INTENT My intent with this article is to inform people who are thinking about transitioning from a “stable, 9 to 5 job” to an acting career in Los Angeles of the expectations they should set for themselves in going through the process. I have successfully made that transition, and because of that, I feel that I have a unique voice and perspective that similar articles do not share. I did my best to be transparent in explaining what I’ve gone through, and am going through -­‐ with the ultimate goal of providing insight and additional information for those who are thinking about making a similar leap. BACKGROUND My background is in sales and marketing. After graduating from college, I worked at the local NBC affiliate doing marketing and digital media sales for our station’s website. I then moved to a digital marketing company where I started off in sales, and then evolved into the creative side where I created content for the websites of more than a few Fortune 500 companies. The people I worked with were awesome, but I felt that I was on a very safe, linear path in the business world that I wasn’t really excited about. While working at the digital marketing agency, I decided to try my hand at acting professionally as a secondary form of income. Growing up, I had always acted for fun, so I went to an open call at a local agency and immediately took to the agent. She had been working in LA for a number of years before moving back to the Midwest, so she was credible, and she decided to sign me. Over the course of my year-­‐long tenure with that agency, I went on a handful of auditions, which helped me catch the acting bug more formally. The difference between this and other articles is that I have not “made it” yet, and I’m still in the process of getting my footing after three years of forward progress. Full disclaimer: looking back, I’ve done a number of things “wrong,” and I’ll do my best to elaborate on how to “do as I say, not as I do.” PREPARATION I’m fortunate that I am very close with my family. When I decided to leave my nice, safe job, to become an actor in Los Angeles, they supported me with hesitation. The hesitation was because it was unknown and new, and nobody we have known had ever made this kind of a move. With that said, you’re going to get a million opinions on how you should do things in your new career as an actor, and you’ll have friends who have done things a certain way, and you’ll hear stories about what has worked for friends-­‐of-­‐friends in their own journeys – but ultimately, take others’ opinions as research that goes into your own well thought out decisions. Rely on your gut first, and to your family and friends second, regarding what you should do because ultimately, although they have your best interest in mind and they’re “rooting for you,” only you can decide what the best path is for yourself. You’re the one who wants to move out here, not your family, so take their opinions to heart as people who care for you, not as people who necessarily know what they’re talking about. My commitment to move to Los Angeles came about in September of 2010. I wanted to be here before the New Year, so the ball was rolling quickly. Though it was a huge decision, and a big leap from the safety net I was used to, I had what I considered a leg-­‐up on some people for a couple different reasons. First, through my then-­‐agent, I had participated in a one-­‐day workshop with a manager from Los Angeles. After the workshop, Ryan Kolbe | SAG-­‐AFTRA | RyanKolbe.com | [email protected] 1 my agent informed me that the manager offered to represent me if I were to move to LA. While that didn’t prompt my move, it helped to know that at least one person “in the business” believed in my abilities, and who might be on my team, should I move. Secondly, my brother was already living in southern California, though not in Los Angeles. Him being out here didn’t prompt my move either, but knowing that family was a couple hours’ drive away was comforting. Los Angeles can be a very lonely place if you focus on the friends and family you don’t have out here, but if you choose to focus on you for a while after you move, with the understanding that friends will happen naturally over time, it makes it an easier transition, and your expectations are properly set. On that note, I was so excited to move here because it’s a big city, which meant that I would be dating like crazy. I’m sure that’s the case for some people, but a friend put it best when she said that “people move to Los Angeles with their significant others for the business, they don’t move here to find love.” It’s very difficult to date in Los Angeles, so consider this your warning. FUNDING When you start your formal preparations to move to Los Angeles, the most important thing you can do is to save about four times as much money as you imagine you’ll need. You can certainly ignore this if you don’t have any debt, are completely funded by family, or you’ve recently won the Mega Millions, but for the rest of us, Los Angeles is a very expensive city. For perspective, I had almost $6,000 saved by December of 2010, and I felt comfortable with that amount. I was