David Waelder Posted April 27, 2012 Report Share Posted April 27, 2012 Well, lot's of jokes about "migrant film workers" abound. My friend, James Mathers, even uses it as the title of his website: http://www.migrantfilmworkers.com/JamesMathers.php Realistically, trying to work in a contact and equipment intensive field without a stable base is just silly. But there are some things you can do to make your professional base more stable and your equipment safe (reasonably) without becoming entangled in the real estate market. Check out the independent mail services in the area where you expect to live and rent a mail box from one. That will provide you with a stable address where you can receive not just mail but also packages containing equipment and the like. Even if you move, your mailbox can be stable so you don't need to reprint business cards and so forth every six months. Also, the address you supply has nothing whatever to do with where you store your valuable gear. And, for the gear, rent a small storage locker. To keep costs low, you may need to store a sound cart or other bulky items in your apartment but your recorder, mixer, wireless, etc. can all be in a more secure locker. Even a storage facility can have break-ins, of course, but they tend to be more secure than most apartments. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Ragon Posted April 28, 2012 Report Share Posted April 28, 2012 I say warehouse because, with the recciession, there's tons of empty warehouses everywhere in LA.. Perhaps the owner wouldn't mind collection rent for your RV, while still trying to rent out the warehouse. Or.. you can put a huge sign on the outside of your RV that says, "Security". -Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisH Posted April 28, 2012 Report Share Posted April 28, 2012 Move to Georgia or Louisiana and join the union there! There is tons of work not enough guys t do it. Also DO NOT move to LA. Join a local in a small town. If you are already not making as much money as you want why would you move to place where the competition has way more experience and knowledge than you, they will get the few jobs left in LA you will not. By the way most movies and shows are still made in LA they just go where it is cheap to shoot. Go to where the work is happening not LA! You will learn from the big guys in those markets then when you move to LA later the big fish wil already know you. -Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izen Ears Posted April 28, 2012 Report Share Posted April 28, 2012 (edited) Dude that's just ridiculous. Go into debt for gear yes, but don't go homeless. What happens when you're hungry and that $100 job (that should be $750) sounds like a week's worth of meals? I'll tell you - you'll be an undercutting "a-hole." Dan Izen Edited April 28, 2012 by Izen Ears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greg sextro Posted April 28, 2012 Report Share Posted April 28, 2012 If you have to be homeless to strive for a career in sound - you really should choose something else. you are not going to "hit the jackpot" in this profession like some actors do, and i don't think i've ever heard of a camera op getting a big break that hasn't already cut their teeth working in their profession. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orionflood Posted April 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2012 Chris, and what unions would that be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Ragon Posted April 28, 2012 Report Share Posted April 28, 2012 Move to Georgia or Louisiana and join the union there! There is tons of work not enough guys t do it. Also DO NOT move to LA. Join a local in a small town. If you are already not making as much money as you want why would you move to place where the competition has way more experience and knowledge than you, they will get the few jobs left in LA you will not. By the way most movies and shows are still made in LA they just go where it is cheap to shoot. Go to where the work is happening not LA! You will learn from the big guys in those markets then when you move to LA later the big fish wil already know you. -Chris I'm sorry.. but this is just wrong. You wil NEVER learn your craft, unless you work on sets were people have more expierence then you do. 'You need to go into the deep end of the pond, in order to learn to swim'. Without learning correctly, it's all just only a matter of theory. LA is a great place to be homeless, the weather is not bad. -Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrd456 Posted April 29, 2012 Report Share Posted April 29, 2012 Move to louisiana---there is a lot of Los Angeles mixers there with plenty they can teach you.Also the I.A.T.S.E. is strong there--------------Think about it. You'll probably end up there anyway. Los Angeles is only good for the coveted TV shows. J.D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orionflood Posted April 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2012 Hi J.D. I've been looking but am unaware of any film sound unions in Louisiana. I'm assuming the best one to join would be iatse 478...but there is also 39 that I see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProSound Posted April 29, 2012 Report Share Posted April 29, 2012 Chris, and what unions would that be? IASTE 479 is the local for Atlanta GA and the rest of Georgia except for Savannah and the areas around it which are 491 which also covers all of NC and SC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 IATSE 39 covers Stagehands and convention workers. 478 is the motion picture workers local and covers many crafts including Sound Mixers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted April 30, 2012 Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 " LA is a great place to be homeless, the weather is not bad. " LA or LAX... and Hawai'i is pretty good, too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAudioSynthesist Posted May 1, 2012 Report Share Posted May 1, 2012 +1. That's why I live in Brooklyn <grin> +2 That's why I'll be moving to Brooklyn lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Last Rites Films Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 I would like to think that cream rises to the top and if I hit my face to the grind stone I can make some headway in a city where there is endless work only competition standing in the way. Cream may rise to the top, but this is not "a city where there is endless work." I would like to refer you to the runaway production thread in this forum if you think otherwise. Southern California has lost a significant amount of production to right-to-work states and internationally. I have seen many friends and colleagues throw in the towel and leave, and these were folks with nearly a decade of work experience in LA. However, I am not one to discourage people's dreams or ambitions. If your heart is telling you to come here, by all means give yourself the satisfaction of knowing you tried. You can always return to your home base if things don't work out. If you are serious about keeping expenses down, I would consider a roommate in the Valley. You could easily get a room for $600/month. Don't be homeless in this city unless you are planning on ending up on the evening news. Unions have no obligation to find you work. The jobs are had based on what you know and who you know, and usually not in that order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaspar Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 I've been in LA For 6 months now, I like LA but the market place is really watered down for somebody trying to get in. Somebody said to me once that in LA there about 500 mixers per square mile, and whether or not it's true, I'm starting to believe him. Anywhere you go, you are going to have to network like crazy. I'm finding that the others on this thread are right, getting into the union isn't really the main goal in respect to finding work right off the bat. It's hard to say, you could be there for a couple of months and start hitting or you could be there for years and constantly struggle. Up to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 " getting into the union isn't really the main goal in respect to finding work right off the bat. " as previously discussed, getting into the IATSE Local 695 is a procedure to follow and may be costly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atheisticmystic Posted May 6, 2012 Report Share Posted May 6, 2012 Orion, If you decide to go for it, I can give you the street report on almost any neighborhood in the City of Angels. Im a native Angelino, and Ill be your Quantum Sherpa of Safety. PM me if you start looking for cheap places to rent or room up at, Ill run them down for you. (PS And if you want the best Beef Noodle Bowl in town, do Sapp Coffee Shop in K-Town) Best, Steven Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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