PhforAndAfter Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 So, fine folks, most of you don't know me, but I'm a lurker and occasional poster here. I'm currently the full-time sound mixer at a small Boston production company, and I'm looking to make some career moves. I'm pretty much entirely self-taught, aside from some tips and tricks picked up from reading various production sound books, scouring this forum, and rarely, working with other soundies. I've been doing location sound seriously for around 4 years, and slowly building a kit. Most of my experience is with corporate, small indies, reality, and broadcast. The long-and-short of it is that I'm looking into moving to LA in 4-5 months. My girlfriend is sick of the weather, and I want to work on bigger productions and move up in the world. I'm currently reading Jay Rose's Producing Great Sound for Film & Video, which is an invaluable guide, but I was wondering if you L.A. folks had any advice - both general (where is a good place to live if you're in the industry? Where are good sources to find work?) and specific (how hard is it to get on productions as an A2 or third if you're looking to learn? Where are the best sound rental/purchase houses that I should get to know). I'm also in communication with 695, as I should have enough experience to get on the roster. Basically, and words of wisdom would be appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 Won't you miss the seasons Gary? Only 2 seasons out here. Summer and Summer like.;~) L A is a huge place in a vast space. A car is a must out here. Living is expensive but I hear Mass is as well. I'm a big believer in unions so 695 is a good idea but it is not a hiring hall. You will need to find your own gigs. (Somehow. It is not easy but many have done it). Trew Audio, LSC, Audio Dept, Wilcox are our main dealers and rental resources. Most who move here want to be at the beach so Santa Monica, Venice, South Bay are those choices but I like many other places like Pasadena, Studio City, DTLA. Best of luck. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhforAndAfter Posted January 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 Won't you miss the seasons Gary? Only 2 seasons out here. Summer and Summer like.;~) L A is a huge place in a vast place. A car is a must out here. Living is expensive but I hear Mass is as well. I'm a big believer in unions so 695 is a good idea but it is not a hiring hall. You will need to find your own gigs. (Somehow. It is not easy but many have done it). Trew Audio, LSC, Audio Dept, Wilcox are our main dealers and rental resources. Most who move here want to be at the beach so Santa Monica, Venice, South Bay are those choices but I like many other places like Pasadena, Studio City, DTLA. Best of luck. CrewC Thanks for the quick response! I'll miss the seasons, for sure (not so much winter though, aside from the first snow). I live in Cambridge, so I think living expenses will be about the same. I have a car that I'll be shipping all of my stuff in (at least that's the plan), but I'll be buying a new one as soon as possible. Here in Boston, we have a small company called Central Booking, which is basically just one guy who keeps a rolodex of freelancers who pay him a small fee every month, and he gives out our information to producers looking for crew. Is there anything like that? Finding clients, as you said, is almost certainly the biggest challenge. Like I said, I'd like to get work as an A2, but don't really know how to go about that, since I don't know the local mixers. In some sense it'll be like starting over again, which will probably be a bit scary - hopefully my girlfriend will be able to find some work to tide us over since I assume I'll be in survival mode for a few months at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Karlsson Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 Gray, I think it would be advisable hold off on moving until at least one of you have work already lined up. Not sure if you have been to LA before, but like Crew said, it's a vast place. There are studios in the Valley and on the west side, South Bay, Hollywood etc. but unless you are on a show that shoots in the same studio every day, the work is never going to be in the same area, and could be an hour+ drive in any given direction. So I'd say, just pick an area that you like to live in. There are plenty of people in LA who claim that they can get you work, make you a movie star etc. "for a small fee" - stay away (far away) from those people! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BudRaymond Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 Just a side note, but I wouldn't ship your car with anything valuable in it. Most auto shippers will not warrant that anything in your vehicle will show up with your vehicle. I had a friend ship his car, with a camera locked in a case inside his trunk, and they just emptied out the trunk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 You are going to make a recon trip before you pack up and move, right? philp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Ragon Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 I see productions leaving LA and going east.. Then I see people coming here? I say.. What the.