through that $6,000 within the first four months of 2011, and I’m not a frivolous spender. Here is a rough breakdown of where a lot of that money went in the first few months: $1,200 deposit for the apartment I found, $400 for headshots, $600 for acting classes at the place my manager recommended, roughly $1,000 for two back-­‐to-­‐back Improvisation classes at The Groundlings right after moving here, $500 for my half-­‐year insurance premium because Insurance out here is significantly more expensive, $200 for the first traffic ticket I got for having my earphones in both ears while driving, $200 for three months worth of gas -­‐ and all of that doesn’t include food. To be clear, I’m not bitter due to any of the reasons upon which I chose to spend my money. Spending money on something you love is easy, which is a blessing and a curse. The money I invested in The Groundlings was the best way I could have spent it because that’s the direction I want to go in. Within the first two months of being out here, I passed the first two levels and I couldn’t be more pleased. The money I spent on acting classes (yes, they’re different than Improv) was also worth it to me because I had never taken an acting class before, and I immediately was thrown into a group of new people -­‐ many of whom I’m still friends with. I suggest changing your mindset to realize that the money you’re spending is an investment in your own future. At some point, it will return to you as a reward for your dedication and hard work. I was merely breaking it down so specifically to give an example. For perspective, I willingly took a more-­‐than 50% pay cut to move to a city that is approximately three times as expensive as the city I was living in. In my previous 9 to 5 life, I was content -­‐ but I worried a lot about stability, “making the boss happy,” doing what “should” be Ryan Kolbe | SAG-­‐AFTRA | RyanKolbe.com | [email protected] 2 done, and a number of other things -­‐ but now the only thing I really worry about is money. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a significant worry, but I also worried about money before when I was making a lot of it -­‐ the difference being that overall, now I’m happy every day, and I wouldn’t be as happy doing anything else at this point in my life. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS When you first move out here -­‐ if you have a lot of friends or family who are already here, try to live with them for a month until you can get your footing. If you don’t have those connections, look into getting a sublet. With the nature of the entertainment business constantly moving, people always need to quickly leave here for a project in New York or elsewhere, so they want temporary renters to take over their monthly payments so they don’t have to break their lease. Websites like westsiderentals.com and craigslist.com show new listings all the time. What I would suggest regardless of your situation, however, is to live below your means. Even if you do your research, and have heard from friends in which part of the city is the best and most affordable to live -­‐ if you just sign a lease in a place you’re not familiar with, you might get stuck in a part of town you don’t really enjoy. Give yourself a little time to figure out which parts of town you connect with before signing a lease, that way -­‐ at the very least -­‐ as you’re learning your new home, you’re comfortable walking around your neighborhood to get groceries, or going to the bank, just to learn and feel at home. Once you figure out the area in which you could see yourself living, at that point, find an apartment that’s smaller than you would like, with a roommate, so that you don’t need to worry as much about paying when rent is due. For what it’s worth, my experience has shown me that a lot of auditions happen in West Hollywood/Hollywood and around Santa Monica, though auditions happen all over the city. With that said, it’s important to have a car here. Public transportation is available, with lots of bus stops and trains downtown, but even the traffic (which is always present), it saves more headaches if you can get into your own car and go to your auditions, meetings, and work. Also, as a heads up, even if you’re a great driver, other people aren’t, and your car will get scraped and dinged. Similarly, regardless of how great of a reader you are, the parking signs on every street in Los Angeles are confusing, and you will end up getting some kind of parking ticket. YOUR FIRST FEW MONTHS IN LOS ANGELES You made it! You’re in Los Angeles. Congratulations, you just did something people only dream of and talk about! It’s an amazing feeling, and remember from time to time that you’re following your dreams, even if you’re still forming them. Take time now and then to appreciate the fact that you’re out here. Ryan Kolbe | SAG-­‐AFTRA | RyanKolbe.com | [email protected] 3 If you’re like me, and you were in the 9 to 5, you used to have a very regimented schedule: wake up, shower, go to work, go to lunch, go back to work, leave work, go to happy hour, go home, go to bed, repeat. Try to implement some kind of routine because now