Moving to LA (via NYC)
At the Nuart last weekend for The Nines, Kris Galuska re-introduced himself. He’s a writer I had met at the Austin Film Festival last year. On a short elevator ride, I had tried to convince him that he really needed to move to Los Angeles if he was serious about working as a screenwriter. Apparently, it worked.
At the screening, he started to fill me in on the last twelve months, but I was sure that his experiences would be especially valuable to readers, just as Adam Davis’s recent essay had been. So I urged him to write it up. Once again, Kris took me up on my suggestion.
I started writing as a way to pass the time during my first summer away at college. What began as a diversion soon became my obsession. A year or so later, that obsession led me to the amazing, uniquely writer oriented, Austin Film Festival. I chose a panel on pitching and was delighted to see that the writer of Big Fish (one of my favorite movies) was on the panel. Though, I have to admit, I knew nothing more about John August than what was written in his short bio in the festival program. As the panel began I was blown away by John’s ability to give honest and immediately useful advice. He was able to knock down many of the walls around the industry that countless books and “insiders� had constructed in my mind. I changed my plans so I could attend the rest of the panels John was participating in. Eventually I got up the courage to step up and introduce myself.
I blurted out my name nervously and proceed to elaborate on my dreams of writing and the epic fantasy, action adventure, and science fiction movies I would help create. I wanted to make movies that entertained first and had a message second. I wanted to bring back the good name of the blockbuster and the popcorn flick. I pleaded with him for wisdom and any advice on how I could start my career and become the writer I dreamed I could be.
John’s answer was not a surprise, but it was an answer I dreaded. He told me to move to LA. To move away from the cheap apartments and light traffic of Texas and brave the ever growing expanse of Los Angeles. I left the festival and debated the decision until there were only three days left on my lease, and I would be forced to move out. My parents wanted me to work in New York, so that I could live close to them. I could even live in their house in Jersey until I found a place. NY had always held a certain lofty position in my head as a city made for writers, but I knew that John was right. The subject matter and the style of my writing was more in tune with the studios in California.
Unfortunately, as has been the case far too often, my expanding stomach led me to a different answer. It came in the form of two fortune cookies at a cheap, all I could shove down my face, Chinese buffet. The first said, “Spend this year with your family.� The second continued, “Don’t be afraid to act now.� Well who was I to argue with the wisdom of prepackaged, American made, Asian cookies? I packed what fit in my boxy little Scion and left for NY.
I don’t regret the six months I worked in Manhattan. NY is without a doubt a city every writer should spend some time in. You can’t walk down the street without a thousand stories striking your imagination. I worked each day with a constant monolog running through my mind - describing the people, the sights, the smells. Ah the smells… like an expert wine taster you develop the ability to name the location and ingredients of the putrid perfume of alcohol and urine that give each corner of Midtown its distinct flavor.
Despite the unappealing smells and the layer of exhaust that forms a visible cloud of carcinogens in the belly of the Port Authority buss terminal, New York is still a charming, surreal city that I’ll remember fondly. Even though the city overflowed with creative energy, I knew I was not where I was meant to be. I met many artist, musician, and documentary film makers, and they were all passionate and creative people, but every person I met that was doing what I wanted to do – write and make movies – was visiting from Los Angeles. So, after a month of planning, I quit my job, repacked my motorized shoebox, and made my way from one coast to the other.
I’ve only been in LA for three months now, but I already know I made the right decision. In three months I’ve worked on the set of a commercial and a feature film. I had an internship at the production company responsible for amazing movies such as Kill Bill and Good Will Hunting, and recently I got an assistant job at a small talent agency. Though none of these experiences have been writing relate, they have given me insight, contacts, and a feeling of participation in an industry that was once impregnable.
The best part of living in LA is the realization that anything can happen. You never know who will have a contact that can push you that one step closer. While working as a boom operator on an independent feature, I made small talk with one of the actresses between takes. I explained how I really wanted to write, and I pitched her some of my screenplays. By the end of the day she gave me her card and asked me to send her a copy of “my quirky little thriller,� as I like to call it, Sex and Pudding. It turned out that she was part of a new independent production company, and they were looking for scripts to pitch to investors. Less then a week later I received a call from her producer. We are now working together to get the project financed.
