.

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