Grant Axton, 1993 graduate, now a producer with the TV show Blind Date, offers some honest advice about the traumatic transition from the Gallatin Valley to the Greater LA area.

A real look at moving to Los Angeles by MSU Alumni who lived to tell the tales

As graduates of the MSU Film and TV program, we were eager to get to Hollywood and start showing off our new found skills and creativity, and prove to the film community that the next Steven Speilberg will come from Montana State University. A harsh reality hit us by day two of our search for the perfect apartment; it doesn’t exist. We also had a sudden realization after visiting every major studio in the Los Angeles area that they didn’t seem to care we were their financial saviors and the ones who were sent to deliver them from the depths of obscurity.

However, along the way to getting our first PA job, we gleaned a few nuggets of wisdom. Our hope is that you find this as a helpful realistic look as to what to expect when moving to Los Angeles from Bozeman. We all would have liked to have a survival guide of our own, so we are sure you will be able to get something valuable from those who came before you. Most MSU alumni are willing to help you find your way in Hollywood. We will not spoon feed you, but we will do whatever we can to help you get a solid footing in the business so we can all benefit from the continued proliferation of MSU alumni in the entertainment industry worldwide. So with that being said, lets look at what you need to survive in Hollywood.

Do I need a car?
• Yes
You need a car in good working order. LA is not public transportation friendly. At some point you’ll need to transfer your driver’s license, car registration and insurance to California before getting arrested.

How much money should I have when move to Los Angeles?
• $5000 - $6000
Rent prices, as you can imagine, are very expensive in LA compared to Bozeman. Obviously if you move with friends or have a roommate situation waiting for you, your expenses will be different. It will also depend on what part of the city you wish to live in, and to how much luxury you are accustom. Most studio apartments are between $600-1000 per month; one-bedroom apartments can run $900-1500; two bedroom apartments $1200-1800; three bedrooms for $1300-2000. Obviously you can spend more and perhaps a little less with some extensive searching, and lots of luck.

Most apartment complexes will expect you to pay first and last months rent, plus a security deposit equal to one months rent. You can do the math (at least I hope after all that time in college), but you can see the MINIMUM you will need in order to move in by yourself is $1800-3000. This will not include fees for setting up your electricity, phone or cell phone, Internet, gas, and the cost of gas for your car while driving around looking at apartments (which is currently running about .40 cents higher than the national average).

The other shocker when moving to LA is that most apartments do NOT come with a refrigerator. That is right, your first major purchase out of college will be a fridge. You can purchase these used, but I would not suggest it. It will usually be your responsibility to transport it to your apartment, and if you do not have a truck, that could be difficult. Besides you may inherit other problems like I did when I bought a used fridge, only to get it home and in my front yard when the grill came off and exposed an infestation of cockroaches. It ended up not working and we had to go buy a new fridge anyway (about $650), but now we had to figure out how to get rid of the old one. We incurred an additional expense of renting a truck to take it to a donation facility. When all was said and done, it would have been cheaper to have just bought a new one and saved the headaches and backaches.

Move with about $5000-$6000 in your pocket. That will get you an apartment, a fridge, and a little bit of breathing room to spend a month or two looking for work.

Where to live?
• Close to the Industry
This is highly subjective. Most apartment complexes will make you sign a one-year lease before you can go month to month. Some only do 6 months but it is rare. Here is a quick rundown:

THE VALLEY:
Most graduates move into the San Fernando Valley either in North Hollywood, Glendale, Burbank, Studio City, Sherman Oaks. The reason being is many of the major studios (Disney - ABC, Warner Brothers, NBC, Dream Works, etc.) and several smaller studios and facilities are in those areas. It may cut down on your commute and put you in the middle of the action. Plus it is generally more affordable and very easy to get to Hollywood from these areas. The downside is that Valley is hot in the summer and not close to any beaches.

