CHUD.com Community › Forums › REGIONAL › Los Angeles & West Coast › Supporting Oneself in LA
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Supporting Oneself in LA

post #1 of 45
11/11/09 at 8:32pm
Thread Starter 
So, I'm going to be living in LA for a while and I need to support myself. I have enough money saved up for a scooter and a couple months' rent to get started, but beyond that...not so much.

I can't go back to working retail since I've quit enough retail jobs that it's almost as obvious to potential employers as it is to me that I never want another one. I can't do office work because I've never been to secretarial school, and most temp agencies I go to reject me on the basis of a lack of formal training. I can't do modeling work because I gained some weight and my hair grew out too far. I refuse to go near a mail room.

So! I figured I would work as a professional extra and an occasional PA/grip. Obviously I like movies, so why not? Is it possible to support oneself as a professional extra? I can hopefully find a better job later, but could I get by doing this, maybe working 10-20 days a month? How about PAing and doing grip work? Again, no skills, no experience to speak of.

One big advantage for me is I can survive on cheap food from Koreatown supermarkets and Trader Joes, plus I like cheap beer and bad music so the club scene would be affordable for me. One disadvantage is I like expensive jeans and electronics.
Reply
post #2 of 45
11/11/09 at 8:35pm
Haven't tried the extra thing, but I can tell you that you better get a good tub for soaking your feet if you get a PA job. That's a minimum of 12 hours days on your feet catering to the needs of every schlub on the set. And don't be surprised if you have to do some jobs free to get started. A lot of production companies have interns to do that work. But good luck.
Reply
post #3 of 45
11/11/09 at 8:37pm
There's no margin of safety in that lifestyle.
Reply
post #4 of 45
11/11/09 at 9:05pm
Well, if you're completely unwilling to do anything remotely resembling full-time work and married only to the idea of being a background artist, I hope you enjoy the four weeks you last here!
Reply
post #5 of 45
11/11/09 at 9:16pm
I have no idea what LA is like in terms of expense but I assume fucking pricey would cover it. There's a handful of people in Vancouver who make a living full time as extras but even that's difficult nowadays. I imagine it's harder to break in in LA plus expenses are probably higher.

As for being a PA, you might be able to do it but it pays shit for the first few years and the work is unreliable at best. Plus, it kinda sucks as a gig unless you're serious about moving up the chain. Grip work you can forget about unless you have some serious contacts or are willing to work non-union gigs (don't do it).

Your best bet is to suck it up and take a good paying but shitty job and do extra work or PA work part time until you get some credits.
Reply
post #6 of 45
11/11/09 at 9:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by devincf View Post
There's no margin of safety in that lifestyle.
Yeah, I was afraid that was the case.

I'm serious about this, though, if only as a six-month thing until I find a real job. Is this kind of thing feasible? 12-hour days are no problem.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan S~ View Post
As for being a PA, you might be able to do it but it pays shit for the first few years and the work is unreliable at best. Plus, it kinda sucks as a gig unless you're serious about moving up the chain. Grip work you can forget about unless you have some serious contacts or are willing to work non-union gigs (don't do it).
I think PAing is by definition non-union and I'm not about to join the local 600; it's $6000 in dues up front (and then yearly dues, at least if LA is anything like NYC), which is more money than I have right now--and I have no plans for a long-term career in grip work, anyway. I'm used to making about $10/hr for part-time retail, so anything above minimum wage is fine by me; again, this is a six-month deal while I wait for a real job to somehow materialize. LA is pretty expensive, unfortunately, worse than Brooklyn and comparable to SF from what I've seen, but being poor is kind of trendy now, so I can hopefully deal. I'm just wondering if this is feasible at all before I fail at it and go back to bagging groceries.
Reply
post #7 of 45
11/11/09 at 9:45pm
No offense, but you're planning on doing the exact same thing that tons of people come out here and fail to do every year.
Reply
post #8 of 45
11/11/09 at 9:52pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, I realize that, which is why I'm looking for advice beforehand.

I think my advantage over most people is I have low expectations. I'm not looking to get anywhere by doing this, just survive for six months and pick up some experience on set. Has anyone here worked as a non-union grip or extra? As much as I appreciate the nay-saying, advice is cool, too.
Reply
post #9 of 45
11/11/09 at 10:15pm
L.A.'s such a fucked up culture shock (by that, I mean, it's goddamn expensive everywhere - grocery store, gas, you-name-it) that you almost need to just grab whatever kind of shitty, subsistence job you can find straight away and THEN start nosing around for PA and extra work as it takes some real time to figure out how the system works, how to make it work for you consistently, etc.

