Choosing Los Angeles As Your Acting Destination

While most people think of Los Angeles as the place to be in order to be a TV or movie actor, there are plenty of locations where an actor can earn a living.  New York, Vancouver, Chicago and New Orleans are just a few of the "acting destinations" available to those who want to be a professional working actor.  Those locations are great cities but there are still many reasons why you should make Los Angeles your acting destination.

• While New York offers opportunities for actors, it is still a better place to go for stage opportunities.  Los Angeles is the best location for on camera opportunities in film, television and commercials.
• Being in L.A. means you have a chance to be rejected in person by some of the top casting people in the business.  While I realize that sounds horrible, it's actually a good networking opportunity. Being rejected in person by a casting director means you were seen by a casting director.  The part the casting director feels you weren't right for today just means he (or she) might have the perfect part for you in the near future.
• Los Angeles is the home of more actors than anywhere else in the world.  Come to L.A. and you might find the perfect acting partner, form a writing team, become part of a production house, make contacts that help you land jobs in the future and even discover your real passion lies behind the camera.  The possibilities are endless.  
• As I mentioned above, there are various cities that have a thriving local film and television industry.  There's a good chance that most of the movies and TV shows in other cities are being cast out of Los Angeles.  You'll need to build connections here to land the jobs located elsewhere.
• There are plenty of lessons to learn outside of an acting class.  Being plugged into the community of Los Angeles actors allows you to: 

1. Learn how others market themselves 
2. Witness the triumphs and failures of your friends while gaining insight from their experiences 
3. Discover how well you handle competition because all the other actors want the same success that you crave 
4. Decide if the lessons you're learning spur you on to fulfill your dreams or send you back home with plenty of stories to tell your friends

• Being in the heart of the entertainment industry also gives you the opportunity to make a living by combining a variety of entertainment jobs.  Not everyone can make a living by doing a number of jobs but the chance to be involved in TV, movies, theater, voiceovers and crew work can best be found in Los Angeles.
• Los Angeles is home to a wide range of dreamers.  While your hometown might see you as a freak or an unrealistic person, Los Angeles is the town where anything goes.  No dream is too large and no personality is too outlandish.  Come here and live out your dreams.

It's up to you to decide whether or not making the move to Los Angeles is right for you.  There's nothing wrong with being known as "the actor" in your hometown.  If your dreams and ambitions extend beyond your local acting community then it might be time to make the move to Los Angeles.

This actor is still living his dreams in Los Angeles.