There is the strong possibility that the movie will not get made. If A-list producers and writers struggle to get their movies in front of an audience, how can an unknown writer with and unknown production company do any better. It is this impossibility that makes movies magic. Whether the movie gets made soon or not, I’ve already got the high from that first phone call. That first call when the producer said she loved my screenplay. It wasn’t a compliment from my mother or a friend or a competition I paid to enter. It was a compliment from another creative person that was willing to risk their time and energy in my story.
I have by no means “made it� as a writer, so my advice is limited to my experiences so far, but maybe these three suggestions can help others about to make the trek to the magical land of sun, stars, and smog.
Change your cell phone to a Los Angeles number as soon as you get out here — preferably with a 323 or an 818 area code. I spent the first month and a half living on Craig’s list, mandy, and other similar sites. I couldn’t even get an e-mail rejection. The day I changed my number I got three calls for gigs.
Befriend the assistants and others just above you. Now if you have Jerry Bruckheimer eagerly listening to your pitch of “Lord of the Rings meets The Matrix, but with talking animals� than by all means use that opportunity, but don’t waist your time stalking celebrities and producers, begging them to read your work. Get their assistant’s assistant to read it, and you’ll have a better shot.
Don’t be afraid to pitch and talk to others about your script. I’ve met a lot of people that are afraid of getting their ideas stolen, but if no one ever hears about your project it will never get made. As I discovered, you never know who can help get your script to the right people. Even if nothing happens you’ll get practice pitching which can never hurt.
Looking back it is clear to me why it took me so long to finally make the move to Los Angeles. I was afraid. Not afraid of the move or of leaving my friends and family, I was afraid of loosing my excuse. The excuse that I needed to be in LA that it was my location not my writing that was the problem. If I moved to LA the only thing holding me back would be my own skills and ambition, and that terrified me. I’ve learned in my short life that the thing your most afraid to do is probably the thing you should be doing.
I’m not going to say that everyone of you that wants to be a screenwriter needs to pack up and move to Hollywood. Many great writers and directors have proven that with enough drive and passion you can make a movie anywhere, but for me it was the change… the step I needed to really push me forward. Don’t let fear hold you back. Yes, it is risky to uproot your life to fight for a dream, but risks are what make our lives adventures worth having stories about. Live your life so you have stories to tell, even if they’re made up along the way.
Questions, suggestions or encouragement for Kris? Leave them in the comments below.
Articles
September 10th, 2007 at 5:54 am
“I was afraid. Not afraid of the move or of leaving my friends and family, I was afraid of loosing my excuse. The excuse that I needed to be in LA that it was my location not my writing that was the problem. If I moved to LA the only thing holding me back would be my own skills and ambition, and that terrified me.”
I think this is poignantly true for many aspiring writers. Thanks for sharing your experience so far Kris! I wish you all the best for the future
September 10th, 2007 at 6:27 am
I’m so glad it has worked for you. Even though I have friends in film, I don’t see myself moving to L.A. from Europe because I’d have to uproot my family, and family is more important than anything else - that’s me and part of our culture. I think I can balance family and L.A. - time will tell. I know of one writer who shoots over to L.A. twice a year for meetings, and then returns to the U.K. to write them. I think he’s working with Alex Proyas.
It really depends on the type of scripts you are writing, I guess.
Thanks for an interesting insight.
September 10th, 2007 at 7:46 am
Kris, that’s fantastic and encouraging for all of us. Congratulations and good luck.
September 10th, 2007 at 8:30 am
Thanks Kris. Good Luck!
John you’re the man.
September 10th, 2007 at 9:12 am
First of all, congratulations to Kris on the move to L.A. and the success you’ve encountered there so far. Keep making those connections. Its something that I realize as I get older and see how my friends and/or the people I’ve worked with start moving up, slowly but surely. It’s like you all grow up together.
I have a question about the NY/LA thing, though and maybe John can help illuminate the differences. I can relate to Kris and needing to move somewhere and face your fear. For me, that was NYC. I lived in NYC for six years and worked as an actor and director in the theater and eventually started writing plays. I’ve done reasonably well so far and am now writing screenplays, which I find an exhilarating albeit vastly different form. But I do know there are many writers who live and work in NY, who are able to move between the stage and screen—like David Auburn, Teresa Rebeck, William Mastrosimone, Lee Blessing, Neena Beber, Doug Wright, etc.
