Moving to Los Angeles out of college?

May 10, 2009 6:43 AM

MovingtoLosAngelesfilter: Mulling over move to Los Angeles in June 2010 after graduating from university. Info/advice needed on L.A. life, finding apartments, and finding (preferably) job in a major movie studio.

I am currently a college student studying abroad in Europe and have used the time here to think about my future. I've never felt more in control of my life, more responsible for my own destiny. That being said, I've been thinking about moving to Los Angeles after graduating from college in May/June 2010.

Why: I like Los Angeles, in the short few times I've been there. From experience, I know I like big cities and operate well in them, but I also like the idea of being close to beach, canyons, desert, and parks for the weekends. Also love movies, art, books, cafes, diversity.

Education / Job I am an Economics major graduating from a pretty prestigious liberal arts college. I will probably graduate summa cum laude. However, I'm not really invested in economics, as much as I love it, and as much as it's taught me about analysis. I just don't want to do it for the rest of my life, for a variety of reasons.

My hobby has always been the movie industry. Yeah, you and everyone else in America. But over the years, I've always enjoyed reading biographies of great directors, reading "behind the scenes of," reading books on screenwriting, directing, cinematography. (I love the problem-solving of it all, having to think on your feet, creative brainstorming, etc.) I just thought this was never possible for me and never thought about it as an actual career. But since studying abroad, I "woke up" and realized this was a pretty major passion and dominant theme throughout my life. I feel like, hey, I'm young. I should give this a shot, at least.

My question to this theme:
I see myself working in a movie studio, maybe in production management. Is this feasible for someone who has a college degree in a totally unrelated field? How should I approach applying for jobs? It seems like studios have a ton of jobs (from what I've seen) available, but I get the feeling they burn through people pretty quickly. Is this true? Why? How can I make myself stand out (in a good way)? Or is it impossible to make myself stand out and I should plan on being hired because I'm young, will work for food, have stamina and a pulse?

Living : I already live in a studio apartment that is as wide as I am (hyperbole, but not far from the truth). I like it, because it's my little box, and the space issue doesn't bother me a bit. Any suggestions for apartment hunting in Los Angeles? Should I find a rommate? What should I expect as far as rent (in general swaths: such as: for X in Santa Monica, you will pay $Y, for Z in Culver City you will generally pay $A) Will entry-level-job that everyone wants in studio be enough to pay for rent? Do I need to plan on having a second job?

Transportation : It sounds horrendous from all the other AskMe threads I've read. I'm used to city traffic, but I know I have to multiply my current situation by a factor of 100. So I'll need to find an apartment with a parking place for a car, right? Will this complicate matters? Also, I've read a lot about valet parking. Is this really prevelant throughout the whole city, or are there parts of L.A. with more parking places and less valet parking?

Also, I have not been really impressed with LAX. (The fact that the international terminal is 20 minutes away and one must go through another security check does not endear me to it.) What are the general thoughts on LAX? Does it function well, despite appearances?

Social Life I'm a nerdy but nice introvert (I get out and about, though--just prefer small groups of people to large ones). I like: books (everything from Hesiod to David Foster Wallace, with a soft spot for Russian literature), movies, art, coffeehouses, exploring nature and being outside, music, conversations on capitalism to anarchism, social trends, culture, language, diversity, social justice, the meaning of life, travel.

It seems like L.A. has two natures: the vapid, Hummer-driving side, and then all the artists who are ready to overthrow the System as We Know It. How true is this stereotype? How friendly are the locals? How hard would it be for someone like me to find a likeminded social circle? Does anyone have any suggestions for finding friends (meetups, etc) along these lines? I'm hedging my bets on the artists, and the fact that it's a huge city.

That seems to be most of my questions. I've read almost every AskMeFi thread tagged with losangeles, and favorited most of them, so I'm just trying to do some basic research and gather my facts. I have some books on Los Angeles, and a map as well. Just trying to get a solid lay of the land and brainstorm.

