How to survive as an Actor in LA
August 27, 2012
Thousands of people a year move to LA in hopes of pursuing the dream of being an Actor. That is the easy part, being an Actor. The part that a lot of folks have difficulty with is working as an actor. More accurately getting paid to act. In such a fashion that you can rely solely on your income on acting so that you can focus only on acting. The thing that makes you your money. Well there lies the rub.
Most people, like myself, move to LA with the viewpoint that I am gonna rip this town apart. Which is usually so far from the truth. It usually takes a couple of weeks to realize no one is paying any attention to you. That you, experienced or not, are lost in a sea of new faces, old faces, experienced faces and sad faces. Then the reality sets in, sheeeeeet! This is gonna be a marathon. As much as I shot out of the starting block at a dead sprint, there is a lot of miles ahead.
I guess the 1st thing to surviving here is to look at the very basic and fundamental concerns. I have boiled them down to pretty much the same things that were going on at the place you were living before LA.
1. Attitude. Must be ready for the long haul and not after immediate gratification. It is common that people take years of classes before even getting an agent.
2. Home. You need to find an affordable place that is sane. Not full of chaos and distractions, like roomies who party a lot or are into drama. Leave the drama for the stage.
3. Job. You will most likely have some savings when you move here, or I would hope you will. Regardless of how much your bringing, get a job. Any job just to start. Once you get a place and have money coming in, work on improving your home and job if you need to. Just get some income rolling in the door.
4. Car. LA is a massive city and you must have a car. You need a place to park it and you need money to operate and maintain it. Try to come out here with something that is good on gas, reliable and has air conditioning. If you don't have a car you might as well stay at home. I am not kidding you NEED a car in this town.
5. Classes. You will not doubt hear about all the great gods of acting while you are hear. You will need some money (see point 3.) to pay for these classes. Most of which are anywhere from $200-400 a month. To which you can expect to take these classes for years to come.
6. Agent or manager. Which to get you need headshots and a resume. So that costs money as well. Oh and you need to get on all the current actor websites like Actors Access, LA Casting and Casting Frontier.
7. Demo Reel you need a demo reel as well, but you need the agent 1st. Damn!!! A catch 22 this is called. Suck it up sunshine, no one cares about that. You might have to contract someone to build you one or use your student film stuff that you have booked. Cut them together and get a little something happening.
There are some many other steps that are required in this journey. You need to see casting directors, audition, get coaching. Have someone to give you sympathy because no one here will. This is a polite and cold business. No one really cares about you. They care about themselves and it is a very competitive market to get into. However what I have felt and gotten from being here. From all the ups and down, the rejection and the occasional success, is that I love it. As much as I want everything to hurry up, get me on set, get me those auditions, get me my paycheck. It not going to happen. My suggestion to you is this. That passion and zest that you have. Do not come out to LA and blow it all in one roll of the dice. Rather keep it in your heart, let it burn in your soul, fill your guts. Let it out a little bit at a time, in even measure. Then it will last the entire duration that you are here. Its a marathon not a sprint.
And lastly above all, do it. Move out here and get after it. I want to see you here because no one is interested in something you didn't do!
Most people, like myself, move to LA with the viewpoint that I am gonna rip this town apart. Which is usually so far from the truth. It usually takes a couple of weeks to realize no one is paying any attention to you. That you, experienced or not, are lost in a sea of new faces, old faces, experienced faces and sad faces. Then the reality sets in, sheeeeeet! This is gonna be a marathon. As much as I shot out of the starting block at a dead sprint, there is a lot of miles ahead.
I guess the 1st thing to surviving here is to look at the very basic and fundamental concerns. I have boiled them down to pretty much the same things that were going on at the place you were living before LA.
1. Attitude. Must be ready for the long haul and not after immediate gratification. It is common that people take years of classes before even getting an agent.
2. Home. You need to find an affordable place that is sane. Not full of chaos and distractions, like roomies who party a lot or are into drama. Leave the drama for the stage.
3. Job. You will most likely have some savings when you move here, or I would hope you will. Regardless of how much your bringing, get a job. Any job just to start. Once you get a place and have money coming in, work on improving your home and job if you need to. Just get some income rolling in the door.
4. Car. LA is a massive city and you must have a car. You need a place to park it and you need money to operate and maintain it. Try to come out here with something that is good on gas, reliable and has air conditioning. If you don't have a car you might as well stay at home. I am not kidding you NEED a car in this town.
5. Classes. You will not doubt hear about all the great gods of acting while you are hear. You will need some money (see point 3.) to pay for these classes. Most of which are anywhere from $200-400 a month. To which you can expect to take these classes for years to come.
6. Agent or manager. Which to get you need headshots and a resume. So that costs money as well. Oh and you need to get on all the current actor websites like Actors Access, LA Casting and Casting Frontier.
7. Demo Reel you need a demo reel as well, but you need the agent 1st. Damn!!! A catch 22 this is called. Suck it up sunshine, no one cares about that. You might have to contract someone to build you one or use your student film stuff that you have booked. Cut them together and get a little something happening.
There are some many other steps that are required in this journey. You need to see casting directors, audition, get coaching. Have someone to give you sympathy because no one here will. This is a polite and cold business. No one really cares about you. They care about themselves and it is a very competitive market to get into. However what I have felt and gotten from being here. From all the ups and down, the rejection and the occasional success, is that I love it. As much as I want everything to hurry up, get me on set, get me those auditions, get me my paycheck. It not going to happen. My suggestion to you is this. That passion and zest that you have. Do not come out to LA and blow it all in one roll of the dice. Rather keep it in your heart, let it burn in your soul, fill your guts. Let it out a little bit at a time, in even measure. Then it will last the entire duration that you are here. Its a marathon not a sprint.
And lastly above all, do it. Move out here and get after it. I want to see you here because no one is interested in something you didn't do!
Posted by simon longmore.