Comments on: Moving to LA (via NYC)

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:55:25 +0000

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

By: Paco

Paco — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:17:45 +0000

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.

By: Malice

Malice — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 23:08:27 +0000

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.

By: Kris Galuska

Kris Galuska — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:14:37 +0000

Ks,

Glad I could help.

By: ks

ks — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:00:31 +0000

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 :)

By: Derek

Derek — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:52:53 +0000

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!

By: Dominic

Dominic — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 01:44:53 +0000

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.

By: John

John — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:31:47 +0000

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.

By: Seth

Seth — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 18:06:21 +0000

Jeff,

'Contraction' is not a word.

By: Tom Corwine

Tom Corwine — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:55:42 +0000

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.

By: theFrog

theFrog — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 09:01:50 +0000

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.