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 It seems you are both moving to LA without jobs. If you're in your 20's, and are happy to eat mac and cheese, then go for it. But there isn't really the work you're looking for in Los Angeles. Moving to a new market is like starting over, and Los Angeles can't support all the qualified sound people already there. If your girlfriend was moving for work, and you had to tag along, then it's a different story. My fatherly advice... Stay home where you already have friends and presumably family, and take a few extra vacations in the winter. It'll be cheaper and more fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 It sounds like good advice to exercise caution but as a point of fact, almost none of us did that when we came out here years ago. (I'm from Boston, too.) It was a different time then, so who knows... but I say follow your passion and don't expect immediate results. For what it's worth... "Driven by gains in TV and commercial shooting, location production in Los Angeles jumped 9.6% last year amid rising optimism over the looming expansion of the California production tax credit." http://variety.com/2015/film/news/los-angeles-production-jumped-9-6-in-2014-1201404058/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhforAndAfter Posted January 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 It seems you are both moving to LA without jobs. If you're in your 20's, and are happy to eat mac and cheese, then go for it. But there isn't really the work you're looking for in Los Angeles. Moving to a new market is like starting over, and Los Angeles can't support all the qualified sound people already there. If your girlfriend was moving for work, and you had to tag along, then it's a different story. My fatherly advice... Stay home where you already have friends and presumably family, and take a few extra vacations in the winter. It'll be cheaper and more fun. We are primarily moving because Boston doesn't offer the kind of opportunities that I'm looking for. I can't work on corporate gigs every day for the rest of my life - that's not why I wanted to get into this business. I've only worked on scant few shoots in New England with another soundie - every gig is a one-man sound crew. I want to learn, and I want to work on bigger shoots, and Boston ain't the place for it. That being said, my girlfriend is working very hard at finding employment out there before we make the jump. The plan is that she'll have it figured out by then, but obviously nothing's set in stone. I've been saving my pennies for this for a while (working two jobs and freelancing) as has she, so we should be able to make it work. She's an architect, and pretty confident she can find work out there. I'm in my 20's and can deal with being broke occasionally. But it will be hard to drop the monthly paycheck! I don't think it will be easy - starting over never is - but I hope it will work out. It sounds like good advice to exercise caution but as a point of fact, almost none of us did that when we came out here years ago. (I'm from Boston, too.) It was a different time then, so who knows... but I say follow your passion and don't expect immediate results. For what it's worth... "Driven by gains in TV and commercial shooting, location production in Los Angeles jumped 9.6% last year amid rising optimism over the looming expansion of the California production tax credit." http://variety.com/2015/film/news/los-angeles-production-jumped-9-6-in-2014-1201404058/ Thank you, I appreciate the optimism Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhforAndAfter Posted January 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Just a side note, but I wouldn't ship your car with anything valuable in it. Most auto shippers will not warrant that anything in your vehicle will show up with your vehicle. I had a friend ship his car, with a camera locked in a case inside his trunk, and they just emptied out the trunk. Good advice. I was planning on checking all of my sound gear, but unfortunately, I'll have to stick my home theater stuff in my van. Hope it makes it there in one piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhforAndAfter Posted January 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 You are going to make a recon trip before you pack up and move, right? philp I am not (I know, I know), although we considered it for a while. I decided it wasn't worth the extra expense, since we want to move ASAP. We plan to couch surf for a few weeks while we find an apartment. Luckily, I know a fair amount of people in LA, just not too many in the industry. I'm trying to reconnect with my few industry friends who are working out there, but not a lot of them are in sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afewmoreyears Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Danger...danger ....danger..... This town eats people alive in this biz... Ones who have been here and are recognized... I would heed the warnings posted by others... It's a very expensive place, 10 ways... Even with steady decent income this city consumes people... Think twice... carefully, and don't burn any bridges before you leave the East coast... My .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhforAndAfter Posted January 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 I'm reminded of a certain Simpsons quote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j73cxLiqc2U I understand the dangers, of course, and I know I'll be a small fish in a big pond. But I'll never be happy knowing I could've given it a shot and didn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old school Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say. CrewC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJBerto Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 Yes, LA is expensive. Yes, there are too many sound guys for the number of available jobs. Yes, there are other markets that are growing and have a shortage of qualified sound mixers. Yes, it will take some time to establish yourself. But I say go for it. If you are skilled at the job and have the right combination of attitude, people skills and expectations, you'll do just fine. Plus, the weather ain't too bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aristotle_kumpis Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 I agree with what everyone else says. It's very competitive out here. There may a lot going on out here, but since there is so much competition, it makes it harder to keep the work steady. