I'm often asked how people should prepare for moving to Los Angeles. It's a big city and can be overwhelming if you don't have a plan of attack when you get to town. I've discussed acting classes and how to find an agent and manager in the past. Even though those are important parts of the process of being an actor in Los Angeles, there are other bits of information you need to know when you relocate to Los Angeles.
The first thing you need to do before you relocate is decide if you really want to be an actor. Los Angeles is filled with good-looking people and you (more than likely) look like many of the other actors you'll see at an audition. Do you really want to spend your time auditioning for the same parts as hundreds of other actors? Can you accept the fact that you (more than likely) won't walk right into a steady role on a TV show or a leading part in a movie? If you can't see yourself doing anything else with your life then you are (more than likely) mentally ready to join the ranks of struggling actors in Los Angeles.
The next step in the process is making sure you have enough money to survive when you first get to Los Angeles. It should come as no surprise that L.A. is an expensive city. You should have anywhere from $5000-$10,000 in the bank when you make the move. Why? You have to find a place to live and also provide the first and last months rent as well as a security deposit when you get a place. You probably won't have a job when you first get here so you need money to survive. You'll need food and furniture for your new place. Plus, moving here doesn't mean your other bills such as student loans and car notes disappear. It's not that hard to go through all of your money just getting set-up to live in Los Angeles much less continue to live here on a daily basis.
Do you want to move to L.A. to study with a certain acting coach? That's a great idea but you don't really need to be here to study with the coach. Acting coaches often do lessons via Skype so you can do scene studies from the comfort of your own home. Do you feel like your acting skills are at the level to compete in Los Angeles? If you can't answer that question with a definitive "YES", you're better off studying via Skype and saving your money.
How attached are you to the city where you currently live? Is it where your entire family and your best friends live? Relocating and leaving your support system behind is not an easy thing to do. Phone calls and social media are great but they don't always make you feel better when you car breaks down or you have a bad audition. Be ready for some lonely days and decide if you can handle being away from the people you love the most on a daily basis.
Finally, do you enjoy sitting in traffic? I'm talking about daily mind-numbing traffic that stretches on as far as the eye can see on a 24/7 basis. There is never really a time that traffic is light in L.A. The drive that took you an hour one day can be a two-and-a-half-hour epic event the next day. Your 4PM audition might require you to leave home anywhere from 90-minutes to two hours early depending on the part of town you have to drive to for the audition. If you hate being stuck in a car, this is not the town for you. If you can't handle the stress of never knowing how long your daily drive is going to last, this is not the town for you. If you can go with the flow and listen to podcasts, practice your lines, warm up your singing voice, get into character or get a friend to ride with you so you can use the carpool lane, you will be able to deal with the 405 on a daily basis.
In the end, the final choice about whether or not to move to Los Angeles has to be your decision. The advantage of being in the center of the movie making business has to be worth all of the sacrifices you'll need to make to move here. Think long and hard and make the decision that is best for your life. If you do move to Los Angeles, I hope you love it here and find much success!
This actor made the decision to move to Los Angeles in 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment