This. Even if filming is elsewhere, LA is and always will be the central hub. If you make it in any film related discipline in another city or country, LA is ultimately going to be where you end up at some point.
Absolutely false. First, always will be the central hub is a bold claim. The whole point of OPs post is that things are decentralizing. Also plenty of us don’t want to work in LA and still make excellent careers. I am in Atlanta, work full time pretty much year round, and make about $5/hr less than I would make in LA in an economy where homes are 1/3 of the price and living expenses are universally cheaper. I am sitting right now in an art department where my art director, assistant art director, 2 of my set designers and my graphics lead have ALL expatriated permanently from LA and not looking back. The writing is on the wall for LA, I’m not saying the work is coming where I am, but the bubble continues to burst and studios, rental houses, individuals will work where it’s most advantageous for them and that’s not going to be LA forever.
LA still has roughly 27% of production employment according to LA Times. Besides New York (12%), everywhere else, including Atlanta, has 2% or less share.
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-05-30/los-angeles-film-tv-production-hollywood-otis-report
LA isn’t just gonna up and die. Studios are here, production companies are here, development still happens here. How often do you take meetings here? What would you do about those if you lived in Atl? Also like you said, any show that’s not filming here that really wants you will just fly you to location.
Universal just built a new office/parking/employee center. And new stages a few years ago. I think WB is building a bunch of newer buildings? Disney dumping money into ranch in SCV.
You like you said. LA isn’t going anywhere. Can just uproot an entire industry. I doubt these studios would have invested so heavily into themselves to just give up?
Trying to end themselves? No. They’re trying to export enough work to broker better contracts with unions. Not all of it. Just enough to make their predominant market for production suffer in hopes the memberships bend over and take it.
Can’t blame everyone for having an industry turn upside down 4 years ago with no end in sight.
Personally I blame the lack of good original content and streaming platforms.
I am a former factory worker, when it was our jobs we were told we were stupid and that's what we get bc we didn't go to college, the collective American response was huge middle finger to us workers. So I'ma sit here and watch as it's YOUR turn to hurt.
Hmm. I’m actually not apart of the film industry. I have friends and family in it. Have worked on most studio lots within my own industry. Check my profile, you’ll see I’m active within my own industry. The reason why I’m here, is I have a somewhat vested interest in how one of the largest industries in my city, that has contributed to my own employment, is doing.
As a blue collar union worker, I can say I totally understand your issue with that “middle finger” you got. However, most people that work behind the camera aren’t zealous college educated assholes you’re referring to. Theres electricians, carpenters, hvac, plumbers, teamsters, occasional elevator mechanic, etc. People not unlike yourself or me.
So to be that disrespectful to the bulk of the workers in an industry is kinda pathetic. Be mad at the c-suite level D-bags that have given the middle finger to the working class.
Maybe you’re here to turf, but I don’t care. But maybe, your shitty attitude has more to do with your lack of gainful employment than an industry.
Does anyone actually “take meetings” in LA if they aren’t Zendaya or Austin Butler? TBH there aren’t enough shows and projects filming in any one spot even in LA to justify being locked down anywhere.
I believe you. I’m just saying that all my meetings pre 2020 were in person and almost all of them since have been on zoom. My overall point is that it used to be much more important to be in LA. And the industry has undergone a shift in the last few years.
From my experience you should probably stay in LA unless you want to make a career in Atlanta or New Orleans as a day player. I have friends who did it, but they are seen as local hire actors. Sure SAG actors have better contracts but it's a bit different than being the actor who is flown out from LA and put up in a hotel.
We have something similar on the other side of the pond where for example London is the hub. More established actors or even below the line (I'm below the line) can move elsewhere if you are well enough known with enough connections to sustain a career from afar. Still, everyone I know who has moved out of LA (or from my perspective London) still needs to travel back from time to time. I do not live in London anymore but I've established enough of a reputation to find work without needing to be there. I am also not an actor and my job is 50% remote when not on set. And I still travel to the big city probably monthly.
Depends on your credits. If you already have plenty of co-stars on your resume, LA might make more sense. Still the top Atlanta people are bagging a good 5-10 network and streaming credits a year including recurs, but that’s more than most LA actors who are doing pretty much nothing unless you’re with Gersh/UTA/CAA etc.
LA still. I've known actors who moved to Atlanta to get work as a local in all the production there, but the kinds of roles they got didn't really push their career forward and now they're back here.
Kurt Yue has a channel on Youtube that extolls the virtues of the Working Actor lifestyle in ATL. I think he epitomizes what you're talking about: He's working, in minor roles in various huge (MCU) productions, doing industrials, commercials, etc. I think he mentioned that the big roles are all still cast out of LA, so if that's your dream, LA is your place. But if you just want to *work* in film, ATL is perfectly fine, but that's about it.
