How Do Actors Get Around Los Angeles Without A Car?

Now that you've moved to Los Angeles for pilot season, it's time to make your way around town. Learning the ins and outs of the 405, the 101 and the 5 as well as when to take surface streets to avoid traffic jams is essential to saving time going to auditions. But what if you come to town without a car? How is an actor supposed to get around town???

One of the major factors that determines how easily you can get around town without a car is where you live. For example, Santa Monica has the Big Blue Bus that can get you from Santa Monica to as far as Beverly Hills or as close as Venice. Public transportation (or what counts for public transportation in LA) is the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority or Metro. On the plus side, Metro can get you somewhere for a couple of bucks. However, the stations are scattered and, at best, are few and far between. Planning trips around town is not very practical if you don't live near a Metro stop. Having said all of that, living near a station means you can take advantage of the trains that run about every 10 minutes or so during the day and around 20-25 minutes at night. Metro also has bus service if you'd rather not take a train.

How about riding a bike? It's great exercise and there are plenty of bike lanes in Los Angeles as many people choose to bike instead of drive. The danger of riding a bike is being the super sweaty actor at an audition.

As with any major city, there is Uber and Lyft to get you around town. There are definite advantages to these car ride services as they save you the hassle of finding a parking space and are available 24-hours a day on demand. The downside is the rides are automatically charged to your credit card. Regular customers need to encourage their friends to use the services so they can get free rides. Otherwise, the charges to your credit card can become a large amount before you realize how much money you've spent on rides.

Like many actors in Los Angeles, you will more than likely have a regular job to help pay the bills. Although it can't be done with all jobs, living close to where you work is a goal for many in Los Angeles. Being able to walk or ride a bike to work is a big help in your life without a car.

If you do need a car in a tight spot or just to run some errands outside of your neighborhood, there is a car-share service called Zipcar that allows you to pay an hourly rate to use their vehicles. From auditions to job interviews to needing a vehicle to carry groceries home, Zipcar is a good alternative when a car is the only option for you.

You can always take a cab and spend way too much money if you enjoy that kind of thing. Cabs are easy to come by downtown and in many tourist spots around the area. Good luck finding one in the middle of the day in the Valley.

Finally, make friends with people who don't mind taking you places as long as you help out with gas money.

It's not impossible to exist in Los Angeles without a car during pilot season (and beyond). It is nicer to have your own transportation so you can drive to an audition at your pace. Plus, everybody in Los Angeles should have to experience going to the California DMV at least once in their life.

I can't believe this actor is old enough to have his own vehicle.

Where Are You Going To Live During Pilot Season?

The craziness of pilot season is just starting in Hollywood. When actors make their way to California, they are always concerned about having their resume and headshot and management in order. Many of them don't give enough thought to where they are going to live once they get to Los Angeles. Rentals are at a premium during pilot season because landlords and homeowners know they can make a killing renting out apartments and spare rooms.

Pilot season also creates a big demand for hotel and motel rooms. Besides the actors coming to Los Angeles for pilot season, there's also a big demand for rooms thanks to the number of awards ceremonies at this time of year. You can certainly find an apartment for rent but be prepared to pay a higher price since most apartments that offer short-term leases have already been booked. The remaining few can make big money since there is such a demand for places to live.

How do you go about finding a place? Two of the most popular online sites are Craigslist and Airbnb. Although you can narrow your search some by location on Craigslist, Airbnb is more focused as it gives you a checklist of items to search for in an apartment or rental property. There is also a very helpful online site from Westside Rentals that allows landlords to list properties that have opened in Los Angeles and the surrounding area. There is also the option of taking over an existing rental by subleasing it from a person who is moving before their lease is over.

If the actor coming to Hollywood is a child actor with a parent who is employed in the corporate world, there is always corporate housing rentals. This would require some coordination with the company that employs the parent but it is certainly worth checking into as a housing option.