By "some real time," I mean "sometimes upwards of a year."

Being an idiot, I moved out here from grad school thinking I'd be staffing on some TV show within six to eight months or, in a pinch, might sell a spec to get by before the guys at "X-Files" recognized my genius. Was four years of pounding the pavement before I made any money as a screenwriter and that first check was $5,000 on a non-union, zero-budget sci-fi piece of shit that never got made. I have a color copy of that check framed, though I almost had to cash it to get the money for the color photocopy. Conundrum!

It's a bitch as, well, what somebody said about so many people coming out to try just that is true and there are a lot of people currently enjoying those positions erecting barriers of entry to prevent "the next wave" from taking them away from them.
Reply
post #10 of 45
11/11/09 at 10:36pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, that may be more nay-saying, but it's nay-saying supported by depressing evidence, at least. I catch your drift.

Any tips about how the system does work, though? I have a few contacts working as freelance DPs (and, apparently supporting themselves, unless they have trust funds, which is honestly quite likely); is it worth asking them for help? I was hoping part-time gripping would be my shitty subsistence job while I got settled, but I guess I can find something yet-shittier first if it comes to that.
Reply
post #11 of 45
11/11/09 at 10:37pm
Oh, and that's another thing - PA and extra work can be disappointingly seasonal, particularly in L.A. Spring's actually not bad as that's when the big pilots are shot, a lot of which are done local, and as they're the big "sales" ep, they usually try and up the production values. This can mean extra work.
Reply
post #12 of 45
11/11/09 at 10:40pm
Any contact is a good contact. Every so often, even I'll get that e-mail where people are like, "We've got a commercial shoot in Glendale tomorrow, union wages, need a DP." If they're in the mix on freelance jobs, there's no telling when A: they need help on one or B: already have something scheduled for "tomorrow," but want to be a friend to whoever e-mailed and toss it off to you.

You can get more jobs than you think by being the "convenient" or "easy" choice that makes someone else either look good or not have to work (read: hunt through 40 similar resumes and roll the dice).
Reply
post #13 of 45
11/11/09 at 10:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smilin' Jack Ruby View Post
L.A.'s such a fucked up culture shock (by that, I mean, it's goddamn expensive everywhere - grocery store, gas, you-name-it) that you almost need to just grab whatever kind of shitty, subsistence job you can find straight away and THEN start nosing around for PA and extra work as it takes some real time to figure out how the system works, how to make it work for you consistently, etc.
Also this, pretty much. I forgot to add that it's actually more realistic for you to get a job as a grocery sacker/clerk and work THAT while waiting to see what pans out entertainment-wise. It's shit, but it's also why we have a sizable population of "actors" and "actresses" who mostly wait tables and tend bar.
Reply
post #14 of 45
11/11/09 at 10:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by devincf View Post
There's no margin of safety in that lifestyle.
Heh.
Reply
post #15 of 45
11/12/09 at 12:24am
You sound like a social guy with a background in modeling. Have you considered promotions? In Toronto and Montreal there are lots of companies willing to pay you a decent wage to look presentable and hand out samples in a mall or supermarket. If you're youthful you should send a photo and resume to each and every promotions company in LA.

Also, it's the holiday season. Working retail for one month while you're actively searching for better work is not too harsh.
Reply
post #16 of 45
11/12/09 at 1:29am
Also, it should be noted, CA has one of the highest employment rates in the country. If you have no particular skill set you're coming out here for, it's going to be that much harder to even find a shit job. At least the strike's over.
Reply
post #17 of 45
11/12/09 at 3:31am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jake View Post
It's shit, but it's also why we have a sizable population of "actors" and "actresses" who mostly wait tables and tend bar.
Also why it often feels like the saddest, angriest place in the world. You don't know despair until the most beautiful woman you've seen in months asks you if you want whip cream on that latte.

But if this were 1925, and you knew how to ride a horse, you'd be up to your balls in extra work.
Reply
post #18 of 45
11/12/09 at 12:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smilin' Jack Ruby View Post
Any contact is a good contact. Every so often, even I'll get that e-mail where people are like, "We've got a commercial shoot in Glendale tomorrow, union wages, need a DP." If they're in the mix on freelance jobs, there's no telling when A: they need help on one or B: already have something scheduled for "tomorrow," but want to be a friend to whoever e-mailed and toss it off to you.