you’re your own boss, and until you’re on a sitcom, you need to move forward in your acting career in some way every single day. Now that you’re out here, you need to be ready to work. I moved to Los Angeles with the hope that the company I used to work for would keep me on as a freelancer for a while. They did, for a couple of projects, but that quickly stopped. Even if the company you used to work for says that they will keep you busy with work, in spite of their best efforts, you’ll be “out of sight-­‐out of mind,” so your name won’t be coming up as an option to reach out to. That was a hard pill to swallow for me, so set your expectations accordingly and immediately try to find a job. At this point, any job will do. I deliberately didn’t want to do a 9 to 5 job in my field, because I came out here to act. Some of my friends have 9 to 5 jobs that are flexible, and if you want to do that – more power to you. I have a good driving record, so the first job I found was through a friend of a former coworker, and I was delivering catering from a local restaurant to pharmaceutical reps and their meetings. This brings up another big point: don’t be above a job. Do the best that you can with the job that you have with the understanding that you’re not going to be there forever. Don’t slack off, and don’t half-­‐ass anything because in this town, there is always someone who is watching how you work – and you don’t know who or where that person is. It was humbling to go from a well-­‐paying job and a comfortable living to delivering food, but I did it for months and made enough money to go out for drinks with friends every now and then. Also, from that job, I got a second job at a bakery that was third shift and awful, but it was another form of income that wouldn’t get in the way of potential auditions, so I went through and worked 3 days a week from 1:00am to 7:00am, and the two weekend days from 4:00am to 10:00 am. The job was fine, but the hours were terrible, and I couldn’t last more than 4 months at it. Some actors are worried about their job because they don’t want it to get in the way of auditions, but to give you some perspective: my first year out here, I went on 8 auditions from my manager. The second year I went out on 12, from my second manager. That leaves a lot of available time to be working, and if – somehow – an audition happens and you aren’t able to call off work, or get coverage, you can always quit that job and find a new one -­‐ you already did it once! I wouldn’t recommend that, necessarily, but you’re out here to act. Always be responsible and try to find coverage so you don’t look like a slacker – your bosses and coworkers will appreciate you for it, and everyone out here in non-­‐9 to 5 jobs are somehow connected to the entertainment business, so everybody is aware. After three years, I have a job working from 6:00am to 2:30pm, and a second job as a bartender. I couldn’t be more excited and pleased with both jobs because I meet awesome people, everyone I work with is in the business, and it’s usually pretty easy to find coverage for auditions. In 3 years of being out here, I’ve had exactly two auditions that have been same-­‐day within a couple hours, so you usually have a bit of time to prepare and find coverage. Another point about auditions is that if you’re just getting out here, and you don’t have representation, a large portion of the auditions you’ll get from self-­‐submissions are a bit flexible -­‐ so if Ryan Kolbe | SAG-­‐AFTRA | RyanKolbe.com | [email protected] 4 you’re asked to audition at 3:00 on a Thursday, and you happen to work, you can always ask if that audition has a window of time in which you could show up because you have a previous commitment. I’ve asked that a few times, and they’ve been understanding. If they aren’t able to accommodate your request, however, you need to be comfortable with whatever decision you make. Those early-­‐on auditions generally won’t afford you a life of luxury, so I might suggest leaning toward declining the audition, but that’s a personal decision in a hypothetical situation -­‐ so address it accordingly. If you aren’t able to find a flexible job that pays your bills, and you aren’t able to freelance or start your own business and set your own hours, take a full time job and be thankful for it. I would suggest not mentioning you’re an actor during the interviewing process, however, because companies want a full commitment to be at work, they don’t want people who need to consistently take off work for auditions. Think about it from your potential employers’ perspective: they want dependable, reliable workers, and if someone is going to take time off for auditions, or call in sick because they booked something -­‐ that doesn’t bode well for a “team” atmosphere in the workplace, so they’d be hesitant to hire you. If you are able to get a full time job, I suggest focusing on it -­‐ and not acting -­‐ for a few months, so that you can get your footing, and then down the road, it might not be as difficult to request a “late lunch” so you can go to an audition, or maybe once you prove you’re a hard worker, your boss could just let you go to