Is Moving to Another City to Further Your Film Career the Right Answer?

Getting Work 14 Comments

Is Moving to Another City to Further Your Film Career the Right Answer?Creative Commons License photo credit: TheMuuj

So you’re feeling stuck, huh?

You want to be on a film set, but instead you’re sitting at home on a forced vacation. You’d rather be making your own movies than watching someone elses all day on TV. You’d rather be working.

And you’re thinking, “you know, this town is getting a little old. The work isn’t there. But, hey, in [dream city] there’s tons of gigs! I should pack my bags and just do it — just take the plunge and move.”

Whoa there! Not so fast, my friend.

Before you hop on the train to Tinseltown, you should make sure it makes sense for your situation, your job, and your life because — spoiler alert! — it’s not always the right answer.

May the Forces of Job Markets Be With You

There are two forces at work in any market in which you’re trying to get a job — and this is true for any career path:

1. Competition - the number of people also in your area who want the same jobs you do

2. Demand - the number of opportunities offered by employers who have a need for your skills

Further, these two forces are correlated to each other — that is, as demand for crew members rises, the number of crew in the area generally rises as well.

Why? Because people hear about a hot-spot town and migrate there to cash in on it.

There is sometimes a short-period of time where competition and demand aren’t correlated — where demand is larger than competition — but they eventually catch up to each other.

(Just like when a market dries up, for some period of time there are more crew than jobs until they move on to other areas.)

So you have to think about the fact that even though you can go to a larger market, there are also going to be more people there competing against you. Simlarly, even though your current area may not offer as many jobs, you have a greater chance of landing them since you’re one of few.

Each area also has its own standards for skill-level, experience, etc. You may be above-average in terms of skill and experience in your small, rural town, but how would you stack up against a crew from the big city?

I’m not saying you can’t be talented in a small market and go toe-to-toe with larger crews, I just want you to be aware of the whole big fish in a small pond scenario: you may be the go-to guy in your small cut of the country, but if you get thrown into a much bigger market, you likely won’t have that same experience at first.

A 3-foot fish in a 30-foot pond is big, but a 3-foot fish in the Atlantic ocean is nothing at all.

Moving Your Film Career Internationally

At least once a month I hear from someone — whether by email or social media — who wants to move to the United States to work in the film industry. Sometimes they want me to hire them, sometimes they simply want an “in,” but in every case I have to deliver the same bad news:

It’s really hard to move to an international market.

The thing is, you have to consider how many people are already here looking for work. Right now, producers can cherry-pick who they want. Very few in the film industry are desparate for crew because there are so many people willing to step up to the plate.

It’s harsh, but Americans are likely going to be given priority over international crew members for a variety of reasons:

  1. A language barrier may exist
  2. The American system of filmmaking may be not something you are familiar with
  3. Little to no networking

I’m not saying it’s impossible to move to the United States and work in Hollywood, I’m just saying that it’s not the answer for anybody, and really only for a very few.

To truly move from another country and make it in the film industry, you have to be ready to start again from square one — working as hard as everyone else — or be extremely established in your country and have worked on American productions that shot on location.

This is because without any networking to plug you into the system, you’re going to have to get by on your merits, experience, and skills or start establishing those anew once you arrive.

And that’s after you deal with immigration, work visas, and a bunch of other political and governmental bureaucracy that I am not familiar with.

So, what about moving within my country?

In many ways, the same rules apply even when moving within your country — whether that’s from New York to Los Angeles or Munich to Berlin.

You have to consider the fact that people are already working there. The barriers of moving still exist, but on a much more localized level which makes them more manageable (you don’t have to deal with as much government red tape).

What’s important is to realize that unless you’re being begged to move to another locale, there is already somebody there doing exactly what you do and likely doing it well-enough to stay employed. In an industry built so heavily on word-of-mouth networking and favorites, it’s a tough nut to crack to force yourself into someone else’s market.

Move When You Need to, Not When You Want To

The attitude that moving to a bigger market is the answer to your jobless woes is, in some ways, misleading. In a few cases, it can be the right answer, but in others, it is a mistake that’s hard to overcome.

My advice is to move when you need to, not when you want to.

How do you know you need to?

Well, consider how much work you are getting locally — is there anything you can do to get more work, or are you maxed out?

And be honest with yourself on this answer.

Just because you aren’t getting jobs around the area doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Perhaps you’re not trying hard enough. But if you feel that you have truly tapped the market, then it might be a good time to consider moving.