You can get more jobs than you think by being the "convenient" or "easy" choice that makes someone else either look good or not have to work (read: hunt through 40 similar resumes and roll the dice).
This is pretty much the same all over. I know lots of guys who spent three years job hopping in Vancouver. They'd get a shitty ass job as a barrista or waiter and as soon as the call came to be an extra/PA/loop actor they'd dump the job (sometimes in the middle of a shift) to go work for a little while. It's nasty to people you work with so you'd better hope your Starbucks manager doesn't become the famous director he's hoping to become.

On the other hand, I've known at least two people who got gigs because one of the guys they worked with at the movie rental place got his budget to make his movie.

PS - I don't think anyone is trying to naysay you but just give you a far more realistic idea of what to expect. Without a plan (and some savings) your first six months to a year will be desolate and frustrating. The film industry is a killer and not exactly something most people can walk right in to.
Reply
post #19 of 45
11/12/09 at 3:30pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, everyone, for the advice. I now feel better prepared and terrified. I have a little money saved up, but since my options here are minimum-wage only and I need to be in LA for other reasons, it's not worth finding a bad job here just to save up for a bad one there...
Reply
post #20 of 45
11/12/09 at 3:49pm
Just be prepared to shit bricks when you see apartment prices, if you haven't shat bricks browsing through Craigslist already. If you've already got a place, disregard!
Reply
post #21 of 45
11/12/09 at 4:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Policar View Post
Thanks, everyone, for the advice. I now feel better prepared and terrified. I have a little money saved up, but since my options here are minimum-wage only and I need to be in LA for other reasons, it's not worth finding a bad job here just to save up for a bad one there...
Fair enough. Good luck.
Reply
post #22 of 45
11/12/09 at 5:52pm
One thing I forgot to add: noticed your comment on a scooter. If you don't have a car, forget the PA work. The reasons are:

1. Doubtless you'll be asked to make sizeable deliveries / pickups (including food, shitloads of food), equioment, signs, etc. Can't do that on a scooter.

2. I PA'ed on a TV show for six months and was putting basically a hundred miles on my car a day, which included a lot of freeway jaunts. I've seen some larger scooters out on freeways out here, but you're basically taking your life in your hands. And if you have a small Vespa or something, you can't take those out on freeways.

I agree that you really need to get your office skills going. If you try to go strictly production work out here, you're going to starve.
Reply
post #23 of 45
12/3/09 at 8:28pm
Thread Starter 
Good advice on the car, I think. I'm going to go for an old civic or focus hatchback; apparently scooters are less pragmatic and more potentially lethal than I'd hoped.

I'm open to non-production work, certainly, but I'd like to try working on set--equally for the money and my personal edification. I'm going to buy that grip book on Amazon and refresh my c-stand skillz.

What kind of office jobs (or really any kind of jobs) would people here recommend? I'll do anything but food service or retail; say what you will, I've worked retail on-and-off for six years and I just don't want the stress of dealing with the public compounding the stress of being poor as shit and completely obsessed with unpopular film theorists. Any tips on getting office jobs without formal training? I can type 100wpm and I know most office software and post-production software really well (short of maya, smoke, media composer, protools, etc. obvs), but I don't have a degree in secretarial work, compositing, editing, or IT.

Thanks for all the helpful responses. I am so stoked for the move.
Reply
post #24 of 45
12/3/09 at 8:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Policar View Post
What kind of office jobs (or really any kind of jobs) would people here recommend?
Temp agencies. I temped for a while and had good luck with Adecco, AppleOne, Star, and one in Culver City whose name escapes me right now - they just repped me for a while until I finished out my time at a previous job, so I never really officially applied with them.
Reply
post #25 of 45
12/3/09 at 9:05pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, that's a good idea. They don't require some sort of training, though? I only have one office job on my resume and it was fairly half-assed.
Reply
post #26 of 45
12/3/09 at 9:09pm
Not too much - you'll definitely have to work your way up, but it's better than nothing. I started off at one of them with only one office job under my belt which I was at for a year until they laid me off. I passed the typing/Office tests with flying colors, took whatever they threw at me, and then landed a few jobs at local university departments. I ended up being hired on by one under a casual appointment, that ended, I went back to Star and landed a temp-to-hire position at the place I'm at now.