your audition without any kind of bait and switch. Every job is different -­‐ so just do your best, and work hard, and everything should work out. ACTING IN LOS ANGELES First of all, become a member of both LACasting.com, and ActorsAccess.com. They are websites on which actors can submit themselves to audition for projects. There are a number of other websites that will be happy to take your money, so after you get to Los Angeles, and start to figure it out, you’ll be able to determine the “next round” of acting-­‐related websites you want to be a part of. Secondly, you need headshots so that when you submit yourself on those projects, the casting directors can see what you look like. If you don’t have representation yet, I would very highly recommend getting a friend or acquaintance to take a few headshots for you for free. Everybody has a high-­‐end camera (or a connection who has one), and they can take your headshot photos for you. A “typical headshot” in my experience has a background that isn’t too busy, is outside in natural light, with chest-­‐up shots that focus on your face and eyes while showing some personality. I can’t stress highly enough that spending a lot of money on headshots when you first move out here is unnecessary because when you find representation, they’re not going to like your headshots anyway, and they’ll suggest you buy new ones from one of “their people.” This business is extensively interconnected – embrace that as much as you can. If someone says they don’t want to represent you if you don’t spend $600 on new headshots at their person, seriously consider not working with them. Look at yourself from their perspective: you just came out here with little or no credits, you don’t know any casting directors, you’re just starting your momentum – maybe the only money your manager or representative is going to see from you any time soon is from the little portion of money they get from the photographer for referring you. Now, this doesn’t happen with bigger agencies and managers, but it does happen with managers who take on newbies like you. Solid agents and managers who believe in you and your talents will strongly suggest that you need new headshots, and they will suggest people with whom they usually work because they like the style of shots that photographer uses -­‐ but they should understand if you humbly request a month or so to save up for those headshots. Ryan Kolbe | SAG-­‐AFTRA | RyanKolbe.com | [email protected] 5 Another harsh reality I need to stress is that when you’re finally out here, regardless of your history, you’re new. I don’t care if you’re the biggest star in a mid-­‐sized city, or you have a resume that’s a mile long from your time on Broadway, it’s going to take a little while for people to start to know you and your work. Now, if you’re moving here with representation, your agency is bi-­‐coastal, and you have a huge resume from your time on Broadway and film and tv, it’ll probably take less time for you to get up to speed with contacts and to prove yourself based on recommendations, but it’s still starting over. I would say that if you’re reading this article, however, you’re more like me and you don’t have a huge resume yet. As you’re starting out, you’ll find that a lot of people will tell you their thoughts on what you should do – like this article for example! Always keep in mind that it’s one person’s opinion. Every person you talk to will have a different opinion, and it’s your job to create the acting career that you want, how you want, because you’re your own business owner now, and you need to do what’s right for your business. Its your responsibility to take in all of the information and opinions possible that could help or hurt your career, and carefully consider what will be the best for you in the long run. For example, if a new manager wants you to spend $600 on headshots right off the bat, you might make the decision to pay for those headshots and then it’s quite possible that your manager only sends you out on 8 auditions in a year. It would have been a better idea, in that scenario, to give the manager an honest heads up that you have headshots from a photographer friend that you’d like to use those for a little while until you can save $600. Saying that will show your manager that you want heed their request, but you aren’t able to over-­‐extend yourself to do it. Absolute worst thing that could happen in that scenario is that your manager drops you because you’re “difficult to work with.” If that’s the case, then the manager wasn’t in it for the long-­‐haul anyway, and they were just looking to make a quick buck. If a manager or agent ever drops you, it’ll be temporarily devastating, but there is a thousand of each out here, and you can use that to re-­‐invigorate your work ethic, and find new representation. At the end of the day, this is your career, and if you want to make it a long career, you need to do what’s right for you every step of the way with the understanding that any single decision you make in a given day will not make or break your career. There will always be other auditions, and other managers, and other agents – if