I apologize for the multi-faceted question, but really, I'm open to any recommendations on the themes I've outlined above. General advice is also very much appreciated. Thank you in advance for your responses!

posted by Dukat to work & money (19 comments total)

I only lived in LA for a few months and had no connection to the film industry, but this caught my eye:
Also, I have not been really impressed with LAX. (The fact that the international terminal is 20 minutes away and one must go through another security check does not endear me to it.) What are the general thoughts on LAX? Does it function well, despite appearances?
If you're so passionate about working in the film industry, do you really care that LAX can occasionally be inconvenient? It's a perfectly fine functioning airport. Unless you plan on commuting to work via airplane, I would put it at the absolute bottom of your list of concerns.

What I can tell you is that if you want to come to LA and you can't seem to find a movie job, there are lots of management and economic consultant firms with offices out there -- they recruit top economics students from prestigious liberal arts schools in the fall of your senior year, so it might be worth your while to apply for a few of those jobs. They pay well and will at least get you out in California.
posted by telegraph at 7:38 AM on May 10

Living : I already live in a studio apartment that is as wide as I am (hyperbole, but not far from the truth). I like it, because it's my little box, and the space issue doesn't bother me a bit. Any suggestions for apartment hunting in Los Angeles? Should I find a rommate? What should I expect as far as rent (in general swaths: such as: for X in Santa Monica, you will pay $Y, for Z in Culver City you will generally pay $A) Will entry-level-job that everyone wants in studio be enough to pay for rent? Do I need to plan on having a second job?

I could be wrong but I'm always keeping up with the real estate these days and in this market, a small no-frills studio in most any part of LA (from Santa Monica to downtown) should run you between $800-1200. The lower end might be found in Koreatown and the lesser parts of Culver City or Mar Vista. You'll see lots of lofts, particularly around downtown, as well as gut rehabbed old buildings in that area. These all seem to run on the high-end, and in my opinion are usually a sign of a ripoff from a get-rich-quick realestate developer. You'll see significantly higher prices potentially in areas within walking distance from the coast though parts of Santa Monica are still rent controlled I think. Short of that area, paying more is most assuredly a ripoff for your needs at least. If you want to go even cheaper you will have to either devote months to looking for a steal, head to Inglewood / south LA and accept the risk of getting shot from time to time (apologies for being insensitive/pithy) or live on the other side (east) of downtown (ie Monterey Park or Alhambra), which will mean a lot more driving.
posted by drpynchon at 7:51 AM on May 10

To add to what telegraph said, I know very, very little about the film industry so I can't comment on that other than to say that you will constantly be meeting people on the outside of it wishing to get in. What I take that to mean is that if you are remotely responsible and not already independently wealthy, you will find yourself a decent non-film related job to support yourself until you either succeed in or give up on the film industry. Whether you'd rather wait tables or take advantage of whatever education/resume you've put together to actually make a living wage is up to you.
posted by drpynchon at 7:56 AM on May 10

Sorry to write in bits but with respect to transportation: LAX (functions so-so) and valet parking (easily avoidable in most circumstances) are irrelevant. You have much bigger fish to fry. Having some sort of parking where you live is a requirement (assuming you have a car).
posted by drpynchon at 8:02 AM on May 10

Have you considered more school? Having grown up in LA and knowing a bunch of people that work in the area, most people that break into the Production side of things either have family connections, hussle really well, or have a specific skill set useful in the post production stage (video editing, sound, etc etc) and worked their ass off.

Of the people I know who are working on the production side without family connections most of them got into it through the UCLA Producers Program or a similar program at USC.
posted by Arbac at 8:08 AM on May 10

I grew up in LA, though now I live in the bay area.

DRIVING: The valet parking thing is imaginary, you definitely need space for a car, there's more street parking than in comparable cities. But you must have a car. Traffic really isn't that bad, except on the westside up the 405, through downtown, and on the 10. Houston and NYC are worse, FWIW.

SOCIAL LIFE: there are many more than those two social circles. IME, however, the art kids are mostly kind of hipster douchebags. Read Jonathan Lethem's You Don't Love Me Yet -- he really captures the LA art hipsters -- I feel like the characters are all modeled on this one girl I dated who was very much in that group and all her friends...