The thing that helped? Having a good track record with the temp agency and my info was already in the university system due to the casual appointment, which saved my supervisor at the time (now retired) a ton of paperwork and approval that they would have had to go through with a new hire. I just got really, really, really lucky, but I know a few other people who have done the same with solid results.
Reply
post #27 of 45
12/3/09 at 9:16pm
Mmmmmmmmmm. Fresh meat!
Reply
post #28 of 45
12/3/09 at 9:22pm
Policar, what time does your bus arrive? I wanna see you step off of the Greyhound in those expensive jeans and face-full of soon to be broken dreams.
Reply
post #29 of 45
12/3/09 at 9:28pm
Thread Starter 
I'll remember that about temp agencies...I'd definitely go for a university job.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sebastian OB View Post
Mmmmmmmmmm. Fresh meat!
I've been told, in complete seriousness, to avoid the Geffen residence--so I consider myself prepared. Also, no need to be mean preemptively; you'll have more on me after I'm in financial ruin or whatever.
Reply
post #30 of 45
12/3/09 at 9:35pm
Haha, just teasing. Look at it this way -- being homeless here is a breeze!
Reply
post #31 of 45
12/3/09 at 10:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sebastian OB View Post
Policar, what time does your bus arrive? I wanna see you step off of the Greyhound in those expensive jeans and face-full of soon to be broken dreams.
You're lucky if broken dreams are the only things you get a facefull of.
Reply
post #32 of 45
12/4/09 at 7:28pm
Thread Starter 
Oh, yikes.
Reply
post #33 of 45
12/4/09 at 7:39pm
What did callow college grads rely on before the internet when they were moving to a new city? I feel like the fact that you're asking this on a movie message board instead of really doing research is a sign that you're going to be chewed up and spit out.

Take pictures.
Reply
post #34 of 45
12/4/09 at 7:45pm
When I lived in LA, I worked in the youth hostel i was staying at - mostly on the desk, it was pretty cushy - we got kickbacks for tours and tickets we sold and when i was off duty we went to the studios to do "live studio audience" we'd get like $20 per person per show, so if i took a few folk (tourists) with me and they were taping 3-4 shows at once I could make a couple of hundred bucks just watching TV shows get made a couple of times a week. I was stunned how easy it was to earn unofficial money (no green card) in LA - maybe not enough to live on, but enough to keep you going. This was 10 years ago so i have no idea if any of this still applies.

I remember getting off the bus in LA after 4 days from Philadelphia and I always will. You won't forget it either.
Reply
post #35 of 45
12/4/09 at 7:48pm
Given that you're moving in an election year, an easy way to make ends meet would be to volunteer for a political campaign as an intern. In return for twenty hours of unpaid work a week, you get free housing, which, in LA, amounts to being paid for the job in kind. There are a few congressional districts in the LA area the Democratic Party is looking to flip--the 44th and 45th--you could do that while you look for work to save money and you'd pick up a new skillset in the process.
Reply
post #36 of 45
12/6/09 at 6:23am
AppleOne landed me a temp gig in August that was supposed to last a month, and I'm still there. It's a full-time salaried position they pay me temp wages for, but I get to take off for auditions and meetings whenever I want. I recommend them, though my scenarios is way rare. Also, all the temp stuff dries up hard around this time of the year. Extra work failed me. Couldn't live off it.

Go to the Wiltern. They're always hiring, and you'll work there, the Palladium, and the House of Blues at night. Shit pay, free shows. Saw Bob Dylan thrice and got grocery money out of it.

But goddamn your initial post is hilarious. You'll take anything you can get out here, entertainment-business job or not, or you'll be back on that bus really, really fast.
Reply
post #37 of 45
12/6/09 at 10:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim N. View Post
Saw Bob Dylan thrice and got grocery money out of it.
Nice.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim N. View Post
You'll take anything you can get out here, entertainment-business job or not, or you'll be back on that bus really, really fast.
And yeah, this. You might even want to revisit your stance on retail (provided that places will hire you considering what you mentioned in your first post), just because jobs are reeeeaaally fucking scarce right now. It sucks, but it's also reality.

