Screenwriting : Moving to LA by Barry Smith

Barry if you are sold on the idea. The scriptnotes podcast has advice on this. Go to johnaugust.com and search there.

Yes, if you can financially afford to move. But I would wait until next year, Spring 2022; hopefully post-covid19/Delta variants. Start filing your immigration paperwork, takes bout 2-3 months for a long term visa.

Thank you for these responses - and the website link. Some wise words there.

Barry Smith perhaps this is even a possible question not stated? Have you ever been to LA?

I lived in California for several years, drove up and down the coast half a dozen times,

last extended stay in LA it seemed like the local economy was not doing too well, not that necessarily has much bearing on the film biz, might even make rents cheaper if you don't mind living in a "rustic" part of town,

just wondering if you know the town in terms of the logistics of living there or if it's strictly a first adventure, I happen to love it and yet I recognize that it can be rather expensive to live there (I've lived in San Francisco and Washington, DC among other spots so I can compare a bit).

I feel like post-quarantine with all the zoom opps and industry dynamics now I would likely want to wait, just enjoy the many open doors to telecommute, and maybe consider a move there once I have a real deal that would really put me inside the industry,

but I also recognize that "fortune favors the bold!" so I certainly would not dissuade an adventurous artist who's ready to make the leap.

With all of the many good films coming out of the UK. Perhaps you might be able to sell your work to some studios there. Good luck on your success.

Hey Barry. We have quite a few blogs here on the subject andI literally just posted a video speaking to this on my IG - https://www.instagram.com/rbwalksintoabar/

Hi Daniel Stuelpnagel thanks for the advice again, I did actually live in LA on Venice Beach when I was working in advertising, but was only there for months compared to years in NY. I just read these books like 'Getting It Write' that say you don't have to move to LA, but it does make life easier if you do. Though it appears that President Biden is quite against me visiting at the moment - and the rest of the UK, he doesn't have a personal vendetta - so I may not have much choice. But it does seem like a good place to live, especially Laurel Canyon, though that may be out my budget unless I can do some gardening there for someone and live in their shed.

Clayton Dudzic that's true, and very encouraging, thank you. The films I was looking at marketing, one is set in LA and based around the film industry to a large extent, and the other one's main characters are from NY and is set in the tropics, so not sure how that would play with UK producers. I guess the characters in the latter could be rewritten.

Cheers @Richard "RB" Botto, will take a look at that link, it's good to know you're on my case.

Hope you all have the best of luck on your own creative endeavours as well.

Barryx

seems all the current employed writers want to leave LA. lol. Be great in this occupation and you can live anywhere.

I know so many people who are either getting out or have gotten out and they're simply operating remotely without the "LA bullshit".

People say it's worth making the jump but can never back it up with proof it's worked for them. Lots of creepy stuff like trying to get in elevators with people so you can pitch to them. Too many people think it's going to be like the start of Hollywood Boulevard where you just show up and get an agent.

Most producers I know stay at home so I'm not sure how being in a coffee shop in Venice Beach helps you get any closer to someone who rarely leaves Van Nuys.

Film LA have made it next to impossible for indies to film there and streaming productions are booking out many of the locations anyway.

Obviously the big stuff is all there but there's no access to an unknown. You can maybe get a meeting... that could have been done via Zoom.

Where it shines is education and events. Plus, I guess, you're infinitely more likely to befriend a hungry unknown director/producer/actor/cinematographer to collaborate with.

This all changes if your career is on the up-and-up as your networking opportunities are so much more powerful, but even then, LA is a polarising place to be.

The place to be right now as an unknown is people's inboxes.

You have a point, CJ, but LA like NY is for dreamers. And the only way to be close to the action, is to be there like the many who have made the move and succeeded.

Hi, Barry! I live in LA myself and am an actor/writer here in addition to being Stage 32's Creative Service Manager (#shesbusy) and I happen to love it. We moved here from NY and the moment that we got here knew "Oh yeah ok, we're here to stay."

But that's something that's made sense for us, and that's a move that we made 7 years ago. The industry has, quite obviously, changed A LOT since then & like so many folks have already commented here, more and more artists are working outside of the NY/LA (/Austin/Chicago/Atlanta) hubs all. the time. It's becoming less necessary for people to live in any of the aforementioned places to be able to thrive because again, with the Zoom boom and our world becoming more internet and video dependent in general, you can be on a beach and click a link and then be in a conference room.

Absolutely move to LA if you WANT to. If this is a city that you want to live in (and it is great), then by all means, come on out. But, know that you can really and truly work from anywhere. It's the kind of work that you're putting in and the hustle that you make a point to maintain that's going to get you that work, not the city that you live in.

You have a good point, Angela. John Hughes wrote his good films in Chicago and did well.

Hi Barry, glad to hear about all the action going on with you! Personally, I would follow my heart to LA if I could. Maybe after a couple of years, if possible. But I have found happiness in this community. For me it's something like a virtual version of LA, or LA on the cloud, because of all the opportunities to connect with legitimate and like-minded professionals in the industry.

@angela cristantello cheers for this, I will remember to do the hustle, and it's good to know that there are a lot of options, thanks for all your advice - as well as telling me how I can see who's in my network. :D

And thanks again @clayton, John Hughes clearly knew what he was doing in Chicago , though I recall Calamity Jane was less enamoured.

@karis it is always good to follow your heart, and in the modern world that we live in today, your virtual heart too. Thank you for this.

I am from California and wouldn't move here just to try and break in as a screenwriter. You can do that from anywhere nowadays.

Moving To LA, has been one of most talked about topic for discussion for many decades. Backed by many articles and videos as well. If you know of anyone who came to LA to be an actor, raise your hand. Dreamers are always faced with adversity. If you have the drive and the passion to come to Hollywood to be a part of the film industry, then do what ever it takes.

Los Angeles is an expensive place to live.

You can do just about everything except accidentally bump into a development executive in the grocery store from where you are now.

I moved out of California about 30 years ago up here to Oregon. I should 'ave moved further - CA is starting to catch up on me (I'm to old to move again).