About moving to California.

Am I right in thinking that there's new incentives looking likely to be passed in CA that will bring production that's moving interstate back into LA?

I was talking to someone at CineGear over the weekend. He moved from NYC to LA because he felt the opportunities were bigger and better in LA.
He's currently working, and is extremely happy with the move.
 
jax_rox said:
Am I right in thinking that there's new incentives looking likely to be passed in CA that will bring production that's moving interstate back into LA?

I was talking to someone at CineGear over the weekend. He moved from NYC to LA because he felt the opportunities were bigger and better in LA.
He's currently working, and is extremely happy with the move.
Click to expand...
Well...

CA is a state run by Democrats. They do not like to give tax incentives
to big business. However, as production moves out they see the tax base
shrink so there are few Democrats who are supporting a bill that will
give incentives for production to stay here. But it's difficult; even when
CA had a Republican Governor (2003-2011 - and an actor no less) he
didn't do anything to keep production here.

That said; there is a lot of production here. I make a good living here.
 
I think here are a lot of factors here in determining what is the right move. If you want to work for a studio and think you could land some sort of gig with one (even as a PA) then California is the place to be. If you want to write and direct your own indie feature than it may be better to be far away from LA. In my experience (with short films), it was far easier for me to get locations because small businesses and local homeowners were willing to let me film in their establishments in exchange for promoting their business or giving them a credit in the film. The local newspaper wrote articles about us shooting a short film because they aren't super-constant in Upstate NY. In NYC, it became a lot tougher. Shooting permits were more expensive, small businesses weren't as willing to let us shoot there in exchange for anything, let alone a credit or promotion. We certainly didn't have as much media coverage because there are so many films being made there and so much going on.

So it really comes down to what you want to do in the near future. If you want to make a feature or a short you could do that from anywhere. It may be way easier to do it further away from LA. If you want to get a gig with a studio or pitch your ideas to producers then you need to be in LA.
 
I want to be an indie producer, but I may have to intern for six months, just to understand how the business works. I may also have to make contacts with people who have the talent and the know-how to make my dream work.
 
California will hike its tax credits to slow down runaway production, which is good. But it will also have to lower its taxes overall, for the same reason. That said, many articles on the net seem to talk of the state losing TV production, which is not true - its SHARE of TV production is falling, but the absolute numbers are still increasing.

The same, by the way, is true of its population. Its share of the total American population is declining, but its population is still increasing.

There is a difference.
 
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I think when you look at those kinds of changes - share decreasing, with total increasing - it basically just tells you that CA/LA is no longer the only place to make a career in the industry, but it still may be a good choice because it's not really in decline.

Of course there may be other aspects to consider - because of it's historical position as the core of the entertainment industry there is already a significantly larger population of people working in the industry there; competition for available positions will likely be fairly high. If you're just starting out there may be more opportunity to get into productions in emerging production centers, whereas if you already have significant skills & experience the sheer volume of production in CA may mean there is more demand for your particular skill set.
 
Aspiring Mogul said:
.......................

The same, by the way, is true of its population. It share of the total American population is declining, but its population is still increasing.

There is a difference."]Its share of the total American population is declining, but its population is still increasing. [/URL]

There is a difference.
Click to expand...

Math is just difficult for some journalists, and not only for journalists ;)

A spoof as proof :P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QBv2CFTSWU
 
ItDonnedOnMe said:
I think when you look at those kinds of changes - share decreasing, with total increasing - it basically just tells you that CA/LA is no longer the only place to make a career in the industry, but it still may be a good choice because it's not really in decline.

Of course there may be other aspects to consider - because of it's historical position as the core of the entertainment industry there is already a significantly larger population of people working in the industry there; competition for available positions will likely be fairly high. If you're just starting out there may be more opportunity to get into productions in emerging production centers, whereas if you already have significant skills & experience the sheer volume of production in CA may mean there is more demand for your particular skill set.
Click to expand...

It will still be the place where deals are made, as in being the center of the film world, just as London and New York are the centers of the world of finance. So, if you want to build a major studio, you must have some presence in LA.

As for beauty contestants talking about math ... sigh.
 
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