THE INDUSTRY: Gawd. Being really good-looking and willing to flirt your way in with men (harder if you're male, but not if you go for the gay) will help lots. Other than that, I really dunno. USC does seem to be pretty connected, if you can get into the USC film program you've made a huge leap.

LAX: sucks, but so do all other airports.

HOUSING: can't help you there, but all my friends seem to get by.
posted by paultopia at 8:18 AM on May 10 [2 favorites]

I see myself working in a movie studio, maybe in production management. Is this feasible for someone who has a college degree in a totally unrelated field?

The standard M.O. for studio folk seems to be having a prestigious degree in an unrelated field, so you're fine here.

How should I approach applying for jobs?

I don't work on the production side, so I can't help tremendously here. But there are lots of websites that focus on showbiz jobs. Once you get here and make some friends, you might be able to get a hold of the famed UTA job list, which keeps track of the juiciest assistant jobs in the industry.

Here's the thing about Hollywood (the industry): it's like a very small town where everyone has very tall fences. Once you're inside the fences, everyone is friendly and knows everyone else. But getting inside the fences is hard. You need to look at getting in as a five year plan, followed by another five year plan.

It seems like studios have a ton of jobs (from what I've seen) available, but I get the feeling they burn through people pretty quickly. Is this true? Why?

Entry level studio jobs, from what I've seen, are stressful and very low paying. You might very well get up at five in the morning week after week, go to the grocery store and buy all of the strawberries you can find, spend two or three hours slicing them just so for the morning staff meeting, during which no one eats a single strawberry (a true story told to me by a former assistant at an agency).

If you can't hack it, they want to know early on. Also, since so many people are scrambling for these jobs there's always going to be someone new to take over.

How can I make myself stand out (in a good way)? Or is it impossible to make myself stand out and I should plan on being hired because I'm young, will work for food, have stamina and a pulse?

Clean, professional, friendly and intelligent. Most studio execs that I've met are actually nice people, despite the stereotype, and they work 80 hours a week. If they're going to be spending 80 hours a week with you, they want to be sure that that's a pleasant proposition.

Any suggestions for apartment hunting in Los Angeles?

The market for rentals seems pretty soft right now. Check Westside rentals to get an idea about the prices of different areas. If you want to work in the industry, living in West Hollywood (where I live) is pretty ideal. It's an easy trip to the Burbank studios, the Century City industry stuff and the Beverly Hills agencies. Hollywood itself is a little sketchier, but not totally awful. I can't help on the actual pay of starting jobs, but I'd guess you will need a roommate at first.

So I'll need to find an apartment with a parking place for a car, right? Will this complicate matters?

Parking sucks. It will complicate things on a daily basis, but there's not much you can do about it.

Also, I've read a lot about valet parking. Is this really prevelant throughout the whole city, or are there parts of L.A. with more parking places and less valet parking?

Yeah, there's a lot of valet parking in L.A., but it's never mandatory.

Also, I have not been really impressed with LAX. (The fact that the international terminal is 20 minutes away and one must go through another security check does not endear me to it.) What are the general thoughts on LAX? Does it function well, despite appearances?

Fly into Burbank whenever possible.

It seems like L.A. has two natures: the vapid, Hummer-driving side, and then all the artists who are ready to overthrow the System as We Know It. How true is this stereotype?

Not to be pissy, but there's 14 million people in the greater L.A. area. How true do you think the stereotype is? You think there's seven million Hummer driving assholes and seven million bitter artists? Of course there are L.A. douches (Land Rovers are the more popular choice, BTW) and the artsy types (try Silverlake if this is your bag) but there's also every other type of human being on the planet (almost literally, as L.A. is one of the most diverse cities in the world).

How friendly are the locals? How hard would it be for someone like me to find a likeminded social circle? Does anyone have any suggestions for finding friends (meetups, etc) along these lines?