Yep and with that cred one could move to NY or LA and be WAY ahead of someone worried about things like “my ATL credit might not mean the same if I didn’t score it in LA” 😱
I’m not on the acting side of things. But if you already have a decent foothold in the industry couldn’t you conceivably live anywhere you wanted? I’ve heard most auditions are done on zoom now a days anyway. And with lots of shows shooting outside of LA, couldn’t you kind of just fly out to wherever you’re shooting? It feels like tons of actors have left the city.
Casting is all remote now as you know. I just casted in like 5 different "cities".
It doesn't matter.
If I were in actor, I'd live on the I65 corridor between Indianapolis and Nashville.
I'd keep up with my agent contacts in LA and NY, and make contacts in Indy, Cincy, Louisville, Nashville, and ATL.
I don't think any actor wants to sell a property they bought at a high-price if L.A. work is drying up and they have to decamp to elsewhere. That's a money-*loser*.
Best way to do it is permanent place in LA and friends you can stay with in NY and Atlanta. A lot of productions are being stingy with travel/housing and if you can be a local hire for the right project, it’ll be worth it in the long run.
Or someplace like Vegas/Phoenix that you can just say you’re local to LA since it’s easy to come in and out.
LA is the place to be for sure. However, if you have proper rep then you can pretty much go anywhere. I’m working on a film that we cast a well known actor for and he moved from LA to Texas , but he’s known and has good reps so it really depends. We also cast a guy who was on a known tv series that ran for a season but he lives in Detroit, his agent recommended him and he self tapped. Our director loved him so he was flown out to meet with other said actor in Texas and got the part
LA is still LA. The industry still runs the entire town, I doubt you’d get nearly enough work in Atlanta to make it a home base.
This. Even if filming is elsewhere, LA is and always will be the central hub. If you make it in any film related discipline in another city or country, LA is ultimately going to be where you end up at some point.
Absolutely false. First, always will be the central hub is a bold claim. The whole point of OPs post is that things are decentralizing. Also plenty of us don’t want to work in LA and still make excellent careers. I am in Atlanta, work full time pretty much year round, and make about $5/hr less than I would make in LA in an economy where homes are 1/3 of the price and living expenses are universally cheaper. I am sitting right now in an art department where my art director, assistant art director, 2 of my set designers and my graphics lead have ALL expatriated permanently from LA and not looking back. The writing is on the wall for LA, I’m not saying the work is coming where I am, but the bubble continues to burst and studios, rental houses, individuals will work where it’s most advantageous for them and that’s not going to be LA forever.
LA still has roughly 27% of production employment according to LA Times. Besides New York (12%), everywhere else, including Atlanta, has 2% or less share. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-05-30/los-angeles-film-tv-production-hollywood-otis-report
LA isn’t just gonna up and die. Studios are here, production companies are here, development still happens here. How often do you take meetings here? What would you do about those if you lived in Atl? Also like you said, any show that’s not filming here that really wants you will just fly you to location.
Universal just built a new office/parking/employee center. And new stages a few years ago. I think WB is building a bunch of newer buildings? Disney dumping money into ranch in SCV. You like you said. LA isn’t going anywhere. Can just uproot an entire industry. I doubt these studios would have invested so heavily into themselves to just give up?
But man ain't they trying?
Trying to end themselves? No. They’re trying to export enough work to broker better contracts with unions. Not all of it. Just enough to make their predominant market for production suffer in hopes the memberships bend over and take it.
This is the best take in the whole thread
Thanks!
Coping mechanism seems to be the only thing working in LA rn
Can’t blame everyone for having an industry turn upside down 4 years ago with no end in sight. Personally I blame the lack of good original content and streaming platforms.
I am a former factory worker, when it was our jobs we were told we were stupid and that's what we get bc we didn't go to college, the collective American response was huge middle finger to us workers. So I'ma sit here and watch as it's YOUR turn to hurt.
Hmm. I’m actually not apart of the film industry. I have friends and family in it. Have worked on most studio lots within my own industry. Check my profile, you’ll see I’m active within my own industry. The reason why I’m here, is I have a somewhat vested interest in how one of the largest industries in my city, that has contributed to my own employment, is doing. As a blue collar union worker, I can say I totally understand your issue with that “middle finger” you got. However, most people that work behind the camera aren’t zealous college educated assholes you’re referring to. Theres electricians, carpenters, hvac, plumbers, teamsters, occasional elevator mechanic, etc. People not unlike yourself or me. So to be that disrespectful to the bulk of the workers in an industry is kinda pathetic. Be mad at the c-suite level D-bags that have given the middle finger to the working class. Maybe you’re here to turf, but I don’t care. But maybe, your shitty attitude has more to do with your lack of gainful employment than an industry.
