Cool Your Jets

Now, I don’t want anyone thinking that I’m telling you to lose the fire in your belly and to stay away. Far from it. I sold everything I owned and moved over here myself, but let’s be realistic. I am a graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art. I have worked solidly in the industry as an Actor, Writer, Director and teacher for 15 years. I have an extended network of thousands of industry members worldwide. The first time I came to LA was 10 years ago. I came here again in 2006 for two weeks and again at the end of 2009 for two weeks. I’m starting to know the LA layout pretty well. I have an agent with some nice connections in LA and she represents people who are starting to do solid work here. I personally have many years of credits on www.imdb.me/paulbarry , have made a number of friends here over the years and have a fiancée who is a US citizen. Based on my credits in the industry, a large amount of money and a bloody long wait, I finally have my Green Card, which means I can work in the US workforce in ANY field I choose (unlike the 0-1 or student visas that require you to work in particular areas exclusively.). If you were ME, would you take a risk on moving to America to pursue a career in the film & TV industry?

I would call myself a risk-taker, but a calculated risk-taker. If you’re the kind of person who jumps in boots ‘n’ all, fails and then works a desk-job for the next ten years to get themselves out of the hole they created, good luck to you. That ain’t me. With all the above going for me in the States I am certainly no shoe-in. Any success that comes my way will come from hard work, research, genuine connections (not bullsh*t drunken party business card-swapping and two-faced back-slapping). I am in for a long, solid career, not a flashy, momentary, fluorescent one. It has taken me a long time to get where I am and it will take me time to get where I want to be. I’ve always believed in the “Get rich slow” philosophy.

“He who wishes to be rich in a day will be hanged in a year. “

What do YOU believe in?

When I graduated from NIDA 15 years ago, I met with 14 agents. I told each and every one of them that I didn’t want a rocket-ship career (goes up and comes down soon after), I wanted to build a solid basis and then add layer upon layer, so it could never fall down. I chose my agent and 14 years later had the same conversation with a US manager. After all these years I still have the same Australian Agent but after a couple of months I fired my US manager. Three weeks later, his bosses fired him. He was a bullsh*t artist and never followed through on anything. He convinced me he was excited about making things happen and yet failed to generate anything at all. LA is full of these people. Full. Of them. Know this. Do your research. Then get over it. Their rudeness is a symptom of their insecurity, it is not your issue to deal with.

When I came to LA I had heard all sorts of horror stories. I was surprised to find out how liveable the place actually is. Very quickly you find the areas you regularly go and every now and then branch out somewhere a bit different. The only people with moviestar lifestyles here are people on holidays. The moviestars actually work very hard.

La is a grid of hundreds (thousands?) of individual communities and it actually isn’t that hard to find somewhere to fit in. Groups are available for any interest and there is always something going on that will generate a crowd. Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that events are created entirely for your enjoyment or convenience. For the most part, LA is motivated by money, greed and fame. Pursuit of all three is also OK, as long as your morals are flexible. Am I saying that there aren’t any nice people in LA? No trustworthy people? No folk who do things out of the goodness of their hearts? Of course not. Just don’t expect to meet many and you’ll never be disappointed.

In the Dragnet remake years ago, Dan Ackroyd said “In the City of Angels, even some halos slip….” How true. But “some”? What an understatement. If Los Angeles is the ‘City of Angels’, then Sydney is the ‘City of Reliable Public Transport’ and Queensland is the ‘State Where Nobody Needs An Umbrella’, but as long as you know the ‘City of Angels’ title is an ironic one – you’ll be OK!

So, you still want to sell your car and DVD player and vintage Superman comic collection for a crack at the Big Time? Great. So what are you going to do when you get here? Which Agents and Managers are you booked in to meet with already? Since pilot season for 2011 has just begun, any Agent/Manager worth their salt is going to be time-poor when it comes to meeting you. But you’ve considered that? OK. Where are you going to live while you’re here? How are you going to get around? You know that it is impossible to get around in LA without a car, don’t you? You know that all the people who told you that you could crash on their floor will be inundated by twenty friends asking the same thing, don’t you? No problem, you’ll stay in a less than comfortable hostel and hire a mule to get around! Phew. At least you’re sorted for transport and accommodation.

Now what about classes? You know no-one cares who your Agent is here, they all want to know what classes you’re taking? You’ve no doubt been sent all manner of expensive spam about stuff going on over here, but let me tell you this for free: The stuff you hear about loudest is generally the weakest product. Eg: The New York Film Academy does NOT have a good reputation over here. It may impress those-not-in-the-know in Australia, but not here. It’s a money-making private enterprise that preys on international students with hearts of gold and wallets of the same precious metal. I’m not saying you can’t learn anything there, you may very well learn a great deal. Who knows? I’m just saying that the reputation you THINK they have (due to their promotional propaganda machine) is entirely false. I could start the Sydney Film Acting Academy (SFAA) tomorrow and it would sound remarkably impressive. But it wouldn’t be. It would simply be a one-day old venture that stands to make me very rich. And if I could AFFORD to advertise it effectively in, say, Chicago, how much money must I have? The answer is: More than I need.