Yeah, come to a meetup. It's a pretty diverse crowd, from day traders to grad students to computer folk to teevee writers. In general, L.A. is a nightlife city. It's far more difficult to make friends after college than it was in college, but that's true no matter where you live. People in L.A. are as friendly as almost anywhere I've ever lived.
posted by Bookhouse at 8:19 AM on May 10

If you want to get into the movie industry, be prepared to start at the bottom, no matter what degree you have... Learn the term "production assistant"..

Work yourself to death (almost), be bright, creative, loyal, and honest...
posted by HuronBob at 8:21 AM on May 10

In general, L.A. is a nightlife city.

That's not been my experience at all. From what I can tell, LA is very daytime focused with the city shutting down surprisingly early. That doesn't mean that Bookhouse is wrong. It just means that LA is big enough and sprawley enough to make it whatever you want it to be.
posted by willnot at 8:41 AM on May 10

Living: buy a Westside Rentals membership a few months before you move out. While friends of mine have had success finding housing via Craigslist, it's so popular here that anything resembling a reasonable deal is either already taken by the time you call or showing to about a zillion people when you show up. Westside rentals covers all of LA metropolitan, so don't be fooled by the name. The listings are good, keeping track of stuff you like is good, and I've always come out with a place to live that makes me happy.

Transportation: The only time I'm ever really frustrated with LA traffic is when I'm dumb enough to get stuck in it. Stay off the freeways and learn how to move around the city on its streets. If you don't have reliable GPS in your vehicle or via your hip gizmo, invest in a Thomas Guide. Avoid as much as possible driving in rush hours. Give yourself enough time to get there for one detour. (And remember that On Time is LATE in this city, or so I hear.) As for parking, I've managed to get by with street parking for the past year and a half. Aside from the learning curve street cleaning parking tickets, it's not so bad. "Motivation to keep my car uncluttered" is another plus, depending on how you look at it. Valet parking? The only time I've ever used valet parking was at a restaurant that was OK in my book, but is no longer because they supported Prop 8. And it wasn't my choice. Just park in the neighborhood behind wherever you're going and walk up.

The Industry: I'm not intimate, nor even involved somewhat, with movingmaking in LA, so grain of salt and all that. But I've known people various ways that have been working to make it in movies here, and they never fail to be interesting folk. Ego-driven, maybe just plain driven, but mainly normal people who've basically decided to do what it takes to get a foot in the door. Anyway, from this outsider's perspective the best advice I can give is, say yes. Be available, be willing, and be ready to offer yourself in ways you've never imagined. Come with quirk, shake lots of hands, maybe piss someone off or sleep with someone (both is dangerous, though). Show up. Go. These acquaintances of mine work on small projects, student projects, no-budget crap, basically anything that's available. The big studio Hollywood Movie Making ordeal is so know-someone insular, and so huge at the same time, that it's easy to forget that everyone else is trying to make movies too. Put yourself out there, don't turn your nose up, and meet lots of people. LOTS of people.
posted by carsonb at 8:55 AM on May 10 [2 favorites]

It seems like L.A. has two natures: the vapid, Hummer-driving side, and then all the artists who are ready to overthrow the System as We Know It.

Oh, man, and that's just the gabachos. Nearly half of southern California is Latino. I live within walking distance of, um, at least four different Asian-cultured neighborhoods. At one job I work with Iranian Jews and Russians. At the other all my coworkers are either Salvadorian or from southern Mexico. Like Bookhouse says, Los Angeles is diverse beyond belief.
posted by carsonb at 9:06 AM on May 10 [3 favorites]

I had a friend from college become a production assistant. She was extremely pretty and always knew how to make everyone feel as though they were her best friend. developing that quality will get you further than intelligence or artistic merit ever will in LA, or any large city.
posted by anniecat at 9:15 AM on May 10

Thanks for all the responses, so far! Sorry about the "L.A. Stereotype," don't take it too seriously. Like I said, I know it's a big city--just wanted to know if it attracted a certain type of people. I know in a city that big, I should be able to find my niche--it's just a matter of how.