Granted, Kris had a specific goal in his screenwriting and knew that NYC was not for him—and he was obviously right about that. But what are the differences between NYC and LA, in terms of getting your work noticed and/or done. Is NYC more an indie film kind of place?
September 10th, 2007 at 9:22 am
Congrats on your successes. I too am trying to move to LA, but I’ve had a little better luck as I’ve managed to get rejection letters and multiple contacts - the Internet is GREAT. People like John who share are even better. Thanks John.
September 10th, 2007 at 10:55 am
John, thank you for sharing Kris’ voice with us. Kris, thank you for being willing to articulate that voice.
I’m a die-hard New-Yorker, and that’s no small part of why I’m grudging against the idea of a move to LA. But I know what the next largest part is. I know what Kris is saying about fears and ambitions is true (at least for myself). And when the rest of me shuts that voice up, it’s good to have it rightly validated by the generously shared experience of others.
That said, I do know many filmmakers in NYC - writers, producers, even studios - many of which are not just in NYC when they’re working away from LA, but really rooted here. Still others have one foot on both sides.
The idea that NYC is the Hollywood of Indie is simplistic, though - Hollywood is Hollywood because, simply put, virtually everyone in the business is there. Which means all their resources and tools are right there with them.
So if you’re starting out, where’s the best place to look for them?
September 10th, 2007 at 11:37 am
What about those of us who absolutely cannot live in LA, John? Like foreigners without a work visa, for instance. We’re all doomed?
September 10th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Rafael (#8):
Not a bit. But you face the challenge of either (a) working within your home country’s film system (some of which are great, some of which aren’t), or (b) running a Hollywood career from a remote location. There are writers who do (b) successfully — you can generally be hired from anywhere as a screenwriter. The UK in particular has a history of providing screenwriters.
Regarding NY/LA
You can absolutely become a screenwriter in NYC. The bulk of Hollywood movies are written by screenwriters living in Los Angeles — that’s where the industry is. And that’s what Kris was looking to do.
But independent film thrives in New York, so if that’s where one’s instincts lie, there’s no obligatory move West required.
September 10th, 2007 at 12:20 pm
I hope Kris’s scripts aren’t filled with as many grammatical errors.
September 10th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Jeff,
“Aren’t” is not a word. Look it up.
September 10th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
I hope Jeff’s life is fulfilling to him.
September 10th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Now, now boys. Play pretty. You are smudging up my blog page. To the BIGSCREEN!
September 10th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Thanks for the great essay, Kris. Hope to see something written by you in the near future!
September 10th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
For readers just joining us, Jeff is being bitchy, and Seth is wrong. Sidney/SydrycalWorks exists in a benign fantasy world.
This is why Gruber turns off comments.
September 10th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
John, thank you for posting this, I really appreciated it.
September 10th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Thanks John and Kris for sharing your details on your journeys - they are quite valuable, and fun!, to read.
Very best, Demetrius
September 10th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Someone should’ve axed Jeff why he aint bein’ so nice today - LOL!
September 10th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
Seth,
No. It’s a contraction. And I’m not trying to be bitchy, but more than a few errors stuck out, “loosing” being the worst.
But congrats to Kris on his LA move. I made the move in June and it makes the dream feel so much more possible. Within reach, almost.
Good luck.
September 11th, 2007 at 12:18 am
Stunning article, you’re right on the money dude! Thanks for posting it.
This is absolutely correct.
September 11th, 2007 at 1:31 am
Thanks Kris and John! Kris I totally agree with all you wrote. I just bit the bullet myself and moved from the east coast to L.A. at the end of July. Since then I have seen quite a difference in my committment to my writing, likely because I did face my fears. Additionally, the access you have here is amazing! I have already met big-time industry insiders, who actually talked to me one-on-one and gave me some great advice! Though I’ve spent some time in NYC trying to get a feel for the industry(I lived in NJ for a few years and I have a brother in the industry in NYC), I couldn’t seem to get any contacts there. Yet, one month in L.A. and I’ve meet directors, producers, agents plus I’ve literally walked onto at least 5 sets at shooting locations all over L.A. (the film crews have been really nice). All this has inspired me to believe that one day I will sell a script and that it will make it to the silver screen. I wish for you the same. John, I’m new to this site/blog but I’ll be back!
September 11th, 2007 at 2:01 am
Jeff,
Yes, ok, there were errors. Who here HASN’T made mistakes in their blog entries before (please, Dear God, tell me I’m not the only one!)?