Welcome to one of the differences between Australia and LA….

Australia has always been great and calling people on their bullsh*t. On one side it’s the “Tall Poppy Syndrome” but on the other, it took down Skase, Bond and all the shysters providing non-stop content for current affairs shows Australia-wide. LA has so many scam artists and so few people policing them that they get away with so much and then, when sniffed out, simply change their name and move onto the next scam. This LA attitude has been gradually bleeding into the Australian film and TV industry and, unless stopped, will poison our entire industry.

The number of courses that offer Aussies a breakthough experience in pursuit of their LA Dream has risen dramatically in the last few years. The net result of these courses in real terms (attending Actors securing great representation and work in LA) is not impressive. The promises are huge but the payout is paltry (and usually non-existent). Think of the last (first or only) seminar/course you went to about ‘Going to/ Making it in LA’. How many attendees have gone onto solid work in LA from these courses? (Not what the COURSE tells you, the actual person? Google them. IMDb them). If you can think of someone, can you imagine them NOT being successful without this particular course? I doubt it.

When a course claims it ‘secured representation’ for their client – who is the representation? Just because my theoretical manager WORKS FOR a company who ONCE REPPED Christian Slater does not mean that the person RESPONSIBLE FOR MY CAREER is any good at representing me. Do you know how many Agents/Managers work in any given representation firm in Los Angeles? As little as 12-15 but frequently, hundreds. Saying that Gary X, who works for ABC Agency, is great because ABC represent the chick from Twilight, is like saying I’m great because my best friend was once in a film with Michael J Fox. Do your research. Get an IMDb Pro account and look them up. Who do they PERSONALLY represent? They may be the bottom of the entire food chain at that agency/management firm. They may deal exclusively with Aussies, teens, the quirky or the inept. Find out who they are, what they do and what other people say about them. Not people who have done their courses or paid them money, but the people they have secured WORK for. You may just find that, like my ex-manager, their head is already on the chopping block while they’re wining and dining you….

I have a fairly simple rule that I’ve stuck to for years:

“I don’t put anyone in a position of power that hasn’t earned the right, in MY EYES.”

I don’t care if it’s Brad Pitt, Steven Spielberg or Mother Theresa. If they haven’t legitimately EARNED the right in MY EYES, I don’t give them any power over me. Why should I? And why should YOU? Have you so little self-esteem that you will let others tell you what you can and can’t do? What talent IS and whatit ISN’T? Will you placidly read these words and not go to LA? Will you trust me based on what I’ve said here? I have no idea. That’s entirely up to you. The main difference here is that I’m not SELLING anything. In fact, every time I speak my mind, I put my potential sales in danger. Perhaps you’ll disagree with me and stay away from my businesses. You may find me too abrasive to work with and seek elsewhere for your training. But I don’t care. My passion for preventing wholesale robbery is far greater than my need to protect my own commercial interests.

Please heed my advice.

Whenever you see an advertisement for something with Casting Directors, Teachers, courses, tours, seminars etc. connected with coming to LA, please stop and do the following things:

1)Ask yourself: If I put aside what this course/group/business tells me about itself, what do I know about it?

2)Do the ‘experts’ listed have Google profiles? And what are they? (There is a biiig difference between ‘Casting Director of Aliens’ and ‘Gary X worked in casting ON Aliens’. If you don’t know the difference, then work it out) Do the things I read on Google seem to only be written by THEM? Have I actually seen any of their work and do I like it?

3)What is the cost in financial terms? Look at the price and try to Google yourself a comparable trip/course. What profit margin are they making on this tour/seminar? Everyone deserves to make a good profit on a good idea, but is this a reasonable figure to ask you to pay for the quality/content you receive?

4)Do they really have the connections they say they have? I could honestly tell you I have one degree of separation to cast members of half the shows in LA, but does that help YOU? No, it only helps your IMPRESSION OF ME.

5)Ask yourself what this person/group/business has to gain besides your actual money. Oftentimes they are less interested in your money than the career-advancement possibilities for themselves. Many US ‘Casting Directors are starting to visit Australia. Are they being generous with their time and experience or are they getting an all-expenses paid holiday in a place they’ll be treated like royalty? At home in America they are unemployed nobodies; in Australia, they are handsomely paid deities. Even if they do it for free, they’re still getting a great deal. Do you really want to further feather their nests?

6)Do the people I respect in the industry support this course/ tour/ class etc? Not just someone with a name, but someone I respect? If not, then try a different one – or just wait. Wait until a good one comes along. They’re coming, believe me, they’re coming. Australia is the New Frontier as far as the US is concerned (and not just for talent, but as a gold mine of wannabe Actors with disposable incomes and stars in their eyes ….)