you have the right attitude, and you work hard, eventually things will work out. Along the same lines, early on, you should try to figure out how you’re different and what “type” you are. A lot of actors are at my same level and they don’t want to be typecast -­‐ but the main part of that word is cast. I’m 6’3” tall, with long, blonde-­‐hair and a big beard. When I first got out here, my manager attributed me not going out that much to me “looking like Jesus, for Christ’s sake.” I made the decision to keep my look, rather than cut my hair and beard – as my then-­‐Manager prompted me to do. That was directed to me three years ago -­‐ the year I had 8 auditions; and in 2013 I went on over 120 auditions with that exact look. I’m extremely pleased with my representation right now, and I worked hard to get them and they are definitely on my team. They want me to succeed, and I want to succeed for them. With that said, I embraced how I wanted to look, and how I was comfortable looking, and they saw that very small niche I fit as a benefit to representing me, not a deterrent. There are thousands of thin, beautiful, long-­‐haired women and thousands of buff, short-­‐haired, 5 o’clock shadow guys out here. That is just to say that it’s great if you look like that, you just might have a lot of competition. The benefit of that particular scenario is that every show, film, print ad, web series, and commercial has beautiful people in them at some point, so the opportunity for auditions is prominent. With my very specific look, the auditions aren’t necessarily as frequent, but when I do get auditions, it’s laser-­‐focused and specific to me. It’s a decision based on quantity Ryan Kolbe | SAG-­‐AFTRA | RyanKolbe.com | [email protected] 6 and frequency versus quality and specificity, where I chose the latter early on and have been following that path. Some actors, however, feel that being typecast is degrading and they don’t feel good about when they get auditions for that type because it “makes them seem dumb” or “is just another pretty role,” but I would love to be cast in projects that cast me as a stoner or a hippie or a Viking, because I know that with every casting, I get to be on set and meet more people and do what I love with the understanding that each role is a stepping stone to the next. Proving yourself as a hard worker who does your job well, regardless of the depth of character -­‐ especially when you’re just getting started -­‐ people notice that, and your roles will start to become more hearty and you’ll be happy that you took the smaller, “stereotypical” role. Casting directors and managers and agents are only going to see you for what you look like physically until you’re known as a hard worker who is dedicated, and that’s okay! It takes time to sway people in your favor, so don’t force the process because it’ll happen at its own pace – whether you like it or not. CLASSES I would strongly recommend doing you research and getting into classes. Acting, voiceover, Improv, commercial technique, and stand up are just a few of the many types of classes you should look into. That’s a benefit and also a hurdle, because with all of the available classes – which one do you pick? My experience has shown that very frequently, “strong Improv skills a must” is on audition breakdowns. While the ability to think on your feet and “yes, and” is important in general, the name of the school where you took the classes isn’t as important. Los Angeles is a very polarizing Improv city and you’ll quickly find that out for yourself. There are people who swear by Upright Citizens Brigade who wouldn’t ever even fathom doing The Groundlings, and there are people who love The Groundlings and wouldn’t save UCB if it were choking. I came out here and immediately started at The Groundlings because I felt confident in my ability to do various characters and The Groundlings is a very character-­‐based Improv and sketch comedy program. I’ve passed three levels there, but I have also passed the first three levels at UCB. I plan to continue both because I really enjoy both. If you want to do one or two one-­‐off Improv classes to get used to it, I would suggest enrolling at UCB. They have tons of classes all the time, and it’s fun to just get up and play and learn the craft. The upper levels of both UCB and The Groundlings take a long time to get into, so if you love Improv -­‐ invest in the classes with the understanding that you’ll be in it for a long haul. It was a year and a half between the second level of The Groundlings and the third level for me. Based on my estimation, it’ll be about that long until I’m in the fourth level – which I’m ecstatic about. “UCB people” will be quick to judge the process The Groundlings follows, and vice versa, but I’m okay with it because it gives me time to save up the money for classes (in theory). UCB classes are available more often, which is good because you can always take a class, and bad because sometimes, you’ll get people who are just “checking a box” to do Improv, rather than people who are really passionate about it. I’ll reiterate to live below your means, because you can invest a lot of money