While I usually stick to cinematography topics, inspiration pulled me out of bed after only 3 hours of sleep and forced me to write this. Please share these thoughts with anybody you know who just moved to Los Angeles with dreams of making it big in film.
1. Get a Google Voice number. You want a cool LA area code, but you don’t want to completely shed your previous identity (I still miss my old number: 781-771-5200). With Google Voice, you keep your old number and get a new line that forwards to your phone for free. Commitment is merely an illusion.
2. Find your tribe. Seek fellow creatives who are as equally driven as you and make some art together. Your cell phone’s camera and the extremely powerful–and free–DaVinci Resolve are all you need to practice storytelling and create content of your own in your free time. There’s no shortage of talented people eager to build their reels and propel themselves to the next level.
Thanks to sites like Zooppa and Tongal, you can reap rewards from your hard work. If you want to invest more into your personal projects, then Sharegrid makes renting top-notch gear easy and affordable! I wish those resources existed when I was self-financing projects for my reel.
3. Wear your alma mater’s gear around town and at work. This likely applies more for smaller and/or non-local schools, but I’ve met lots of alumni thanks to their Northwestern clothing. Wearing USC or UCLA sweatshirts in Los Angeles may not have the same effect, but I like working with and helping fellow NU grads. Many people feel similarly, which is why Alumni organizations exist.
4. Get active with your Alumni organization. See above. For NU folk, join the NUEA.
5. Be early. Google Maps may help you navigate this sprawling city and it sure beats using The Thomas Guide, but it can’t help you when the President is in town. Traffic is never a valid excuse for tardiness. Always leave extra transit time!
6. Mind your social media. I may be in the minority, but Facebook/Instagram is not a venue to cold add potential contacts or send business messages. Use LinkedIn and StaffMeUp for networking. I’d also double check your privacy settings and examine what kind of impression your digital profile will have on a potential employer. I bet Trevor Noah has a few thoughts on the subject.
You control your digital identity so make a strong impression. I’d also avoid going fully private as it suggests that you are hiding something.
7. Build a website. There are many affordable options out there, but take the time to customize it so it doesn’t scream “template.”
8. Cut a–short–reel. Seriously, I can’t emphasize brevity enough here. You don’t need a 3-minute long reel to prove that you have experience. Less is more.
Most industry folks lack patience, so grab their attention early and keep them wanting more. The perfect reel is around 90 seconds. A few of your best clips from several projects should be enough to make somebody interested in pursuing you further. If you don’t love a shot, then cut it. Solicit your friends’ opinions (and offer reciprocation)!
I’ve found a general consensus that projects should be kept together (when you return to something later it often feels stale/recycled). A Producer friend of mine admitted that he immediately stops reels that begin with landscapes. A vacation’s sunset won’t likely communicate your storytelling abilities or competence with a light meter very well.
Consider front loading your reel with known actors and ending with a title card containing your contact info. Don’t fade to black: they need to see your number to call and hire you right away!
9. Business Cards: get them. I’d advise keeping your initial order small. Your future employer may provide them or you may need to change your title from “Writer/Director” to something more accurate like “Cater Waiter.”
Please remember that you are selling yourself as a creative individual and your card is the physical embodiment of that. Put some thought into the design.
9a. Choose your title wisely. An old friend of mine put, “A Good Guy to Know” on his cards. I always liked that. Other colleagues just put their names or very bluntly: CAMERA ASSISTANT.
Whatever you do, avoid too many hyphenates (with the exception of everybody’s favorites: actress/model and writer/director). Choose the job that you wish to focus on the most and make that your goal.
I’m torn on using the ambiguous title, “filmmaker.” While it’s got a good ring to it, it is ultimately too broad. Employers rarely need a filmmaker, they need a specialist like an editor or gaffer. Make it easier for people to put you into a small box, because this town loves that.
9b. Don’t put your mailing address on the card. You are going to move several times during your tenure in Los Angeles. I wouldn’t put it on your résumé either.
10. Enjoy the city! Hike Runyon Canyon, explore Griffith Observatory, and walk the Santa Monica Pier. Hard work should be rewarded with some R&R. There are tons of amazing free activities in Los Angeles so you have no excuse.
Looking for something to do at night? This amazing website compiles almost every comedy and open mic in the city!
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