Or maybe you’re getting tons of work, but it’s not paying very well. You’re skilled at what you do, at the top of the game in your area, but you’re not cashing the paychecks you’d like to see — that would be a good time to move because you have experience to place you on your feet in a new locale.

Or, as a third example, your market has absolutely dried up out of your control. Now it’s do or die and you have to pick somewhere that’s offering more work. If the circumstances are forcing your hand, pick a market similar to the one you were successful in, or if you’re feeling ambitious, choose the bigger fish to hook.

What do all these scenarios have in common?

They take into account the context in which you are opearting — your experience, your financial situation, your area.

There is no right or wrong answer, no golden ticket, no yellow brick road to Hollywood (or anywhere you wish to be, for that matter).

The only definitive answer I can give you is to move because you have to or your situation demands it, not because you think it’s the answer to your lack of success. The only solution for that is to work harder, improve your skills, and hustle your network of industry contacts.

Just because you arrive in a new city full of untapped opportunities doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to you — in fact, you may be passing up opportunities surrounding you already.

Have you ever moved markets? What was the experience like? Would you do it again and what advice do you have? Please share in the comments!

About the author:

About the author: Evan Luzi is the editor and founder of The Black and Blue as well as a freelance camera assistant.

You can learn more about him or follow him on Twitter and Google+.

This Isn't About One Gig. It's About Launching Your Career.
  • Jayson

    So far this is the only article on the blog that I haven’t enjoyed, the whole thing seems discouraging although I’m certain that’s not your intent.
    All too often we in the film industry think of each other as competition, I however see more experienced people as mentors. Crew members die, retire, and fall out of the game all the time. You may be in competition with these guys but not for every job. film professionals often are offered gigs while they are on a show that they can’t do, and what happens? They recommend someone else. Why can’t it be you? on my last feature I gave away 4 paying jobs. Who did they go to? Another local guy who’s work i respect and I knew would get the job done right. In regards to moving, my attitude is to simply go where the work is. I’m actually gearing up for a move as we speak. A lot of thought however went into making the decision including, “Who do I know already living out there?” “What areas of the city am I thinking of moving to?” and How much money do I need to make the move and get started?” I factored all this together and decided that Los Angeles (particularly the Valley) was the best place to cultivate my career. Of course it did help that I had lived there some years before and am already quite acquainted with the area. I have a large network of people I graduated with and knew previously who are already in the area, I have worked for Los Angeles crews who came through my area and have kept up with them periodically, and I have an estimated cost of living +10% that I have been saving that will, once I make my move allow me to have a 6 Month buffer before i HAVE to have a paying gig. Your closing line, however is quite inspiring, “work harder, improve your skills, and hustle your network of industry contacts” All of which Is part of the plan and should be adhered to wherever you may go.
    That being said I still have a mighty respect for your blog and often turn to it for information which has helped me on many occasions. So thank you.

  • http://www.theblackandblue.com/ Evan

    Hey Jayson — my intent was definitely not to discourage people nor make the film industry seem like some crazy cutthroat world.

    I do get a lot of emails from a lot of people with little to no experience who are under the impression that their lack of work comes from their area. And that is something that is usually untrue in most cases.

    And when I bring up competition, I mean it in a healthy sense.

    As in, there will be times where someone else gets a job and you don’t. It’s not because that person out-edged you or because they threw you under the bus to a producer, it’s because they knew someone you didn’t or they happened to get the call first.

    So when I say that there is competition in the area, I simply mean there are more people who may get a job instead of you. That doesn’t mean you have to hate them or dislike them or not recommend them — it’s just the truth.

    The approach you’re taking to moving is a smart one.

    What I tried to speak to in this article were those who were thinking of moving because they thought it would guarantee them work — and nothing is guaranteed.

    I appreciate the feedback and I’m sorry you didn’t like the article (it happens!), but I hope you get where I’m coming from.

  • http://twitter.com/phil_jackson Phillip Jackson

    I can add a few tips on moving. Be ready to start from the ground up again. While this new “era” we are in as filmmakers means someone who simply bought a camera can be called a director of photographer, unless you are nationally known before your move, you are basically starting all over again. So be ready to have to rebuild your connections and work for free even for a while so you can get your face out there again.

    That mean have a decent sized saving so you don’t have to take a part time job doing anything as soon as you get out to where you want to be. This allows you to take all those last minute jobs that pop up. A lot of jobs I got early in Chicago were because someone couldn’t make a job and they passed along my info to the project.

    I already said this but be ready to network your ass off. You might know all the major players in your community but you are now the nameless new guy walking into a new school.

