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[Nate Garza]

I want to just move to LA. Is it worth it? i believe that it indeed is. First blog post ever so cut me some slack

[Stan M. Strawn]

Hey Nate welcome to the site!, Moving to L.A.? Might work. depending on a lot of things...Anyway, I've been working on a sci-fi film right here in Littleton... Gearing up to start to move ahead again...Had a lull in the action as I've been updating equipment and have been working for an L.A. group on a new Sinbad film. Let me know if you'd be interested in auditioning for a high school senior type in the late 1950's... Check out my site to see our progress/pics...Thanks, Stan

[Michael F.Ryan]

Hi, Nate: No, its not worth it in my opinion.  The former boom town of Los Angeles has become a fairly

undesirable place to make movies largely in part to the ever tightening regulatory controls.  Just try to set-up 

a tripod on the street to film without a permit!  Try to work on a studio lot without being a "union member". 

Sure, there's "room at the top" if you have big money to invest or spend.  Forbes rates L.A. as 47th among the large metropolitan cities as a desirable place to live or work.  180,000 young people have left L.A. in search of a better place for work opportunities and to live.  Taxation and living expenses are extremely high and, to boot, you usually can't get a well paying job because of the competition from over population and the in migration of so many more.  A lot of feature film production has moved to Canada or elsewhere and many of the major studios are mainly shooting television series shows for the networks.  It's a nice gig if you could get it.  Most daytime television dramas are now shutting down as the television production business evolves, so the jobs once available to young actors are disappearing with that evolution.  The reality is that you've really got to get your game on to make it in the performing arts in L.A. and probably will need extensive connections from networking.  It's a real long shot.  Better to look for opportunities right here in Colorado and to network with the many fine and talented CASA people who are doing surprising projects everywhere around the Front Range.  There's work here, if you look for it, and a more pleasant way of life.  I have experience in both places and was in L.A. at an industry event as recently as this summer.  So consider my opinion for what it's worth.  (You can always pay high rent and then look for work in the L.A. 411 newspaper like thousands of other young people who go there looking for work.)

[Jim Brennan]

It depends  (it's great when people are so definitive, isn't it)

 

It's sort of like asking what kind of car should you buy.  What do you want?  What is your goal?  How much are you willing to invest?  How much experience do you have?  How good are you right now and what are you doing to get better?

 

It's not really enough to say "I want to act".  What does that mean?  There are a lot of very talented and skilled actors in Colorado who perform in local plays, films and commercials.  They love what they do and and probably make their bread and butter doing something else.  You don't need to move to LA for that.

 

There are a handful of actors in Colorado who do make their living from their craft.  But they do a variety of things that fall under that umbrella, including doing VO work, being a spokesperson, maybe being an Emcee at events and doing a lot of commercial work.

 

People may disagree, but if your goal is to be a working film industry actor, you probably should plan a move to LA at some point.  While it is true that most movies are shot elsewhere, LA is where the industry is.  That is where all of the agents, managers, producers, studio execs, etc work on a daily basis.  You can't network from here very well as an actor.  You need face time.  People need to get to know you; they need to know who you are and have your name near the top of their list.  You need to be able to go on auditions on short notice.  Unless you have a private jet to get you back and forth, that's hard to do from here.

 

And even though LA does not have as much big production as it used to, there is a lot more work there than here.

 

The other advantage to a city that has major industry work (LA, NYC, maybe Chicago) is that you get to hone your craft with a much deeper pool of professional working actors.  There are some excellent actors here in Colorado, as well as good acting schools.  But you are not going to find the variety and quantity of instruction and workshops that you will in LA.  

 

Of course, none of this is news, so everyday thousands of people head to LA for the same exact reason.  Every waiter is an actor and every intern is a screenwriter or producer.  So there are significantly more predators and a lot more competition.  Big fish in a small pond, or small fish in a big one?  Which one serves your goals?

 

Luckily for you, this isn't something you have to decide right now.  You can work on your craft here and then decide.  

If you do decide to move to LA then I would advise you to do a  couple of things first.

 

1) Do your homework.  Research workshops, agencies and acting coaches.  You want know at least a few names to look up once you get there.  Better yet, get some personal recommendations if you can swing it.

 

2) Be financially prepared.  LA is not a cheap town.  You should have a decent sized bankroll when you go so you are not too stressed about money when you get there.

 

3) Be patient.  You may have to spend some time there to get acclimated.  You'll need to find a job, a place to live and start to network.  That may take months.  Don't expect to start getting auditions the first week.  And that's just to get the process started.

 

4) Talk to some actors who have done what you are trying to do.  Some of it might be discouraging, and you may have to filter the extremes on both ends.  But first hand experience can be very valuable.

 

5) Be honest, both about why you are doing what you are doing, and what you are willing to do to accomplish your goals.  

 

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck.  I firmly believe that you can never go wrong following your dream.  But it is very helpful to go into that process with an open mind and not just look for information that supports what you want to believe.  That approach puts you at a significant advantage.

[Jim Brennan]

I think it is also important to point out that there is a big difference between wanting to break into the industry in particular discipline (such as writing or acting) and being an indie film producer.  Michael is right.  LA has some challenges for the indie that we don't have.  It's relatively simple to shoot nearly anywhere you want around here.  But it doesn't seem like that's what you are looking to do.

 

 

[Nate Garza]

I really really appreciate that advice. I have a cousin that is infact an intern and he is in the industry. Chuck Manus is his name, he knows his way around the business and he is willing to help. That is my main reason, or i should say that is why I would feel comfortable to move out there because he can help and he is someone that I know that i can trust. I like what you said at the end Mr. Brennan about following your dreams and i appreciate it. I do want to be an actor and i don't just look at it like a job. It's more of a passion for me. I love to entertain people. The gradification I get from entertaining people would be greater than a paycheck to me. thanks for the advice. I will absolutely take that to heart.