Six Months And Sixteen Days Later - A Review

I moved to L.A. on March 1st. If this were a normal job (and I like to treat my career as a business) I'd have to sit down and do a review right about now.

Let's have a look.

Accomplishments

• I decided to move. I had proven what I needed to prove to myself back in Minneapolis and took the plunge. There are two ways to change your life: make your own decision or wait for someone to inflict one on you. It wasn't easy to uproot my life and move halfway across the country away from my friends and family. But it felt right then and it still feels right now.
• I prepared. I feel like I came to L.A. with purpose and I wasn't rash about it. I saved money (a LOT of money), made scouting trips, and interviewed any agent or casting director in Minneapolis who could sit down with me. Those preparations don't guarantee anything, but they have helped me hit the ground running. For instance...
• I signed with a great commercial agency. I love the crew at KSA and I know that the day I book a job through them it will be serious and substantial.
• I joined The Actor's Network. I always describe this as "Your MBA for Acting in Hollywood." It's a great educational center, support group, and network of like-minded actors. Everyone is so motivated it can sometimes feel like you're falling behind in the horserace but the important thing is you're running on a racetrack that 90% of the jobbing actors out there don't bother to follow. Invaluable.
• I have expanded my personal network. Over the past six months I've developed relationships with a producer, two writers, three editors, and three writer/directors -- in addition to maintaining contact with industry friends back home. Having people you like to work with (and vice versa) is the backbone of this business.
• I have the tools to promote myself. My reel is rocking, my headshots are great, and my voiceover demo is solid. So many actors have only one of those things after a year (or more!) in L.A. My Minnesota experience has paid off for me here because it's a showcase for my work.
• I continue to prepare and hone my craft. I've studied with some of the top-notch coaches in L.A. My current class with Stephen Book is a two-year committment intended to refine my artistic ability, not just brush up some skills.
• I have continued to work. It's unrealistic to expect the big L.A. jobs to hit right out of the gate, but in the past six months I performed my solo show at the Chicago Improv Festival, done a commercial, a big AFTRA industrial, two student films and three internet shorts.
• I create my own content. I recently wrote, produced, and acted in a five-minute short for an online film contest. I have purchased and configured the equipment to do my own voiceover work at home. Overall, I am trying to put myself in the position where I can develop material without having to call in favors every time.

• Stabilize my survival job. Having seed money and some income from jobbing has been a great luxury, but expecting to make an income purely off acting within a year of The Move is naively optimistic. The reality is: if you don't have a trust fund, you have to get a survival job.
• Upgrade my union status. Being non-union is (fairly or not) a badge that says "you're not legit." I need to find an opening into SAG if I am going to...
• Secure a theatrical agent. So many things go directly to agencies that you will never hear about them on any online casting site or breakdown listing. Essential.
• Secure a manager. A good manager produces material or at least has close, close ties to people who do. My improv and comedy skills make me a value-add to producers and I need a good manager who can groom those connections.
• Network more, especially with casting directors. They can't call you in if they don't know your name.

That's aggressive stuff. But I have left the safe foundation I had in Minnesota. Now it's time to create a new one in Los Angeles. The good news is: I have some great friends in L.A. who are helping me through it.

Hopefully, by the time I have my yearly review I'll be able to give myself a raise.

-Tom, who now has to go have a meeting with Accounting.