Since you are moving to LA in a month, there’s not a whole lot you can do now except crystalize a few things in your mind before you start this adventure.

1) What constitutes success in your career?
2) What are your goals/achievements for December 2012?
3) What are your goals/achievements for December 2017?
4) What is your reason for going to LA in the first place and is that something you cannot achieve where you currently live?
5) What are the basic elements of your lifestyle that you cannot/will not give up to pursue these goals?
6) What roles (that you see on TV) can you see yourself playing?
7) Are you dressing the way those characters dress; do you have the right hair style for those characters; do you have the right speech dialect for those characters?
8 ) Do you have a decent headshot that represents you the way those characters look?
9) Is your resume formatted correctly?
10) Do you have financial backing to provide for your basic needs while you concentrate on building your career?
11) Do you have emotional support from a friend or family member who can listen to you without judgement or giving advice?

Your question can lead to a six hour discussion about how to fit in to the LA work environment. Some people move there, love it, and decide to stay. Others don’t feel it’s right for them and often move somewhere else.

I grew up there. I have good friends who live there. I’m happier living in New York because the entertainment culture of New York is more suited to what I do and who I am.

You are the only person who can determine if you feel comfortable where you live.

A few notes on the entertainment industry culture in LA:

1) There is an undertone that at any moment anyone could suddenly be discovered and become famous. This puts many people in a stardust state of euphoria, dreaming their fame is just around the corner.
2) What you do is socially important, not who you are. First question people meeting you usually ask is what you do. When you answer “I’m an actor” then the next question is “What have I seen you in.” Be confident with your answers.
3) LA is geographically huge, and it takes a lot of time to drive from one meeting/event/show/screening/gathering to another. It also means people are very isolated in their cars during all this driving. That feeling bleeds over into the way people interact with each other.
4) Your new friends in LA will not be other actors. Other actors will look at you as competition. (This is not the case in NY.)
5) People don’t use the word ‘no.’ People realize that in the future you might be in a position to hire them, so they will avoid saying negative things to you. It means they will also give you a lot of happy talk about how nice it is to meet you and how great you are, when in reality they have no intention of hiring you.

You can also talk to the people at the Cara Mia and Teatro Dallas companies. They would be most involved and most knowledgeable about Spanish language work in your area.

I’m planning on moving to LA to pursue acting by January 2012. Any suggestions on how I can make my move as successful as possible?

Kind regards,
Yasmine