The other thing to worry about when finding a place to live is LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION. There are dozens of casting locations that host auditions on a regular basis. A good number of them are in the Hollywood, DTLA and San Fernando Valley area. While you might find a rental place that has a cheaper price in Orange County or Simi Valley, the amount of time spent in traffic getting to an audition might make the idea of living further out not worth it in the long run. Many auditions are last minute so being in Long Beach doesn't make it easy to get to Burbank in 30-minutes to an hour for a time sensitive audition window.

Here's a few numbers to give you an idea of how crowded the acting field is in Los Angeles. Just taking the amount of adults out of the equation (since Zach is still in the teen category), the California Department of Labor issues around 50,000 entertainment work permits every six months. (The work permits for minors must be renewed every six months.)  The vast majority of these work permits are for minors working in the Los Angeles area. Add in the large number of adult actors also in Los Angeles for pilot season (much less year round residents) and you'll have a good idea of how many people are searching for housing in Los Angeles.

I'm not trying to scare you off from being a part of pilot season. I just want you to be prepared for the competition for housing that goes along with the competition for booking roles and the increase in traffic from the new (temporary) residents.

If you do decide to join us in California for the next few months, enjoy your stay in Los Angeles!

This actor makes the San Fernando Valley his home.

Where Were You Four Years Ago?

I can still remember the feeling of change in the air in January of 2012. I was spending my time taking care of business and school related odds and ends as Zach and I prepared to head to California. 

My time was also filled with Internet research trying to find an apartment while not knowing anything about the various cities in the Los Angeles area, touching base with friends before departing, making sure my truck was ready for the drive and trying to determine how many of our belongings could fit in my truck and still be a comfortable drive to California. We had to take a good amount of Zach’s clothes since he would have auditions and other acting events. I took some jeans, about ten shirts, some sneakers, socks and underwear. I figured I could buy anything else I needed once we got to California. We also packed a TV, Zach’s Xbox 360, pots, pans and our computer.

The afternoon of January 19^th, 2012 was a bittersweet one for us.  It was Zach’s last day at school and I went to pick him up as usual. I didn't say much to any of the parents that I visited with each afternoon because I didn't feel like having a long conversation about our plans. Zach came outside about ten minutes after school ended with a look that was a combination of sadness and excitement. The idea that we were going to California the next day hit him at that moment. We were excited but nervous at the same time. His friends were coming over to our house that afternoon but Zach still had one more task before leaving school. We went back inside so he could (as a joke) put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on his locker until he returned to school.

Think about how you feel on Sunday night once you realize you have to go to bed because of work the next morning. There is always a feeling of dread about the next day. I didn't feel a sense of dread because I didn't want to go to California. I was dreading the road trip that I was about to undertake in the morning. 

Dana, Zach and I hit the road at 5am on January 20th as a light dusting of snow fell over St. Louis. I took the snow as a sign to get the heck out of town! Dana took a week of vacation to drive with us and help us get settled. She needed to make sure her family was safe in California.

We made good time the first day as we went from Missouri to Oklahoma to Texas to New Mexico. We spent the night somewhere in New Mexico because the combination of high winds, winding roads and UFO talk made us ready to rest for the night. We hit the road again on Sunday around 8am and went from New Mexico to Arizona to California as we finally arrived in Los Angeles. 

We left at 5am on the 20^th and got to our hotel in Universal City at 10pm on the 21^st. Our drive across the country included stops in Tulsa, Amarillo, the car museum at Russell’s Truck & Travel Center in New Mexico (3 miles from the Texas/New Mexico state line), a hotel stay somewhere in New Mexico, fast food in Albuquerque and our arrival in California. 

After a week, Dana went back home and we settled into our new routine of being apart for what we thought would be about six months before heading back to Missouri. Dana and I were pretty sure that the lure of football season and his friends would make Zach want to go back to Missouri.

That's what we get for thinking we had any idea what the future held for our family! 

