Do You Have to Live in Los Angeles?
I've often wondered, if you compiled a list of the top ten questions from people wanting to get in the business, how high that question ranks. I'm suspecting top five, being conservative.
Personally, I've been here not quite five years and I don't think I could have started out away from Los Angeles. Granted, there are probably exceptions, but I've heard of very few. My friends who have been writing in animation and live outside of the greater LA area have over 10+ years of experience. And for what it's worth, I come from a town of eight thousand that just got a third stoplight not too long ago.
I do have to admit, though, web animation and the Internet's played a big role in changing the landscape. Get something done in Flash with a decent soundtrack and get it out there, and that can get you noticed. As to long-term viability, it's still new enough that I personally feel it's a "wait and see game." But it's worked for some.
You're probably wondering what gives me the background to be talking about the industry. Fair enough. I spent a year at Sony's animation division, first as a production assistant on Jumanji and then a production supervisor on Extreme Ghostbusters. After I left that, I did a year of temp work that took me all over Los Angeles and exposed me to many facets of the business. During that time, and up to present day, I continued to meet and network with writers and production staff I met during my Sony years. Then, after two years working as Administrative Assistant at the Writers Store --- you can check them out at http://writersstore.com -- I am now Office Assistant at Artists Television Group while I still seek that first animation script sale.
While I could have met some of these folks by coming down for occasional conferences and seminars where they might be speakers or schmoozing it up, it's far better keeping and maintaining contacts when you're actually in the heart of things. E-mail helps some (actually, it can help a great deal) but you really have to build the contacts in person first and it's better when you can keep your face as remembered as your name. Also, you get to see firsthand more of how the industry works, whether you currently have a job in it or not (as I learned from my temp gigs that were non-entertainment industry, and I had more than a few).
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