    What can’t hurt you is reconnect with anyone you know that is in this new location. No matter how long ago it was that you worked with them. Everyone likes to see a familiar face.

  • FB

    as promised on Facebook, here’s my comment, Evan :-) I apologize if it sounds a bit redundant in some parts.

    I do agree with most of your post, though I think the “move when you need to” part is a bit misleading. Sometimes people just want to move, the issue here is whether the conditions for such a big step are the “right” ones.

    It goes without saying that everything I write is based on my personal experience, especially now that things are incredibly difficult here in Italy for whoever works or would love to work in anything related to a so-called “film industry”. I won’t bother you with listing the reasons that have led to the de facto collapse of our small industry here (it’d take a whole blog to do that, and I doubt it’d be that interesting), but when things get this bad, one of the first questions that come to mind is obviously “should I move somewhere else?” I’ve been asking it a few times recently, but the answer is pretty much always “no” or “it depends”. Obviously this doesn’t apply to people who have very strong reasons not to move (like family of their own, or can see themselves at doing something different).

    I live in Rome, which in theory should be to Italy what Hollywood or New York are to the US. We have Cinecittà (or what’s left of it), production companies, rental houses, studios, festivals, and the vast majority of national crews is based here. That also means that in times like these it’s almost impossible to work, because demand for crews is incredibly scarce and competition is higher than ever. Would moving to a different Italian city or a different country solve any problem? I don’t think so, and I’d move in an instant if that meant working more and with slightly better conditions (which right now equals to actually being able to make a living), without any doubt. If you’re in the production hub of a small country and there’s no work, there are good chances you won’t find work in other parts of the same country. I’m pretty sure in the US it’s slightly different, but not so much. So, even if you make up your mind and pack your things, never underestimate understanding what the right time would be for such a move.

    IMHO, moving per se won’t change a thing most of the times, unless:

    a) you’re among the top 10 professionals in the world (yes, I wrote world, not just “country”) in your specific line of work;

    b) you have a very good plan and a solid financial situation that would allow you to spend a lot of time, and I mean months, to start all over again and build a new professional network for yourself;

    c) you have connections as strong as those you leave behind.

    In case you belong to a), then you just don’t move to find work, it’s pretty safe to say you’re already busy working your ass off and you’re in such demand that you have to hire someone to answer your calls. In a situation like that, you have the luxury to pick a place to live and to spend a lot of time on the road, working all over the country, or all over the world. Obviously, if the majority of your work comes from the same place, it’s convenient to move there, but I know some assistants and DPs who live on the East Coast, and spend the majority of their professional life in L.A. (one of them just moved to California because he was tired of spending so many hours in airports). This is the only situation where the “need to move” and “want to move” overlap, and it’s all up to other reasons, mostly based on personal preferences and considerations.

    If it’s b), then moving could make sense, but only if you’re really dissatisfied with what you leave behind or if there’s just no work around. At the same time you could invest that money in a different area of your own business (for instance, finding a niche which for some reason hasn’t been explored yet in your area) and be just as successful. Or you could just save that money and use it as a safety net until, hopefully, times get better.

    Maybe the only option that kind of really makes sense to me is c): I know 2 colleagues of mine who are equally based in the US and in Italy and have no problem working here or there, although we’re talking about very different markets and very different ways of working. Of course there are problems that need to be faced: in case of the US, if you’re an Italian, getting a visa to work there is not an easy thing (next to impossible, in fact, trust me on that). But, if you’re in a situation where you can actually work in a different area of the country or in another country, then moving or at least considering other markets couldn’t be a bad idea if that meant getting better work, better wages, better living.

    The bottom line, if there is one and if this comment of mine makes any sense, is that the importance of connections, networking, in other words “who you know”, can NEVER be stressed enough. You can be the best camera assistant in Rome, Italy, but if you move to Hollywood without a plan and without knowing anyone there, there are very good chances you’ll be on the next flight back home, no matter how good you are, wondering why the world capitol of cinema hasn’t recognized your talent (and if you feel that way, you deserve that seat on that flight). The Internet is an incredible tool for finding out how the “big boys” have made it to where they are, and the two constants are always the same: they’re incredibly good at what they do, and they never made it by themselves. Somewhere along the way, someone else gave them a chance to prove it, and they were great at grabbing that chance and making the best out of it. And this can be applied to camera assistant, operators, cinematographers, directors.

