L.A. - pre-production
A lot of things have happened regarding me and L.A., but very little that has actually happened to me. Keith is continuing to post blogs with tips to prepare me to be a working actor in Los Angeles, and I've already taken steps to create a better package to market myself with. One of my better friends, Kelly, has picked up a job as a personal assistant to a CEO of a film company and could help me get auditions with them. And finally, I've developed a relationship with someone in L.A., and in addition to cultivating that relationship with her and her circle of friends, she has been talking me up to her friends in the industry and could very get me a steady job somewhere in the industry. And then there are one or two of my friends here who are planning on following me out, so there's that. I'm still waiting on the same thing as I always am, financial stability, but I've realized that's not going to come, and even the prospect of financial okay-for-a-whileness isn't going to happen. I've been hoping for any of three well paying acting jobs to happen this summer, and I may get a small slice of two of them if I'm lucky, but I'm not counting on either of them. When it comes down to it, I will come across a better time to move out there than now.
But I've written enough blogs about how I wanting to move out to LA, so this one is the one about getting to move out there. First off, I have to visit and see things for myself, so that when I relocate myself, I'll know where to go. I've had one or two people check out some apartments for me and I will have a chance to see them for myself, pick one out, and maybe make a deal with any of my potential roommates. Also, I'm going to audition as much as I can in hopes that I can line something up that will need me to be near Hollywood. The goal is simply to start auditioning and get my face and resume out there, to get an idea of what it's like. Now if I should be so fortunate to actually land a role while I'm out there, then that would be amazing and I would have to act on it to the fullest extent. Keith has already informed me on how I can help all that along. So as soon as I can get my audition package together, I'm getting a flight to L.A. and staying with friends while I roam about the city. I've already ordered new headshots, and have been tracking down people to get footage for demo reels. Sooner or later I'll have everything ready and will make the request to get a week off from work.
Far more importantly than visiting is staying. If it came down to having to up and leave, the only problems I think I would really face would be moving all my stuff out there and having a place to put it. I wouldn't be worried about having a place to stay, as I have a number of friends who have offered a couch until I get my own place. But I still wouldn't have anywhere to keep my abundance of possessions. But when I do finally make the move and get my own place, I expect I'll have room for some of it. The majority of it I either need to get rid of, or beg my parents to hold onto until I can afford to ship it out. I'll move out there with the essentials and anything I'll need to get my career going; clothes, costumes, a computer, a few keepsakes, and more clothes. Most all of my keepsakes and the decorative stuff I make a home with I'll have my parents hold on to. Books, CDs, and the like will stay with them too, because I can't bear to let most of those go, and I'd just have to buy them all over again anyway. All the furniture and other furnishings I've acquired to live off of I'll have to sell and then buy anew when I find some discount stores in California. And anything else I own that I can just find at any Wal-Mart I'll get rid of and then get again as I need it. That should help out a lot, I hope. Still, the majority of the stuff I own is just junk that I either keep as memorabilia, or that I have 'plans for.' Nevertheless, I have made steps to fix that. I've been keeping in mind I have enough possessions and shouldn't acquire anymore. And while I have gathered new things, I've turned down a great deal of them, and for me that's a big deal. Furthermore, I've begun collecting all the stuff I should have no more use for, like old clothes and magazines, and am getting rid of those. I still got a long way to go, but I'm making it happen. And if I ever do plan on doing anything with all that stuff I have plans for, then I better get it together and do it! Otherwise, I had my chance and now I have to let it go.
The last possession of mine I'd have to deal with is my car. I know I'm going to need to get around L.A. in doing business, auditioning, meeting people, trying to get jobs, trying to keep jobs, and everything. So despite the infamous traffic, I'm going to want to have a car, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'll get to have one. I don't see driving Summer out there as a realistic possibility, I don't think either one of us would make the trip, and she might not meet emissions standards. That means I would have to sell her and then buy a new car once I'm out in California. However, after talking to my dad I'm thinking it's a much better idea for me to not buy a new car. I'll have to use public transportation, which I hear actually works in the metropolis, and walk everywhere, which I don't mind so long as I know where I'm going. Not having the car would give me some extra money to put in the bank, and would save both my dad and I a pretty good deal of money. Eventually, I'll get one, but I think it'll help us out if I wait on it, until either I absolutely need one, or until I hit a big break.