HOLLYWOOD / LOS ANGELES:
Hollywood is home to Paramount Studios, CBS, Sunset-Gower Studios, and Hollywood Studios among others, but many companies have their permanent offices or will set up temporary offices in Hollywood. As a result, you may wish to live in Hollywood and commute to the valley when necessary. The downside is Hollywood is hot in the summer and seedy in areas.

WEST SIDE:
Another popular place to live is the West Side of LA / Santa Monica / Venice area. This area also has a lot of production offices and a few studios. Although cooler in the summer, rents are generally higher, and often harder to find. Some say it is harder to get in and out of parts of the west side, and is definitely a longer commute into Hollywood or the Valley. However, the nightlife and access to the beach is a definite draw for those days you are not working.

BEVERLY HILLS AND OTHER UNAFFORDABLE PLACES:
Another popular area is Beverly Hills adjacent and Miracle Mile. It is home to the Screen Actors Guild, many of the cable networks like E! Entertainment, and many of the high-powered talent agencies. It is between the west side and Hollywood, but tends to be very expensive. Unless you’ve got a trust fund, stick with the top three.

OUTLYING AREAS:
Other options are to go to further outer lying areas like Pasadena, South Bay (Manhattan, Redondo, Hermosa Beaches), Torrance, or Sylmar/Valencia. They are much farther and will increase your commute, but you might find better living conditions in the form of cheaper rent, cooler temps, more exciting nightlife, closer-knit communities, or more affordable homes to purchase. Frankly, living in these outlying areas is akin to living in West Yellowstone but working in Bozeman. What’s the point?

How do I find an apartment?
• Hit the streets
There are many different apartment guides available but the best way is to figure out where you want to live and start driving around and finding “for rent” signs. Here are some other places to look:
• Craiglist.com
• Westsiderentals.com
• SAG (Screen Actor’s Guild) has a housing board with rentals
• AFTRA (Am Fed of TV and Radio Artists) has a housing board with rentals
• AEA (Actor’s Equity Association) has a housing board with rentals
• Local Universities & Colleges all have housing boards on campus with rentals (UCLA, USC, Santa Monica College, etc.)
• Apartment guides for each specific area

What should I look for when finding an apartment?
• Use logic and be smart
Does it look nice? Well kept? Does the neighborhood make you nervous? Is there a dead body in the pool? If you get a creepy feeling, move on. Many say it is important to find a place where the manager is on the premises. Most have some kind of person on property to handle emergencies and problems. Don’t be afraid to ask other tenants what they feel about the apartments and how quickly things get fixed. Bars on the windows doesn’t bode well for the neighborhood.

Should I do an internship?
• Yes
If there is a specific company or show where you really want to work, now is the time to intern with them to get your foot in the door. You never know where an internship can lead you and when you are starting out is really the only time you are going to want to intern. So, if you are going to work for free, then pick the best company / production possible and pay those dues.

How do I find my first job?
• Attack finding a job as if finding a job was your job
Figure you’d put in an 8 to 10 hour day at a real job, so you should do the same while looking for a job. There are several different resources available but the main way people get jobs in the industry is by networking. Once you get your first job, keep your crew lists so you can stay in touch with fellow crew people. Don’t burn any bridges! No matter how important the position is, sooner or later you will run into that person again. Hollywood is a very small town and word gets around quickly about how good or bad of a worker you are.

So how do you get your first job? Most MSU alumni will help get you started if they can but don’t expect to be directing a feature. Plan on working as a PA for a couple years and paying your dues. Being a good Production Assistant will make you more marketable and better at your eventual profession. The best advice I ever heard was to plan on 6 to 8 years before you are well established, and have enough contacts to sustain finding work in a short time and having some options to choose from. This has been true for most of the successful MSU alumni currently working in Hollywood.