  • http://www.theblackandblue.com/ Evan

    You basically wrote a whole blog post FB! I’ll respond to a few points individually if you don’t mind:

    “I do agree with most of your post, though I think the “move when you need to” part is a bit misleading. Sometimes people just want to move…”

    Yes — I expected someone to point this out. I completely agree. This article is mostly for those whose only reason to move is their career. If you have other motivating factors, such as family or the urge to live somewhere, then of course you have to prioritize it against your career and in many cases your career loses.

    “If you’re in the production hub of a small country and there’s no work, there are good chances you won’t find work in other parts of the same country.”

    Great point. If the hub moves, you can move with it. But if it’s the town with the greatest amount of work — and that work is low — it’s a larger problem as you said.

    “The Internet is an incredible tool for finding out how the “big boys” have made it to where they are, and the two constants are always the same: they’re incredibly good at what they do, and they never made it by themselves.”

    Yes.

    Your entire comment, and this statement, drive home what I hoped to be the theme of this post (and a message I think many are muddling in reading it): moving markets isn’t the magic solution to getting more work.

    It CAN be a solution or part of a solution, but it isn’t a guarantee.

    As I’ve said in a few areas in regards to this, what I wanted to implore people to do is to take a good look at their career as it stands in the area they’re at — are they making the most of where they already are? If they aren’t, try harder before you move. If you are, then look for a market with greater opportunity.

    And you thoroughly lay out great reasons that emphasize this. Maybe better than I did :P

    Thanks for the post, FB! Maybe you will write a guest blog for me when I open it up sometime?

  • http://www.theblackandblue.com/ Evan

    Nice tips, Phil!

    What you emphasize — and I agree with — is the importance to give it time and network again as much as possible.

    Building up savings before you move (if your situation allows it) is smart.

  • FB

    >”You basically wrote a whole blog post FB!”

    Yep, sorry. I got carried away :-)

    >”Your entire comment, and this statement, drive home what I hoped to be the theme of this post (and a message I think many are muddling in reading it): moving markets isn’t the magic solution to getting more work.”

    Exactly. Even more so, there’s just NO magic solution or trick. The only recipe is hard work, and lots of it, and there’s no guarantee even with that. A nice attitude towards others and a little bit of luck may help, but thinking about relying on just luck is crazy.

    >”As I’ve said in a few areas in regards to this, what I wanted to implore people to do is to take a good look at their career as it stands in the area they’re at — are they making the most of where they already are? If they aren’t, try harder before you move. If you are, then look for a market with greater opportunity.”

    yes, it does make a lot of sense. But as you rightly put it, the first thing to be aware is that there are no tricks, magic solutions or shortcuts, and it’s unbelievable how many people thing that moving, buying tons of gear, or enrolling in a top-notch film school will suddenly turn them into whatever they want to be.

    >”Thanks for the post, FB! Maybe you will write a guest blog for me when I open it up sometime?”

    That’d be a huge honour, Evan, I’m not even sure I’m good enough for something like that, but I’m always up for a good challenge ;-)

  • Benjamin_Tubb

    There’s another reason to move: maybe you’re getting plenty of work, and making plenty of money, but your market just isn’t active in the TYPE of work you’d like to do.

    I’m Dallas based, and Dallas has been good to me for work. But I have been considering making the leap to a new city for a while now. The issue being that Dallas has PLENTY of corporate work, ultra micro budget narrative, occasional music videos, and reality (which I refuse to work). But there’s nothing here in the way of large budget narrative (episodic OR feature). We do OCCASIONALLY get a TV show or a movie, but it’s like one per year if we’re lucky.

    Do I make a living? Sure. Could I stay here and continue to make a living? Probably. But you know, this work isn’t what I friggin’ signed up for. It might sound childish and starry eyed, but I want to work in movies, goddamn it. Real, big movies, with actual budgets and actual rates, with actual chances of success.

    Moving is a BIG risk. I’ve made a name for myself here, and starting from scratch on shaky financial ground is a frightening prospect. But it’s a leap I might just have to make.

  • http://twitter.com/jdwiden Jeremy Widen

    As someone who is making the cross-country move (at the end of June), let me tell you my reasons (mostly to further my career).
    1) Grad School
    I know this isn’t directly correlated to career, but I know that 10, 15, 20 years down the road, I’m going to want to teach. This just seems like the right time to do so.
    2) So I don’t “Get Stuck”
    I feel like my career has started to stagnate a bit. I hoping the move from San Francisco to Chicago will re-invigorate me. I’m not saying this will boost the amount of work I do; but, the move might just be the thing to get me out of the non-exciting funk I’m currently in.
    3) Time for a Change
    I’ve lived in SF longer than I’ve ever lived anywhere else. It’s just time for me to move, to experience more. I’m still young enough right now that a cross-country move doesn’t mean uprooting kids, bills, or other important things for future, older me.

