i've been in mostly stage productions my whole life, but i'm trying to get into film and television. believe me, ANY advice you have would be really helpful 🙂
Lily had some great advice, so I'll just add to it. Here are a few things to think about.
PICKING A LOCATION TO LIVE
Los Angeles is a sprawling, concrete jungle. If you aren't careful about where you choose to live, you could spend most of your time sitting in traffic. You'll want to be close to where the real decision makers live and hang-out. Networking is the most important thing that you'll need to do - it's more important than being great at your craft. Most of the "real decision makers" live on the west side of LA. Here's a map, with five areas that may work for you.
1.
Venice - If you like living by the beach, Venice is one of the more affordable LA beach communities. I have a friend who rents a house (with one roommate) and pays about $650 a month. The nightlife is much better than places in the valley (Burbank, Studio City etc). Should you choose to live there, start your networking in the "Abbot Kinney" area.
2.
West Hollywood - Probably one of the most affordable and eclectic areas in Los Angeles, West Hollywood is a great place for anyone who is really outgoing and open to meeting a lot of interesting people. Finding an apartment can be easier than other areas, because most people are willing to have roommates. The best thing about West Hollywood is it's location. You'll find a lot of actors living there.
3.
Beverly Hills - Beverly Hills!!! I know what you're thinking. Beverly Hills is where you might move, AFTER you've made it big, right? Well... it's true that the average household income, in BH, is about $250,000. And... it's true that most people who live there are rich. However, if you can find a family who is renting-out their "guest house" (which is more common than you might think), you can get an amazing deal on a great location. Also, the benefits of living with a Beverly Hills family go beyond having a great location. It's very likely that the family would know people in the industry.
4.
Century City - Not far from Beverly Hills, Century City is where you'll find a lot of Industry people. Fox Studios, CAA, Warner and other major players have their offices here. Housing is significantly cheaper than Beverly Hills.
5.
Beverly Glen & Others - I know it doesn't show-up on the map; but, Beverly Glen is another very affluent area of LA. Most people think that Beverly Hills is as expensive as it gets - this is not the case. Number 5 represents areas like: Beverly Glen, Beverly Park, Holmby Hills, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and Malibu. These areas are where the elite of LA live. Again, look for people who are renting-out their guest house. I have a friend who lives in a guest house, in Beverly Glen. The property is probably $10 million, at least; and, he rents the guest house for less than $1000.
NETWORKING
As I mentioned before, networking is vital. You can be the most amazing actor in the world; but, if you don't network, you're in trouble. Don't think of "networking" as something that only happens at parties or mixers. It can happen at any time. Hang-out in aras that are frequented by industry professionals. Some good examples would be: Melrose Avenue, Urth Caffee, 3rd Street etc. Stay away from tourist places - you'll never meet anyone but tourists. When you're out and about, keep your ears open; and, don't be afraid to jump into a conversation - if you have something to contribute. I highly recommend taking a book or laptop to an area and hanging out for a few hours. You'll be surprised how friendly people are. If you do this enough, you can expect to see at least one celebrity, every week... sometimes many more.
GETTING AN AGENT
A lot of people get confused about the difference between a Manager and an Agent. The basic difference has to do with what a manager can and can't do. A manager, by law, can not book any gigs for you. An agent, on the other hand, can. This is why I recommend getting an agent and not worrying about a manager, for now. DO NOT say yes to the first person who approaches you about representing you. Make sure you find their credentials and see their proven record of success. If they try to charge you a dime, run the other way. By law, an agent can only take a cut of paying gigs that they secure for you. You should expect that cut to be about 10%. Don't expect finding an agent to be easy. The good ones are hard to find. When you go network at parties, ask people for good leads.
MARKETING YOURSELF
If you don't have a website already, you need one. It doesn't have to be too flashy, just have it contain information about yourself, as well as photos and a demo-reel. You'll also need some business cards. Don't make them yourself - order some from a good print company. Also, keep in mind that having business cards can also be a hinderance, if you're not careful. Depending on how outgoing to you are, you may want to just exchange phone numbers with people, instead of hand-out business cards. Some people will take your business card and lose it. If they do, they won't have your number. I like to save my business cards to hand-out to people who want something from me. When I want something from someone else, I'll always exchange phone number, on the spot.
HOW TO TALK TO A CELEBRITY, SHOULD YOU MEET ONE
If you attend the right kind of networking events, you will end-up meeting celebrities. Try your best not to be starstruck. I grew-up in LA, so I'm pretty much desensitized to celebrities. If you really want to impress a celebrity and actually get to know them, the best thing you can do it act as though you don't know who they are. Treat them like you would anyone else. If you do this right, you can actually become friends with people that have real power to make things happen for you.
CAPITALIZING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
You might be amazed by how useful Facebook can be, when it comes to meeting influential people. Once you've spent enough time networking and going to the right parties, you'll start to meet more and more of the right kind of people. Become friends with them, on Facebook. Once you have amassed enough friends, you'll be able to search for people you want to meet, in hopes of finding mutual friends. Those mutual friends can introduce you to those movers and shakers you're looking for. Use Facebook as a way to measure your progress. If, after six months, you find that none of your friends have influential friends, you can be sure that you aren't meeting the right people. Make sure your "circle" is composed of people who are successful, in the industry. If you're doing things right, you'll continue to ascend the ladder.
GET A JOB IN THE INDUSTRY
One great way to get your foot in the door, is to get a job working for a studio, production company etc. Don't be afraid of internships, even if they're unpaid. You may have to work two jobs. Don't settle for small-time companies. You'd better-off working at Fox, cleaning toilets than at an indie studio, being paid real money.
IF ALL ELSE FAILS
If you find yourself, a year from now, with no real progress... DON'T GIVE UP! Keep going and just change your approach. You will get there eventually. If you follow my advice, you will see progress. I know that sounds a bit arrogant; but, I only say that because I have done it. I may have grown-up in LA; but, I didn't know anyone in the industry. One day, I just decided I was going to break into the industry. It took me less than a year to get to where I wanted to be. I grew-up in the suburbs, lower-middle class. Now, I make six figures, I am my own boss and my network consists of some very, very influential people. You can do it too. You just have to have the kind of attitude it takes and not give up. Work hard and push yourself beyond your limits. I spent at least 14 hours, every day, working toward my goals. It paid off. BTW, I am 25 years old... so being young doesn't have to hold you back.
Best of luck; and, feel free to ask more questions.