7)Can you afford this in emotional terms. If you pay thousands of dollars, take this course, go to America and come home with an empty bank account and your tail between your legs, how will you cope? Honestly. How will you cope? If you say “Bring it on”, then you’re insane enough to have a shot, but if you honestly don’t think you’ll cope – don’t do it. Wait another year until you have more work on your reel, more money to support yourself and a lot more information about the territory you’re looking to conquer

8)Let’s say you go, they love you and they want to hire you! Can you work there? Do you have legal working rights? In a small number of cases, they may help organise you an O-1 visa if they LOVE you and want you for a lead role, but keep in mind that this expires when the job ends, then you’re back to square one. If you don’t get job after job, back to back, then what will you do?

9)Have you honestly got enough backing you up career-wise to even consider it? I spoke with Chris Hemsworth’s (Thor) manager when I came to LA last year and she said how hard it was for him to get a foot in the door. Do you feel more confident than Chris about your talent and body of work? Do you have more money to live off than he would have, coming to LA, initially?

10)Are you going for the right reasons? If it is your “Last chance” or “Couldn’t be worse than here” or you think “I can do better than HIM” or “I’m gonna be rich and famous” or “Man, it’s a gold mine over there!”, please stay home and keep the freeways clear for everyone else who is serious about it. But if you have been gradually drawn for years by the genuine opportunities you see for yourself, then maybe….just maybe…it’s time for you to get on a plane and pay Hollywood a visit

If you still wanna go, here are some tips (off the top of my head):

a)Do not bring headshots or a showreel on a Visa Waiver. You can be turned away at the border and banned from the country for many years. Use a Dropbox account, Yousend it to yourself or mail hard copies in advance. Better still, do it all legally and organise visas well in advance. Also create yourself a business card on www.moo.com and get them delivered to you in the US.

b)Do not pay a fortune to a dodgy Immigration Attorney who promises to get you an O-1 Visa for $3000. You will have your application rejected and you will not get your money back. O-1 Visas tend to be around the $6000-$7000 mark and only last as long as the deem appropriate. They can be revoked at any time if it is deemed that you have done something inppropriate.

c)If you choose to go ‘through the backdoor’, so to speak, (not recommended) on the O-1 Visa issue and have someone illegally sponsor you, be prepared for an Immigration crackdown. As more and more Aussies apply for them, they are becoming far more rigorous in their vetting of applicants. If an illegal sponsor is found out, the first thing they will do is look at who else they’ve sponsored. Could be you.

d)If you’re looking for a place to sublet or a car to buy/hire on Craigslist (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/), read all the ‘scam warnings’ first. Talk to someone who has used it regularly and never meet anyone on your own, unless you are supremely confident in doing so. During the day. Especially if you are a woman. “Nuff said?

e)Audit classes in LA for free. Don’t fall into paying immediately for classes because it’s the only Acting Coach you’ve heard of in Australia. There are literally hundreds of Acting Coaches in LA and you can audit all of their classes ONCE for free. Go to as many as possible before you start paying for anything. At the very least, if you start paying, then keep attending other free classes as well. Assuming that one teacher is your guru is lazy and destructive.

f)Look good everywhere you go. Dress well, groom yourself, have enough money to buy a drink or a meal and say yes to every offer you can responsibly afford to. You never know which party you’ll end up at or who you may run into at that coffee shop around the corner. Sleep well and drink lots of water. Enjoy the sun, there’s plenty of it over here!

g)Hand your business card to everyone who asks for it. (I personally don’t give my card to anyone unless they ask for it. I’d prefer them to WANT it than to throw it in the bin when my back is turned. But each to their own)

h)Network intelligently. What’s the point networking with 300 other Actors? Or 40 Directors who never actually direct? Or your Acting Coach? Or a casting Director’s assistant who once played the second vampire from the left in The Lost Boys? These connections may stroke your ego and inflate your sense of what’s possible, but where are they actually getting you? Intelligent networking is about building actual relationships with people you like and respect – and hopefully the feeling is mutual.

i)Give, with no expectation of receiving anything in return. Give your time. Give your ear to someone who needs to vent. Give your talent to someone who needs a scene partner. You get what you give. Just make sure you’re not giving your energy into a black hole. That is counter-productive. It is very easy to perceive if the person is a black hole. You ever heard of He’s Just Not That Into You? Same principle. When you need them, they’re not around. When they need YOU, presto! They’re there. It’s amazing, really.

j)Don’t be desperate. You are who you are. They can take you or leave you. For every Spielberg who doesn’t want you right now, there are hundreds of other directors to whom you may be the next Guy Pearce or Naomi Watts. Be you. Be very good at what you do and just keep doing it.

k)Take advice but make up your own mind! The one thing I’ve discovered here is that people are looking for a reason for you to NOT be successful. If you give them a reason, they will take it. A friend of mine was told that her US accent slipped in a take and she politely told them with a big smile that it didn’t. They were mistaken. If she had softened and apologised, they would have devoured her. (Not because she got the accent wrong, but because they wanted to test her)

Now if you’ve read this far I’ve probably just preached to the converted. To your mates, tell them to skim through this blog and hopefully some common sense will grab them on the speed read.

As usual, please subscribe, click the link below to share on Facebook (one click below) and send the link to your friends. The more informed people are about coming to the US, the more likely they are to stand a chance when they get here.

Good luck to you all!

=pb=