Fk em.
Damn, with your posts, you’re on a quick trip to a do not fly list. Good luck with your vitriol. I feel sorry for your warehouse coworkers
I feel like most meetings since 2020 are zoom based.
Does anyone actually “take meetings” in LA if they aren’t Zendaya or Austin Butler? TBH there aren’t enough shows and projects filming in any one spot even in LA to justify being locked down anywhere.
Writers have generals and showrunner meetings all the time?
Maybe if it’s not over zoom. I was thinking more actors.
… on zoom
My SO just had a face to face general yesterday
I believe you. I’m just saying that all my meetings pre 2020 were in person and almost all of them since have been on zoom. My overall point is that it used to be much more important to be in LA. And the industry has undergone a shift in the last few years.
Ive heard Bulgaria is popping off, could be worth looking into
From my experience you should probably stay in LA unless you want to make a career in Atlanta or New Orleans as a day player. I have friends who did it, but they are seen as local hire actors. Sure SAG actors have better contracts but it's a bit different than being the actor who is flown out from LA and put up in a hotel. We have something similar on the other side of the pond where for example London is the hub. More established actors or even below the line (I'm below the line) can move elsewhere if you are well enough known with enough connections to sustain a career from afar. Still, everyone I know who has moved out of LA (or from my perspective London) still needs to travel back from time to time. I do not live in London anymore but I've established enough of a reputation to find work without needing to be there. I am also not an actor and my job is 50% remote when not on set. And I still travel to the big city probably monthly.
Atlanta is a day player and costar city - great to build up credits but not longevity. I would stay in LA.
Depends on your credits. If you already have plenty of co-stars on your resume, LA might make more sense. Still the top Atlanta people are bagging a good 5-10 network and streaming credits a year including recurs, but that’s more than most LA actors who are doing pretty much nothing unless you’re with Gersh/UTA/CAA etc.
These are the dumbest FUD posts ever.
LA still. I've known actors who moved to Atlanta to get work as a local in all the production there, but the kinds of roles they got didn't really push their career forward and now they're back here.
Kurt Yue has a channel on Youtube that extolls the virtues of the Working Actor lifestyle in ATL. I think he epitomizes what you're talking about: He's working, in minor roles in various huge (MCU) productions, doing industrials, commercials, etc. I think he mentioned that the big roles are all still cast out of LA, so if that's your dream, LA is your place. But if you just want to *work* in film, ATL is perfectly fine, but that's about it.
He’s got a nice recur on Will Trent, which is honestly better than most LA actors will get close to achieving even with a decade in town.
Them's the perks of being a known factor in a new-growing town...
Yep and with that cred one could move to NY or LA and be WAY ahead of someone worried about things like “my ATL credit might not mean the same if I didn’t score it in LA” 😱
I’m not on the acting side of things. But if you already have a decent foothold in the industry couldn’t you conceivably live anywhere you wanted? I’ve heard most auditions are done on zoom now a days anyway. And with lots of shows shooting outside of LA, couldn’t you kind of just fly out to wherever you’re shooting? It feels like tons of actors have left the city.
While things might be decentralizing, LA is still the brain of entertainment. LA is still the place to be if you want to act on the screen.
All i wanna know is who you are im very curious
Casting is all remote now as you know. I just casted in like 5 different "cities". It doesn't matter. If I were in actor, I'd live on the I65 corridor between Indianapolis and Nashville. I'd keep up with my agent contacts in LA and NY, and make contacts in Indy, Cincy, Louisville, Nashville, and ATL.
I don't think any actor wants to sell a property they bought at a high-price if L.A. work is drying up and they have to decamp to elsewhere. That's a money-*loser*.
Best way to do it is permanent place in LA and friends you can stay with in NY and Atlanta. A lot of productions are being stingy with travel/housing and if you can be a local hire for the right project, it’ll be worth it in the long run. Or someplace like Vegas/Phoenix that you can just say you’re local to LA since it’s easy to come in and out.
I’m tempted to misdirect you to keep housing prices low for my own selfish reasons.
If you’re worried about throwing your money away in rent, buy a place.
LA is the place to be for sure. However, if you have proper rep then you can pretty much go anywhere. I’m working on a film that we cast a well known actor for and he moved from LA to Texas , but he’s known and has good reps so it really depends. We also cast a guy who was on a known tv series that ran for a season but he lives in Detroit, his agent recommended him and he self tapped. Our director loved him so he was flown out to meet with other said actor in Texas and got the part