Volunteer for student projects and small independent projects so you can meet people, and develop your contact list. Check out all of the studio website employment boards as well as the following industry websites:
EntertainmentCareers.com
RealityStaff.com
Mandy.com
UTA weekly joblist (if you can find someone to get it to you)
Almost all of the studios (Disney, Sony, Warner Brothers, etc) have websites with career opportunities.

Stay on track
If you know what you want to do, go after it and stay on that track. It is really easy to take a job that is in an area you aren't particularly interested in but pays well. Then you have a tough time
giving up that financial security to take the position that moves you closer to your dream job. Along the same lines: if you don't know what you want to do, take some time as a production assistant or even a temp to figure out what you want to do. It is really difficult for people to help you get a job when you don't know what kind of job you want. If you don't choose something for yourself in a timely manner, then you might just end up in a job that you aren't excited about.

Popular temp agencies that place within the entertainment industry:
• Apple One
• London Temp Services
• Most studios have internal temp services or would be willing to tell you from where they get most of their temp workers.

Open your mind to new possibilities
There are many, many different jobs in the entertainment business other than just being on set. Marketing, distribution, acquisitions, entertainment law (Bill Neff's favorite), accounting, consumer affairs, business affairs, post houses, animation, agent, manager, writer's assistant, etc. Open up your mind to the possibilities and see where your interests fall.

If you can stand it, a great introduction to Hollywood is to work in the mail room at an agency (William Morris, CAA, Endeavor, ICM, The Firm, etc.) or as an assistant to an agent. You learn at record speed the important players names, meet high powered people and their assistants, and of course, learn about all the hot spots in town where they are eating (even though you most probably won't be able to afford those places right away). The assistants you'll meet and interact with are the best source of information and job leads. Believe me, these assistants are going places and you'll run into them over and over, most probably when they have moved up the ladder. Even if you don't want to be an agent, this is still a great jumping off point if you use it as a stepping stone to assisting a director, producer, star or executive.

What time commitment should I give myself to get established in LA?
• 3 to 5 years
Don’t move here until you’re ready to take on the challenge of this city. LA isn’t a place to come test the waters for four months. When you’re ready for it, commit to it. If you’re wishy-washy, move to Butte.

What tools are most helpful to me during my first year in Hollywood?
• Thomas Brother’s Map
• Cell phone with a local number
• Computer
• Connect with other MSU alumni on Tribe.net
The Thomas Brother’s Map is a thick map of the Los Angeles area that’s sold in all bookstores. It’s the survival bible here. Learn how to read it and keep it accessible in your car so you can get around town (avoid the freeways if necessary). You should have a cell phone with a local phone number. Nobody want’s to hire somebody with a “406” area code. Have a computer so you can look for work and stay in touch via email.

Don’t get discouraged!
This business isn't like a traditional industry. Most likely, you aren't going to get a job based on your resume and many times people are not going to even take the time to call you back. You hear about jobs through word of mouth. Every time you send out your resume, you must follow up with a phone call or it is as good as throwing the resume in the garbage can. People are really busy and wrapped up in their own lives so if they haven't called you back in four days to a week, give them another call. You must be aggressive when it comes to staying in touch with people because you don't just want to call people when you need a job. There is a fine line that you need to figure out based on each person on how much calling is too much. While you don't want to be a pest, you also have to remember that "out of sight, out of mind".

The following alumni are willing to be contacted in order to give advice:

Grant Axton
Line Producer at 44 Blue Productions, Inc.
redax@aol.com
Willing to help with relocation questions, internships and PA work if possible.

Scott Seiffert
scottseiffert@yahoo.com

Matt Jacobs
Producer / Director of Development
matt@rockinghorseroad.com– prefer e-mail.
mattj@d9studios.com
(310) 613-5204
Help job placement if I hear of anything. Advice on surviving and networking once you get to town. If you’ve got a show idea, I’ll listen to your pitch. E-mail is the best, I’ll always respond.

GOOD LUCK!

Return to regular view	Text-only	Updated: 11/13/07