EDIT: Also, according to Craigslist, there are people who will give you a place to stay if you have sex with them, so there's always that. They'll probably ask to choke you or spit on you during sex if you want your own room, though.
Reply
post #38 of 45
12/7/09 at 1:18pm
I too am planning to make the move to LA within a year or so while I finish up my undergrad. I'm sure if I tell you guys that I want to claw my way up the Hollywood ladder, I'd sound no different than the half of the LA population.

BUT! You know that scene in Transformers 2 in the Asian factory or what-not (haven't actually seen the film)...well that's the view from my bedroom in eastern PA and I can tell you that I am willing to sleep in a closet and live off protein shakes to make it in LA. And luckily for me I work for an airline, so I can fly back and forth to LA as much as I need to to set things up.

I've got a couple contacts thus far but nothing too meaty. How do you LA guys go about actively looking for PA work(production or office)?
Reply
post #39 of 45
12/7/09 at 2:20pm
For all you guys looking to work in Hollywood, here's the truth -- networking isn't just everything, IT'S THE ONLY THING. Your college degrees in film mean zilch out here. I'm sorry but it's true. If you went to UCLA or USC they'd help, but only because of the contacts you made there.

If your plan is to get here and start pounding the pavement with a resume, good fucking luck. What you should do is work a shit job that allows you to come into contact with people. Better yet, save up your money where you are so you can come out here and go to every party you can find for six months. Learn to like blow, it'll help.
Reply
post #40 of 45
12/7/09 at 2:32pm
Also, you might not even need protein shakes if you get one of them sex for rent deals I mentioned upthread.
Reply
post #41 of 45
12/7/09 at 2:46pm
Sebastian, that's what everyone tells me. I started college studying for a BA in Film but dropped that when I realized what a waste it would be. I'm getting my B.S. in Psychology in the spring.

But anyway, like I mentioned, I have the luxury of being able to fly to LA and back gratis while working and saving money in Pennsylvania. So you're in LA, I take it? Are you telling me that it is virtually impossible to sell yourself to an employer for a $10/hr PA job?
Reply
post #42 of 45
12/7/09 at 3:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan7609 View Post
Are you telling me that it is virtually impossible to sell yourself to an employer for a $10/hr PA job?
Well nothing's impossible, but walking in off the street cold for a PA job seems like a one in a million shot. The thing is there's a million guys competing with you, and they probably know people. They're going to get the jobs.

If you have a job with an airline I'd advise holding on to it. Give yourself a year, gather some contacts, then see what comes up.
Reply
post #43 of 45
5/6/11 at 10:07am

Well well well, Chewers...I'm coming upon my one year anniversary of moving to LA and things are just dandy. I do a nice combo of production coordinating, PA, and extra work to support my luxurious life in K-Town! 

Reply
post #44 of 45
5/6/11 at 9:31pm

How did you go about getting PA work, if you care to share?  Everywhere I know to look, the UTA joblist and the like, are usually more like office jobs, and I've no idea, other than just knowing someone who also does it (and even that doesn't seem to help) to just get a job PAing.  I spent 3 and half years working for a production company here, and even worked on set for a couple of their movies, but they were unfortunately in Vancouver, so while I became friendly with people who worked on sets up there, it hasn't translated to much of anything down here.  I started working freelance for the company last year, and while I've worked on a couple scripts for them, work is starting to become not as regular for my economic need.  I'd rather not work in another office, at least not like the one I worked in.  I think I'd be happier taking a PA job where I do it for a few weeks to a couple months, and then can have a bit of free time.  Any advice?

Reply
post #45 of 45
5/7/11 at 9:58am

When I got to LA, I had literally just drove across the country with everything I could fit in my car. I found a boarding house in West Hollywood (that was interesting) and as luck turns out, the landlord was producing a little indie flick. I volunteered for that one a little bit and then through the same guy, volunteered on another indie flick where I befriended the production team that I currently work for most of the time. I don't know what your overhead is like, but volunteer for a few jobs and if you make friends with the PM or the AD you can usually get in with that crew for a couple of gigs and go from there.What do you want to do? Set PA'ing burns you out real quick unless you want to be an AD. Figure out what you want to do and just dedicate yourself to learning as much as possible on set from that department. You can make some serious cash doing Art Dept. (albeit you're pretty much a glorified mover) or G&E. Join Central Casting and get some extra gigs (still easier said than done), just to get on set and meet people.

 

 

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Los Angeles & West Coast
CHUD.com Community › Forums › REGIONAL › Los Angeles & West Coast › Supporting Oneself in LA