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henchman Posted January 16, 2015 Report Share Posted January 16, 2015 We are primarily moving because Boston doesn't offer the kind of opportunities that I'm looking for. I can't work on corporate gigs every day for the rest of my life - that's not why I wanted to get into this business. I hear you. Thats why I moved to LA a little over 6 years ago. And people said back then the same. Too many people looking for work. As a re-recording mixer, I wanted to work on better stuff. I moved here right before the writers strike, and still had no problem finding work even during the writers strike. It's worked out pretty well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPSharman Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Join 695 and move to North Hollywood (be sure to visit the place at night - some areas are a bit dodgy). It's much less expensive, and central to almost everywhere you'll be working. Expect to live on just one income for a year. That way, if you get work it's a bonus. Realistically there might be very little work to start with. Many people have 6 full months of living expenses available to them at all times. It's a good formula to stick to. That number will grow, as you do, but 6 months of no work is a wise thing to assume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProSound Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 I can't work on corporate gigs every day for the rest of my life - that's not why I wanted to get into this business. I've only worked on scant few shoots in New England with another soundie - every gig is a one-man sound crew. I want to learn, and I want to work on bigger shoots, If I could earn a living working on only corporate and commercial gigs I would. Decent rate and usually 10 hours or less a day is a great way to earn a living IMHO. When I hit my 30's I started to much prefer easier work. Being in a smaller market isn't all that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henchman Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Join 695 and move to North Hollywood (be sure to visit the place at night - some areas are a bit dodgy). It's much less expensive, and central to almost everywhere you'll be working. . Agreed. North Hollywood is really coming up. We were looking to buy there before we discovered Granada Hills. Way less congested. And very easy to get everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Norflus Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 If I could earn a living working on only corporate and commercial gigs I would. Decent rate and usually 10 hours or less a day is a great way to earn a living IMHO. When I hit my 30's I started to much prefer easier work.Much agreed - I started off in my 20's working mostly on corporate stuff. I didn't like because it was boring and didn't seem prestigious enough so I wanted to do more broadcast stuff. So I slowly made my way into broadcast work. Every now and then I get a corporate job and I question my choice to leave. For example I did a job a few days ago. 9:30 call, roll at 11, finished rolling at 11:15, driving home by 12:15. All for a very good rate. Now well into my 40's (quickly approaching my 50's) I want to transition back to corprate. Remember the grass always appears to be greener... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henchman Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Funny. I've talked to a couple of feature re-recording mixers who want to get into TV becasue of the same thing. Sick of the hours when working on a feature. And lots of good TV stuff these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhforAndAfter Posted January 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 I'd like to grow as a sound man. I don't really see a way to do that doing the same, simple gig day in and day out. I've got nothing against corporate work in general, every once in a while it's just what the doctor ordered. But it's not satisfying my desire to work on something meaningful. Maybe in 20 years I'll be more content to just make a paycheck and spend time with my family, but right now I'm looking to expand my horizons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Perkins Posted January 17, 2015 Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 Then go for it dude! "Fortune favors the bold." Good luck to you. If you guys are smart, young, energetic, friendly and respectful, willing to do WHATEVER on shoots (ie not just sound work), willing to eat a lot of Ramen and live cheap and funky for a while then YOU are the sort of person a lot of producers are looking for! This is not sarcasm. If things don't work out you can always go back where you came from, but if you don't give it a shot the best you can with the resources you have then you'll never know! phil p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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