Filmmaking / Directing : My Move To Los Angeles: Leading A Life To The Ocean From A Pond by Maurice Vaughan

Maurice Vaughan

My Move To Los Angeles: Leading A Life To The Ocean From A Pond

If you’re thinking about moving to Los Angeles, I recommend checking out Stephanie Moore’s blog. She talks about her experience moving to LA and shares tips for what to do once you’re there.

www.stage32.com/blog/my-move-to-los-angeles-leading-a-life-to-the-ocean-...

Sydney Summers

Wonderful, thanks for sharing!

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Sydney Summers. As I told Stephanie in the blog comments, her blog even has tips for creatives who live other places in the world.

Billy Kwack

Hi Maurice, the movie, disaster artist is about that

Maurice Vaughan

Cool, Billy Kwack. I still need to see that movie.

Billy Kwack

Hi Maurice, it's funny and based on a true story

Dan MaxXx

It's an okay article but doesnt discuss realistic current LA economics or how to make income while doing your hustle in show business.

Pretty much now you need a family trust fund to move to LA to a "decent" area (decent meaning whatever you're used to) or maybe you can buy a house.

I am hearing apartment building Landlords want 3 to 6 months of security deposit.

Probably need reliable transportation and LA public transit sucks & unsafe.

And then finding work to pay bills and live the LA lifestyle. Good food, good beaches, good shopping? LA has all that but all that requires lots of money.

What other jobs outside of show business can you do?

A Recent Los Angeles report that movie & tv production is an all-time low in 2023 & 2024. We got studio bosses publicly telling filmmakers to take productions overseas. Screw local crews & support staff.

Anyways, moving to a major city in the United States is not cheap, or easy to survive.

Xochi Blymyer

I really enjoyed her description of Los Angeles. she gave the good with the bad and the challenging. It has been difficult last couple of years w the show biz slow down and I’ve seen people rise and be creative to stay afloat. I will remain positive that our business will continue to regrow here despite shows going out of town.

Hannah Woolmer

This is great, thank you

Kiril Maksimoski

Outsourcing may be the new SB name of the game...same as Call Center culture been practicing for years now...you actually call a guy in Bangladesh or Bangalore to take your order while awaiting your Pizza Hut delivery on a Sunset Blvd.

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Hannah Woolmer.

Maurice Vaughan

I think more needs to be done to keep productions in LA and the US, Dan MaxXx. I keep hearing that LA and other states need to have better tax incentives.

Dan MaxXx

Maurice Vaughan thinking and doing is the same as can or cant, and many cant. Ppl just talk and talk, dont do shit

Lindbergh E Hollingsworth

Long before there were tax rebates, incentives, and transferable tax credits, what was driving production out of LA was the cost of making a movie. It was cheaper, still is, to shoot anywhere but LA. Budget comparisons are done to determine the best place. The reality is it is expensive to shoot in LA and California.

Stephanie Moore

I moved from Austin, another city with a high cost of living, though people don't always realize it. What I do outside of the creative industry is a mix of things. Retail, temp work, and projects when possible ( I have a business management and technical writing background) I don't live in DTLA or close to the city center, hence the traffic cautions and time management skills, I also don't pay nearly as high of rent either because I don't live near the city center. It may not be in the midst of everything, but coming from Austin, Los Angeles is a better city for people who feel the pull to a much bigger and inviting market where diversity is a thread in the city's pulse. LA has allowed me to grow, and as I said before it isn't easy, but this is my experience, and I do have not only the desire to make the sacrifices to make it work, but have put the time, the relationship building over 14 years to be able to do so with a plan and knowing it will continue to be a journey. I am not producing studio films, it has never been my path to do so, but my desire as a producer has never been to be the biggest. I simply want to live in a place where I can grow, I am surrounded by people that I can relate to, am able to actually experience life outside of my hometown, can stand to be outside 90% of the year, and have the network to do what I love. Its the good, the bad, and the ugly with what is a positive outlook to my journey as a filmmaker.

Oracle Laura

I'll check it out. I'm moving to LA.

Sydney Summers

Best of luck with your move Oracle!

Jed Power

Dan, too late for me, but if I were under 40 again, I would be out there yesterday.

Xochi Blymyer

Maurice Vaughan I agree. we are slow to get more incentives but interestingly some of the studios are building more stages. so they must be planning for more production on those lots. right? fingers crossed.

Maurice Vaughan

Hopefully the studios are planning for more production on the lots, Xochi Blymyer. Why build the stages if they're not gonna use them? I doubt they're building the lots just to be building them. Do you know if other things are filmed on studio lots besides movies and shows? Commercials, video games, etc.

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