Here's to four years of Hollywood, child actors, stage parents, porn king neighbors, a cross country family relationship, a TIA stroke, agents, managers, making new (and good) friends, a near death hospital experience, family visiting us in California, blogs, casting directors, Disney, Nickelodeon, improv, making a life in California, Russian cell phone kings, high school graduation, sky poison (rain) sending the California natives into a panic, filming television shows and movies in Los Angeles as well as Missouri and Oregon, a series of freelance gigs that have found me working with people in the entertainment/physical fitness/life insurance/crowdfunding/spices/public relations/social media management/plastic surgery industries, theme parks, college, baseball, traffic, learning our way around Los Angeles and the three of us living in the same city again.

There hasn't been a dull moment since we arrived in California. I can't wait to see what the next year brings for all of us.

This Actor Explored Los Angeles With Me After We Moved Here.

Audition Preparation Tips And Tricks

Zach has been having a good January so far with two big auditions coming his way. All auditions are good but some require more preparation than others. Here are a few things to keep in mind when preparing to enter the audition room.

1. One of the first audition steps is determining how much prep you need for the audition. The prep work goes beyond learning the lines. Is the casting director someone you've met before? If so, there is a level of familiarity that can serve you well. Since the casting director already has an idea of what you are capable of, it takes the "getting to know each other" vibe out of the audition. Also, is this audition for a commercial or for a major movie? If it's for a commercial, you are probably okay running the lines with friends and family. If it is for a series lead or a major movie role, you might be better served scheduling a private lesson with a trusted acting coach.
2. Learn the lines! This is simple advice but not many people follow it. There are a good number of actors who feel that being spontaneous and "in the moment" translates to a good audition. Casting directors don't want to see you improvise during an audition. They want to know that you are off book (know your lines) and making a connection with them and the material. Being able to perform the scene from memory helps open up the actor to being natural in the scene.
3. Don't just know your lines. Be familiar with the lines of the other characters because it will give you insight into how others in the script see your character.  Knowing what is going on with everyone in the scene gives you a better idea of the motivations behind your character and his or her behavior in the script.
4. Find your level of confidence before entering the casting office. Whether you already know the casting director or you are meeting him for the first time in the room, you are being judged the moment you step in the room. Body language and overall attitude are just as important as your acting skills. Don't mistake attitude for intensity. Smile and act like you want to be there!
5. Don't make the audition a life or death situation. Much like a job interview, there are many factors that are out of your control when it comes to landing a part. Being prepared and showing your best take on the role are the two main things you can do once you enter the room. Once you walk out the door, it is out of your control. Do your best and don't dwell on the audition when you leave the room.

All actors have different methods of preparing for an audition. Find the method that works for you and give it everything you have when you enter the room. Break a leg!

This Actor Did A Private To Prepare For An Audition This Week.

A Night Of Hollywood Rock 'N' Roll

Like a lot of people who came of age in the 80s, I loved the music that came out of the Los Angeles rock scene. Dana also loved the metal music that came out of Los Angeles. A partial list of the bands that we both liked at the time includes Motley Crue, Dark Angel and L.A. Guns. One major difference between the two of us at that time in Memphis was the fact that Dana got to work at a radio station that played that genre of music. I also worked at a radio station at the same time but we played such cutting edge Los Angeles acts as The Bangles, The Go-Go's and Nelson.

We both thought how cool it would be to hang out on the Sunset Strip at The Roxy, The Whiskey or The Rainbow. A night filled with rock 'n' roll, booze and half naked rock fans seemed like a great idea. I've spent a good amount of time on the Sunset Strip since moving here but I never pictured the majority of my time being spent at Nick on Sunset while Zach was filming at Nickelodeon.

Flash forward many years and Motley Crue is wrapping up their tour and life as a band at The Staples Center. While not quite the Sunset Strip, there was a definite "L.A. Vibe" to the show since the Crue is considered a hometown band by the city.

The final show was on New Year's Eve but we were there the night before on December 30th. I was expecting the crowd to be nothing more than a convention of 80s burnouts and over the hill rockers. I was surprised by the wide range of people in the crowd. It was a combination of people who loved the band in the 80s and came to the show dressed (not in an ironic way) in their 80s gear, parents with kids that actually seemed excited to see the band as opposed to being dragged to the show by their parents and a large portion of people who wanted to see the Crue one last time.

Dana thinking about the music while I'm thinking about the price of beer at the show.