All in all it looks if it's going to take a while to move out there, but I'm trying to visit as soon as possible, and in the meantime, get myself prepared for it. Because the move is going to happen, I just have no idea when yet. The plan for now is to get rid of as much of my stuff as I can, and then start boxing it up. Or at least get it into nice neat piles. And for anyone who's seen my room, we know that in itself is a huge task.
But I've written enough blogs about how I wanting to move out to LA, so this one is the one about getting to move out there. First off, I have to visit and see things for myself, so that when I relocate myself, I'll know where to go. I've had one or two people check out some apartments for me and I will have a chance to see them for myself, pick one out, and maybe make a deal with any of my potential roommates. Also, I'm going to audition as much as I can in hopes that I can line something up that will need me to be near Hollywood. The goal is simply to start auditioning and get my face and resume out there, to get an idea of what it's like. Now if I should be so fortunate to actually land a role while I'm out there, then that would be amazing and I would have to act on it to the fullest extent. Keith has already informed me on how I can help all that along. So as soon as I can get my audition package together, I'm getting a flight to L.A. and staying with friends while I roam about the city. I've already ordered new headshots, and have been tracking down people to get footage for demo reels. Sooner or later I'll have everything ready and will make the request to get a week off from work.
Far more importantly than visiting is staying. If it came down to having to up and leave, the only problems I think I would really face would be moving all my stuff out there and having a place to put it. I wouldn't be worried about having a place to stay, as I have a number of friends who have offered a couch until I get my own place. But I still wouldn't have anywhere to keep my abundance of possessions. But when I do finally make the move and get my own place, I expect I'll have room for some of it. The majority of it I either need to get rid of, or beg my parents to hold onto until I can afford to ship it out. I'll move out there with the essentials and anything I'll need to get my career going; clothes, costumes, a computer, a few keepsakes, and more clothes. Most all of my keepsakes and the decorative stuff I make a home with I'll have my parents hold on to. Books, CDs, and the like will stay with them too, because I can't bear to let most of those go, and I'd just have to buy them all over again anyway. All the furniture and other furnishings I've acquired to live off of I'll have to sell and then buy anew when I find some discount stores in California. And anything else I own that I can just find at any Wal-Mart I'll get rid of and then get again as I need it. That should help out a lot, I hope. Still, the majority of the stuff I own is just junk that I either keep as memorabilia, or that I have 'plans for.' Nevertheless, I have made steps to fix that. I've been keeping in mind I have enough possessions and shouldn't acquire anymore. And while I have gathered new things, I've turned down a great deal of them, and for me that's a big deal. Furthermore, I've begun collecting all the stuff I should have no more use for, like old clothes and magazines, and am getting rid of those. I still got a long way to go, but I'm making it happen. And if I ever do plan on doing anything with all that stuff I have plans for, then I better get it together and do it! Otherwise, I had my chance and now I have to let it go.
The last possession of mine I'd have to deal with is my car. I know I'm going to need to get around L.A. in doing business, auditioning, meeting people, trying to get jobs, trying to keep jobs, and everything. So despite the infamous traffic, I'm going to want to have a car, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'll get to have one. I don't see driving Summer out there as a realistic possibility, I don't think either one of us would make the trip, and she might not meet emissions standards. That means I would have to sell her and then buy a new car once I'm out in California. However, after talking to my dad I'm thinking it's a much better idea for me to not buy a new car. I'll have to use public transportation, which I hear actually works in the metropolis, and walk everywhere, which I don't mind so long as I know where I'm going. Not having the car would give me some extra money to put in the bank, and would save both my dad and I a pretty good deal of money. Eventually, I'll get one, but I think it'll help us out if I wait on it, until either I absolutely need one, or until I hit a big break.
All in all it looks if it's going to take a while to move out there, but I'm trying to visit as soon as possible, and in the meantime, get myself prepared for it. Because the move is going to happen, I just have no idea when yet. The plan for now is to get rid of as much of my stuff as I can, and then start boxing it up. Or at least get it into nice neat piles. And for anyone who's seen my room, we know that in itself is a huge task.