The information, however, is invaluable. I, personally, appreciate the honest first-person account of breaking into the industry. It gives me hope and shows that hard work really DOES pay off.
Successful people in Hollywood have a rather bad habit of either jealously clinging to the secrets that led them to their success, or telling the same tired fairy tale of how they dropped their napkin and Harvey Weinstien (or some other Big Wig) picked it up and happened to notice the script they had on the table. The practical “how I did it/how I’m doing it” narratives show that getting your script read does not require magic or navigating some impregnable labyrinth.
I am more than willing to turn a blind eye to a few grammatical/spelling errors in an otherwise well-thought-out essay for that kind of knowledge.
September 11th, 2007 at 8:55 am
Great to have you here in LA, Kris. I just moved here six months ago from Florida and it was the best move I’ve ever made. Like you, I just had to get over the fear.
I encourage anyone who’s debating moving out here to pack up and head this way.
September 11th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Jeff,
‘Contraction’ is not a word.
September 11th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
Hmmm… I had heard to change my phone number to an LA area one, but I’m quite stubborn. Of course, I went about three months without a gig. Course my eventual jobs wound up in post, but I still PA’d a few times with a 650 number. I think, moreso than an LA area number, you need one LA area gig in any aspect on your resume before someone off CL or mandy looks at it. As for me, I guess I got lucky with a mandy response for a logger position. The next unpaid gig I had was off craigslist, and the editor I was assisting has a 917 so I doubt she cared about area code inconsistencies. Course, I have another friend who worked for two years with a Fresno number (559). It all depends on what else you bring to the table, I guess.
Now I just need to turn into a super-writer - post by day, writer by night. So much for a social life.
September 11th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Just on the LA phone number thing - for those living outside LA or even outside the US, it’s quite simple to set up an LA phone number with voicemail. I’ve done it from Australia. Costs you a little but is one answer to the problem Kris encountered with having a non-LA area code/phone number. I did it a few years back with Mailboxes Etc. Not sure if they still offer it but google will turn up plenty of other services that do. You can also get an LA PO Box address and have mail forwarded on to any location. But there is no real substitute for being in LA, a short drive from any meeting.
September 11th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
I am about to make the same move out to LA in a few short weeks and this post made it feel more impending. I realized sometime in high school that movies were my passion, working in a Blockbuster Video didn’t help encouraging that idea. I took the classes, some were OK, but most were useless… later realizing that a major in English would have been better. After I graduated, I had no clue what to do, so I packed it all up and moved back east… to New Jersey. These last two years have been exciting, (second city, meeting Kevin Smith and Susannah Grant, going to Italy), and I have made some pretty good friends, but I missed being around people who were excited about film. So I pack my bags with eager anticipation and hope that this is the right decision.
Kris: Good luck and maybe I will see you out there!
September 12th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
John, I’ve been following your blog for awhile now and can’t thank you enough for allowing Kris to share his voice. It came at just the right time for me as I’m trying to make my decision about coming out to L.A. It was invaluable.
Kris, Best of luck. I hope to join you in a few months, but your words really struck me because they rang so true for me. So, thank you
September 13th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Ks,
Glad I could help.
September 15th, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Just to add to the noise, NYC ain’t a dead place. It’s possible to get noticed by the industry from here. Particularly, as a commenter has commented, via the theater world.
I’ve heard the L.A. argument from a lot of different sources, and I think there’s a lot of validity in it. But I got my breakthrough while remaining based in NYC. It’s possible. The most important thing is writing and getting your work out there as much as you can.
October 7th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
Thanks Kris for your story, ever since my parents divorced at the age of 5 I knew that movies would my passion for the rest of my life, I couldnt begin to tell you how many times I have been pretending to be listening in class here in college at Arizona State when I am actually writing stories, songs or essays related to my passion. I know that I MUST move to LA to make any of my dreams happen, I am just extremely scared of how expensive LA is and I am already broke as it is, but once I graduate in December, I know that its something I HAVE TO DO.
December 10th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Thanks so much for the posting and sharing. I particularly love the two in a row fortune cookies - I never argue with a cookie. I’m in a similiar situation - move back with the folks then to L.A. or try to go directly. How much money did you have saved up and was it enough until you got your first gig. I’m thinking I need at least $2000? Thanks for all, Alex