Instead of a beer soaked venue like The Whiskey where the sound is loud and the only souvenir is a hangover, there was a pop-up shop full of Crue gear that also included Kings jerseys with the Crue logo on it. Instead of simple bar food like onion rings and fries, Staples had salads, sushi, McDonald's and California Pizza Kitchen to keep the crowd full and happy.

My favorite Crue item of the night.

When the Crue comes to mind, I think of loud music, pyrotechnics and half naked girls. The show had all three of those things but two of them were slightly disappointing. Staples Center is a great place to see a basketball game but it kind of sucks for a rock show. The venue is so large that the sound gets lost as it leaves the stage. The music volume and even the pyrotechnics sound seemed to be at low to medium volume most of the night. Motley Crue sounded great but there is no way I should have been able to have a conversation with the guy next to me at a normal volume. I never had to raise my voice to be heard over the music.

The most rock 'n' roll thing that happened all night were the guitar and drum solos and even those seemed like they were happening far away from the crowd. There were plenty of shots on the TV screens of the half naked dancers who seemed to be having more fun than any of the band members on stage.

After the show was over, there was not a rush for the door to get to the next bar before it closed. A good portion of the crowd was discussing being up for work early the next morning.  It was a great show but a far cry from the debauchery I always imagined a Crue show would be from footage I saw in the 80s.

There is still a great rock scene that happens on the Strip with the rock lifestyle still being practiced on a nightly basis. It wasn't all that apparent at the Crue show but it was a good night for Los Angeles rock music. It showed that no matter how old the band (or their fans) the love of rock music still builds a community no matter where the venue is located in Los Angeles.

This Actor Didn't Want To Hang Out At Motley Crue With His Parents

Pilot Season Is Almost Here

It's officially 2016 and the Hollywood machine is gearing up for the coming year. It's also one of the busiest times of the year in town because pilot season is close to kicking off.

All of the casting directors and production people return to work this week. In fact, Zach had his first audition of the year today. Not only is this the time of year everyone is returning to work, it's also the time that a large number of actors are relocating to Los Angeles for pilot season.  

The time that pilot season happens used to be defined as January through April. With more cable networks and streaming services producing shows all through the year, there is some pilot casting that happens throughout the year. However, the majority of pilots are cast during the traditional time period.  

In order to get the most attention for their potential series, producers will try and cast a big name in one of the lead roles. The big name could be a former TV star returning to the medium or a movie star who is not considered a marquee name anymore. Once the main choices/big names are locked into the project, the casting folks will start to work on filling the secondary and smaller roles.

If the pilot does not have any big names attached to it, agents will submit their roster of actors for any and all available roles in a pilot. The casting directors then call in the actors they are interested in seeing for an audition. They continue to call actors in for callbacks until the available roles are filled. Once the cast is in place, the pilot episode is filmed and shown to the network for approval and audience testing. Even if the series is picked up by the network, not all of the actors will make it to the screen in the fall. Some of the roles will be recast due to network notes and audience testing.

Are you an actor that already has an agent and lives in Hollywood? Great! Make an appointment with your agent and get a game plan ready for pilot season. Make sure the agent has your current headshot, resume, demo reel and social media links ready to use when they submit you for a role. It never hurts to attend some workshops to get your name and face in front of casting directors you already know or have not had a chance to meet in person.

Are you an actor moving to Los Angeles for pilot season and looking for representation? Good luck. It will be more of an uphill battle for you since most agents and managers are focused on their current pool of talent and are (normally) not looking to take on anyone new at this time of year. Also, the short term rent prices are crazy since rental property landlords and apartment building management companies know they can get premium rates due to the competition for available rentals. I'm not telling you not to chase your dreams but you might want to wait until the amount of actors competing for available parts is smaller. Many actors only move here for pilot season and then they return to their homes.

It's too early to tell what types of shows will be big this pilot season. It's always interesting to see what parts The Artist is submitted for by his agent.  The next few months should make for some entertaining stories from Hollywood before pilot season 2016 is over.

This Actor Felt Confident About His Audition Today.

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