into classes – which are ultimately going to help you – but they could also help you starting next month when your paycheck clears. It’s a marathon, not a sprint – as the saying goes – and you need to make informed decisions that will affect you over the long run, rather than for immediate gratification. Ryan Kolbe | SAG-­‐AFTRA | RyanKolbe.com | [email protected] 7 HELP One of the hardest things I’ve had to deal with is allowing myself to recognize when I need help. I’m fortunate that I come from a loving, supportive household that wouldn’t allow me to get to the point of homelessness. One of my biggest hurdles has been to get past the self-­‐inflicted embarrassment caused by asking for help. Realizing that I’m an adult who isn’t completely independent of help from others has been humbling because I was raised to be able to do things on my own. If you’re in the same boat, keep in mind that help can come in a number of forms: from an unbiased ear, to a friend lending a hand when you’re moving, to a monetary consideration from family – but just recognize that sometimes asking for help is necessary – if only for peace of mind. I was working for a while, and I have great credit, so, being very prideful and not wanting to ask for any help, I cashed in 401k’s, savings, put my credit card up around the limit, and even cashed in my life insurance at one point to be able to afford the same style of life I was living before moving to Los Angeles. I would definitely not suggest doing all of those things if you can avoid it, but this just goes back to my initial comment of having more money saved up before you move out here, and living below your means. Aside from life help, don’t be afraid to ask for help in the form of someone reading a short film script you’ve written, or help editing a self-­‐produced piece that you want to put on your reel. If you’re humble about it, and offer what you can in return, you’d be surprised at what people are willing to do to help. Similarly, don’t be above helping others. When I first moved out here, I had more free time than I care to admit – but instead of soaking in the beautiful SoCal weather all day, every day, I got involved with an organization called The Greater West Hollywood Food Coalition, which feeds the homeless and hungry every night thanks to donated food from area businesses. They also help the homeless get off the street, into housing, and a slew of other good things. It was out of my comfort zone, but it was a wonderful experience, and I still help them with their website. There are countless opportunities to donate time on a weekly or monthly basis in LA, and all it takes is a couple or three hours to really make a difference in someone’s life. Plus, you’re getting out there with like-­‐
minded people who are caring and helpful, and it’s always nice to have friends like that in a new city. Outside of a physical aspect of helping via volunteering, you’ll be bombarded with opportunities to help other people with their projects. Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns are about as frequent of a wall post on Facebook as your friends’ birthdays, so I would encourage you to take a second and look through those requests of your hard-­‐earned money and actually donate $5 or $10 to projects and people you believe in. Even if you don’t have a lot of money, if you donate $5 to a project that looks cool, and a bunch of other people do the same, you can take satisfaction in the fact that you helped someone’s dream become a reality. There’s something to that. I would stress, however, to only do it when you feel like doing it – with the right intentions. Don’t let yourself get guilt-­‐tripped into it, and never donate because “at some point they can back one of your projects.” That’s the wrong attitude, by far. Donate when you believe in something that you would want to see. If people end up donating to your future projects, then wonderful – but don’t count on it! Ryan Kolbe | SAG-­‐AFTRA | RyanKolbe.com | [email protected] 8 Along those lines, don’t bombard people with updates and updates on every project you’re working on. If people have donated recently, recognize that, but then try to be more strategic about your monetary requests. It takes a long time to earn money, so be careful with yours, and don’t constantly ask people for theirs. CONCLUSION There are a number of other things I’d like to continue to elaborate on, but this is a pretty solid start for those people who are thinking about making the leap to come out to Los Angeles. I will say that I couldn’t be happier, and I know I’m exactly where I want to be – even if I’m not making the money I want to be making yet. I’ve met incredible people I love hanging out with and working with, people have started to seek me out for projects because they know I’m a hard worker and reliable, and even on my worst possible grumpy day, I can always go for a walk around the block and it’s beautiful out. Feel free to email me questions you have, and I’ll do my best to help. At the end of the day, you need to make the decision that’s right for you. Break a leg! Ryan Kolbe | SAG-­‐AFTRA | RyanKolbe.com | [email protected] 9