Atlanta or LA?

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I live near what's being dubbed "Hollywood - South", aka Atlanta. In a couple of months I'm going to be in the real estate market, but I wonder if I should buy an average condo in the LA metro instead of a nice house in the Atlanta metro (same money, BIG differences). LA is where the lifeblood of the film and television industry is. But, my dollars will go a lot further in Georgia and there IS quite a bit of film and TV being done there. So, I'm a little torn and need your help. Would I be limiting myself professionally if I chose Atlanta over LA?

The income/job stuff isn't an issue and, since I have no children, neither are schools . Thanks in advance!
 
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There are pros and cons to both. Are you trying to make your living in the film/tv industry, or do you just like to make films on the side?

Also, I know what you mean about the money going a long way. I have an aunt in Hapeville (suburb of Atlanta), where a nice little rancher goes for like $60,000 or something absurdly low like that.
 
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I've lived and worked in Hollywood, and in New York, and in North Carolina, Massachusetts, and several other places - all in the film industry.

The question is really what you want to do. If you're looking to become part of the Hollywood system (highly overrated, IMHO - see my handle), then yes, you want to go to Hollywood. If, however, you're interested in taking control of your own creative and professional life and not being at the mercy of anonymous and largely unqualified executives, you've got sooooo many other options.

I'm a big believer in following your passion. If it's making movies, then make movies. As for marketing them, learn whatever you can about marketing. If you're a screenwriter, learn how to film it yourself. Or team up with someone who has skills you lack.

The thing about living and working in Hollywood - and this may be counter-intuitive - is that it can be a huge distraction from actually making movies.

Or just go. What the heck. As for me, been there, done that... no interest in going back. Not that I'd turn down a million dollar check should it happen my way. :)
 
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One more thing I would add to this, though, is that if you're NOT going to be in Hollywood... you really have to find other ways to connect with people in the industry. Actors, cinematographers, marketers, writers, sound people, animators, whatever. You will need these people.

And as for marketing, it's always good to have a "name" involved with your project. You'd be surprised how accessible some cult favorites (and others) can be. (Bruce Campbell, for example, has made it known that he's basically a hired hand. Show him the money and he's there (within reason). Well, so I've been told, anyway.)

If you're into genre stuff, and have a sincere appreciation for older horror movies, for example, you can try getting in touch with actors who haven't been terribly busy in recent years. Or actors who have more popularity overseas than in the US.

You've also got to be darned sure your script is where it should be. It doesn't have to be a potential classic, but it should be competent, efficient, easy to read, and compelling.
 
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AnywhereButHollywood said:
One more thing I would add to this, though, is that if you're NOT going to be in Hollywood... you really have to find other ways to connect with people in the industry. Actors, cinematographers, marketers, writers, sound people, animators, whatever. You will need these people.

And as for marketing, it's always good to have a "name" involved with your project. You'd be surprised how accessible some cult favorites (and others) can be. (Bruce Campbell, for example, has made it known that he's basically a hired hand. Show him the money and he's there (within reason). Well, so I've been told, anyway.)

If you're into genre stuff, and have a sincere appreciation for older horror movies, for example, you can try getting in touch with actors who haven't been terribly busy in recent years. Or actors who have more popularity overseas than in the US.

You've also got to be darned sure your script is where it should be. It doesn't have to be a potential classic, but it should be competent, efficient, easy to read, and compelling.
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Connecting with people in the industry - all the people you mentioned - is EXACTLY why I'm wondering if I should choose LA over Atlanta. There is no limit to the potential opportunities I could have in LA versus the much smaller scale of Atlanta. But, on the other hand, people in Atlanta might be a lot more accessible. And, in Atlanta, it will probably be cheaper to rent locations to shoot in - and having a large back yard is a bonus if I decide to build my own mini soundstage. And, the fact that I have friends and relatives in Atlanta with some NICE contacts doesn't hurt. "I got nuthin" in LA.

I think I'm going to stick with Atlanta and hop an AirTran flight out to LA if I need to, LOL. Thanks for your help.
 
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If you're going to be moving from one state to another for a job you might as well start looking at job prospects in your target cities.

Since you'd hopefully possibly visit a few business in the business and get a firsthand feel for the environment before leaping.
https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&...pw.r_qf.&fp=cc0242f8fe0a60ac&biw=1920&bih=971

For no discernible reason, Louisiana has become a recent hotbed of cinematic activity.
Might wanna consider there, as well.
https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&...pw.r_qf.&fp=cc0242f8fe0a60ac&biw=1920&bih=971
 
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rayw said:
If you're going to be moving from one state to another for a job you might as well start looking at job prospects in your target cities.

Since you'd hopefully possibly visit a few business in the business and get a firsthand feel for the environment before leaping.
https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&...pw.r_qf.&fp=cc0242f8fe0a60ac&biw=1920&bih=971

For no discernible reason, Louisiana has become a recent hotbed of cinematic activity.
Might wanna consider there, as well.
https://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&...pw.r_qf.&fp=cc0242f8fe0a60ac&biw=1920&bih=971
Click to expand...

Thanks, but work isn't an issue.
 
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"Hollywood South" is New Orleans. The reason that "The Original LA" is such a hotbed of cinematic activity is mostly because of the generous tax benefits the state offers for film productions. There are more productions going on here than you can imagine. Oddly, finding people who are seriously interested in making films outside of the universities or large productions is more difficult than one would imagine.
 
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Lucky Hardwood said:
"Hollywood South" is New Orleans. The reason that "The Original LA" is such a hotbed of cinematic activity is mostly because of the generous tax benefits the state offers for film productions. There are more productions going on here than you can imagine. Oddly, finding people who are seriously interested in making films outside of the universities or large productions is more difficult than one would imagine.
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I do remember reading that Louisiana was generous with tax benefits and that, combined with New Orleans being a great movie backdrop/location contributed to a lot of films being shot there. And, I can totally see how finding people who are seriously interested in making films is hard. I don't know anybody, besides myself, who is seriously doing (or trying to learn) this where I live. I had to go on Meetup.com to try to find others and the closest groups are 1.5 hours away, in another state. So, I had to find some message boards, LOL. :yes:

Morris said:
We have a lot of activity in Massachusetts because of the tax credit too. They are supposed to be building a big studio too.
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That big studio sounds really cool. Massachusetts, from the pics I've seen, has a lot of natural beauty. I went to college in central New York state and got lost trying to drive back to campus from Albany at night, and almost ended up in Massachusetts, LOL. :lol:

Gonzo_Entertainment said:
As much as I'd love to work in the film industry I wouldn't love it enough to live in LA.
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Considering how most of my work is probably going to have a focus on this region, it makes sense for me to stay here and just visit LA periodically for networking, etc. I lived in NYC and while I loved the energy, overall, I didn't really like the people or the culture. Plus, it was just too big and too fast for me. I've lived in the Phoenix, AZ metro and I felt comfortable there. Ditto for Atlanta, although I think the city needs to get a better handle on their crime and homeless panhandler problems.
 
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Morris said:
We have a lot of activity in Massachusetts because of the tax credit too. They are supposed to be building a big studio too.
Click to expand...

I'm in Massachusetts and am intimately familiar with the parties involved with the Plymouth project. Sad to say, it's a goner. It started off as a very big project, got shrunk down to a fraction of its size, and has since been abandoned by the folks driving it. They've all moved on. At least, that's where it stood when I last talked with them six months ago or so.

Actually, I just checked wikipedia and according to them, it's on hold "indefinitely".
 
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