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i'm a recent college graduate with a degree in film. i'm making an indie movie right now but i know that to really try and make a career for myself in film i have to be in either nyc or la.
tbh, i don't want to move to la. i've visited a lot of times and from everything i hear about it, i can't see myself being happy there. nyc seems great in comparison, and just great in general.
but i keep hearing people say that la is where i need to be if i want to be in film. what do you guys think? is this true? i hope not. of course i'd like to make it big someday but really, i'd be perfectly happy just making a decent living off making indie films and freelance videography if i could too.
i've heard that nyc is actually better for indie filmmakers. how is that so? how about for freelance videography? it seems like nyc would be a great city to be in for freelance stuff since there are so many people and so many events that would need cameramen and the like.
anyway, i'd love to hear what you guys think on the matter. thanks.
my husband has worked in film for 15+ years. he's on the production side of things and tbh, jobs have been scarce for what he does. my brother in law works on set with the cameras (forget the title) and finally got into the union, so now he pretty much has it made. ultimately it is mostly about who you know - connections, connections, connections. we also contemplated a move to la (he lived there years ago before we knew each other, and hated it) because we thought the job market would be better. we went out to explore for a couple weeks and from what we could tell it didn't seem any different (at the time, approx a year ago) than ny. good luck to you!
i'm a recent college graduate with a degree in film. i'm making an indie movie right now but i know that to really try and make a career for myself in film i have to be in either nyc or la.
tbh, i don't want to move to la. i've visited a lot of times and from everything i hear about it, i can't see myself being happy there. nyc seems great in comparison, and just great in general.
but i keep hearing people say that la is where i need to be if i want to be in film. what do you guys think? is this true? i hope not. of course i'd like to make it big someday but really, i'd be perfectly happy just making a decent living off making indie films and freelance videography if i could too.
i've heard that nyc is actually better for indie filmmakers. how is that so? how about for freelance videography? it seems like nyc would be a great city to be in for freelance stuff since there are so many people and so many events that would need cameramen and the like.
anyway, i'd love to hear what you guys think on the matter. thanks.
I'm something of an aspiring filmmaker myself. I've never been to LA, but the impression I have is that unless your known or established in Hollywood, you'll have an extremely hard time making it. If you're interested in doing television or indie work, and perfecting your craft, I'd say New York is probably far better. In the end, I agree with the above poster that knowing people is the biggest factor in getting work. In New York, supporting yourself while pursuing your passion is gonna be a b****. I assume LA is no different, in that regard. The one thing that LA might have over NY, is that networking (and finding other people interested in film) would be easier there.
You should also look into Austin, if the film scene is your main priority.
Since you want to make Indie films come to NYC, NY is the capitial of Indie entertainment if you wanted to do more mainstream movies then LA would be the better place.
tsurge, are you an indie filmmaker currently living nyc? what do you think of the opportunities you've found there so far?
joshd, im pretty sure indie stuff is more my speed. i think mainstream hollywood has put out a lot of crap for the past...who knows how many years...and it's just getting worse with the economy too, hollywood thinking they need to keep putting out sequels and prequels and just the same old run-of-the-mill fare over and over. :/ anyway, back on topic lol, do you think ppl involved in indie film can make a decent living in nyc doing that? or if not, do you know of any jobs at least RELATED to film or using film skills that are a little easier to get in nyc and pay decently?
also, to everyone, how about theater work? are there any fairly-lucrative jobs in the theater since nyc IS the theater capital of america?
thanks for the replies, looking forward to hearing more. really hope i can make this work.
Nope. Theater work is the opposite of lucrative and it is just as grueling as film. You have to do theater because you love it. Budgets are being slashed (note the fights to keep live music) all around.
If you do a search you can read my thoughts on LA vs NYC for film from someone who worked in all areas for over a decade.
tsurge, are you an indie filmmaker currently living nyc? what do you think of the opportunities you've found there so far?
I've recently put my passion on hold because, again, trying to attain a steady income--while pursuing a passion--can be tough, and sometimes counterproductive. My initial interest was in screenwriting, but I've also developed a desire to direct. I say that, if you get to know people who are currently doing work in film--whether they be editors, cinematographers, writers...--it'll help you alot. The problem is networking is very difficult here, as people tend to be antisocial until they need a colleague.
There are also plenty of programs, in television, that offer plenty of work and internships (Made In NY & Silvercup Studios come to mind). I intend to look into those opportunities, in the future.
NYC is where I knew many that started and worked in film. Found LA to be a closed industry. Networking and putting things together easier in NYC. Some venture to where there are cheap studios to use like in TX too.
I'm a graduate of Cinema and Photography. LA is a closed industry like someone else mentioned. You get in to film there by being a PA or something like that you do what you can get and hope. You do not get to dictate your own career path at all. You might work as a PA for years, see an opportunity to get in to actual creative work and end up building lighting rigs for the rest of your life because that's where your career just happened to take you.
You have a much better chance building a reputation for yourself in NYC. You will find way more creative individuals there who will help you out and are willing to put time and money in to something artistic just to be a part of it and have it on their resume. 'Creative' doesn't mean the same on one coast as it does on the other.
And who knows, maybe one day someone from LA will hear your name, and put you in charge of something over there. I think it's a much better idea to start off in control on the bottom rung, rather than start off on the bottom rung with someone in control of you.
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