    Not that any of this is relevant. Evan’s post just happens to be about something I’m going through right now.

  • Ken

    I’m so glad you used the big fish in a small pond metaphor. I used that phrase countless times during college. Mostly to describe those whose ambitions didn’t reach beyond that small pond.

    I just moved, and am now a tiny fish in a big sea, but I see (or sea, if you like puns) it as room to grow. But my situation is a bit different from most since I did just graduate and come from a state that doesn’t do the kind of productions I want to do. I do respect filmmakers that work with micro-budgets, I just want to move on to something bigger. Is there paying work, yes. Is it the kind of work I want, almost never. We had one fairly large movie come this year and it was a good 3 hours from where I lived. Then there are a few reality shows around and obviously commercials are being made just about everyone these days. But hearing the film people there talk with excitement about shooting weddings, I knew I needed to get out. All of that work is fine, It just simply isn’t what I want my career to be made out of. So I moved as soon as I could while I could easily uproot myself.

    Some people thought I was being foolish for moving to a city I’ve never been to and where I only know one person, and some people appreciated my adventurous spirit. But after a week and not even a half that one friend got me a spot on the film I most wanted to get on. But that was also because the guy I replaced was super flakey and then called-in a half hour before call saying he wouldn’t be there. So I get a call and I rush to the other side of the city. Seriously, don’t be a flakey person.
    I would agree that moving is not right for everyone, and that I have been rather fortunate, but it was certainly the right decision for me. Would I move in the future? Perhaps if this city dries up or if I am in hot demand in another city. But for now I’m just glad I’m in a town with great opportunities and am off to a fantastic start.
    I did do one day of free work hoping to make some connections for potential work or just get into contact with other people who love production work. 2 days after that I was working with most of those people on this movie. It was a nice feeling to walk onto a set with 150+ people and know a dozen of them.
    Obviously 2 weeks of work (I’ve done 4 days with at least another 5 left) on a major film doesn’t guarantee that I’ll have great success in this new city, but it sure doesn’t hurt. I knew that I was going from the middle of a small pond to the very bottom of the sea. But what I didn’t know was that 2 weeks after moving I would be at a wrap party with an insanely talented cast and crew.
    So I guess my point is that it was easy for me to move because I was 100% okay with starting back at the bottom. Am I adequately prepared to doing something other than PA where I came from, absolutely. Can I say the same for this market, absolutely not. To me it is a matter of you being willing to take the time and effort to climb back to where you want to be. I also put a lot of faith into myself and my work ethic to literally just pack up a car and see what happens. So far, so good.

  • slateboy83

    Hey FB,I’m new in here and I’m italian too, but now I’m living and working in Madrid. Nevertheless I made a couple of feature films in Italy last year as AC and I would like to ask you some question. Is there any way I can contact you (email, for example). Ah, don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to hire me, just need some advice.
    Cheers

  • Tien

    Here’s the deal, move ONLY if you’re willing to sacrifice A LOT. I’ve been extremely fortunate to work with some of the best talent the movie business has to offer and I’ve met a lot of people. Living in LA, you’ll encounter a lot of people who move out here to make it. The thing is, they think because they’ve moved to LA they should have a job and all that good stuff. Reality check to anyone who thinks about moving to LA (especially from an international city) if you don’t know someone who knows someone, you’re chance to get in just became 10x tougher. This town, it’s who you know who gets you your job, and unfortunately you may be the best worker ever but if you don’t know anyone, it’s extremely difficult. Then you have the people who moved here from small town, USA and then complain about how they’re above the work. That never flies. Here’s three things you need to know before you decide to move out here:

    1. Be humble
    2. Do not get discouraged
    3. Work anywhere you can, even intern.

    My own experience is that interns (good ones mainly) always end up working because it shows 2 things, one you’re willing to suck it up and do grunt work likely for free, two you really are passionate about working in films. Anyway good luck to anyone who chooses to move out here.

  • FB

    sorry for not having seen your message before.
    If you want, you can email me at francesco DOT bonomo AT ymail DOT com

    (for spammers: this is not my primary email account…yadda yadda)
    :-)

  • http://www.theblackandblue.com/ Evan

    FB – let me know if you have trouble getting in touch. Also, when you do, let me know and I can remove the comment so your email isn’t floating around!