Keep them coming! I'm bookmarking all the links and making notes on what you guys are suggesting.
posted by Dukat at 9:24 AM on May 10

Internship at a studio is a huge plus if you can swing it. Usually after the three months they'll just offer you a job as a PA or an assistant or whatever. At least in my experience.

There's a lot of burn out. A lot of studio gigs aren't 9-5. You take your work home with you. When you go out, it's usually work-oriented, etc. It's very hard to 'clock out'.

Work hard. That's how you stand out. There's a lot of people who just want the the 'glitz and glamor' of it all and it reflects in their work ethic. When someone comes along that actually keeps their head down and works, it's sort of refreshing and people take notice.

Your degree doesn't matter much unless it affords you certain alum connections within the industry.
posted by ryecatcher at 10:21 AM on May 10

I'm here to repeat the internship thing. But, better to intern for someone with power. As long as you're working for free, why not do it for a major producer or movie star. Most of them have their own production companies with connections at all the major studios. They'll have way more and better connections and their assistants will be in a position where they can call someone and actually get you interviews if you show some dedication.

As for where to live, I strongly recommend living as close as possible to where you're going to work. If you live in Santa Monica and work at Paramount, you are going to be miserable for 3 hours a day as you sit in traffic on the 10.
posted by paperzach at 1:48 PM on May 10

Most of the studio execs I know started as a production assistant or intern or assistant to a CAA agent (or in the CAA mailroom) which are always terrible, terrible years of humiliation and dealing with the absurdity of LA egos. The upside of this is that you meet a lot of people this way, people who will eventually end up as agents and executives you will work with all the time once you make it out of the mailroom.

If you aren't burnt out by the experience, you can usually rise to the level of an agent assistant or junior creative exec after a year or two of hell, and then on to executive a year or two after that. I had a friend who thought they wanted to be in development and invested a bunch of years doing this process, eventually getting to be a senior VP in charge of production, and realized that he was no closer to actually MAKING a film than he was before. He really wanted to be on the creative side of things, and honestly executives aren't all that creative. They can give good notes or bad notes, but that's about it.

And it's hard work, execs have to read thousands and thousands of screenplays, many of which are absolute dreck. So if I were you I'd meet and talk to some film execs before moving to LA to pursue this dream. If you are at all creative you might want to move to LA to pursue the dream of actually directing, writing, etc while having a good day job (preferably not in the industry, or something that pays well) to support you for the years it will most likely take to break in. But if you're going to spend 3-4 years on getting to be an exec, you might as well spend those 3-4 years doing something that pays decently that can support you while you're working towards a dream that will have you actually creating your own work. But that just assuming you want to MAKE movies, instead of develop other people's ideas into movies along with many, many other people.

As for neighborhoods: for young artistic types, you're going to either want to go Westside (Culver City, Venice, Santa Monica) or Eastside (Los Feliz, Echo Park, Silver Lake.) Westside is more beach-y, with surfers and everyone on beach cruisers, and it feels very laid back. Eastside is arguably hipper, or at least more hipster-y, and more urban than beach. Both have a great pedestrian culture, which is really important if you don't want to feel like you're living in your car all the time. Where you end up working should dictate where you end up living-- no one likes to commute too far in 405 traffic.
posted by egeanin at 5:21 PM on May 10

Try temping, to start. I had a roommate that temped at DreamWorks for a bit, taking over for a few different people (one went on extended maternity leave) and he was offered a job (twice!) there on the lot. Nothing CREATIVE, mind you, it's not like they offered him a directing gig, but if your dream is to use your talents in the studio system, temping might be your way in.
posted by Spyder's Game at 3:53 PM on May 11

If you're willing to consider TV instead of film, then I highly recommend that you check out the NBC page program. Note that NBC really means NBC/Universal, so it's a foot in the door at several different TV networks and even a few random shows that are produced by NBC/Universal but aired on other networks.
posted by Asparagirl at 6:15 PM on May 11

Thank you all very much for your responses; some great finds in here!
posted by Dukat at 12:48 PM on May 13