Q. when i become 18 im moving to LA to go to UCLA.but i was wondering how hard is it to get a well paying job to support myself and have an apartment that is cheep?and what is better to fly and get a used car when i get there or drive from Florida to los angeles?
PS.im 14 but this is want i want to do also i will be going on acting auditions while im there.how hard will it be.
PS.im 14 but this is want i want to do also i will be going on acting auditions while im there.how hard will it be.
A. Hi there ~
This is rrreally long, but full of information that you really need to hear.
Following your dream is something that I think should always be encouraged, but you have to either do it smart, or not at all.
At this time, unemployment is at 12% in California. This is extremely high, but in 4 years when you make the trip over here, hopefully that will have improved dramatically. This is still something that you have to take into consideration, and if you're smart, you'll be keeping an eye on things between now and 4 years from now.
Breaking into the business and becoming an actress is extremely hard. You do hear of people who jump off the plane, hit an audition and they person across the desk says, "You've GOT IT! I'm gonna make you a star!" ... but that happens about as often as lightning striking, so you have to be realistic. I'm not going to sugar coat this - the odds are stacked against you. If you're going to do this, you have go in with your eyes wide open and no rose colored glasses on.
The Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) has 120,000 members world wide, but only the top 2% (about 2,500 people) of it's members make more than $50,000 a year on JUST acting alone. The other 117,600 members are working night jobs (read: waiting tables) so they can go on auditions during the day, and are pounding the pavement, paying their dues, and hoping for a big break during the day.
Unless you're the next coming of Kate Blanchett, Meryl Streep or Katherine Hepburn, you'll need to develop a very thick skin and get used to rejection. The acting business is not for the squeamish or the faint of heart. Unless you eat, sleep, breathe and poop "acting", and if you would do it for food money ... and if it's not in your blood and your soul, you'll need to have some kind of marketable skill that will always pay the bills in case it doesn't work out. If Theater or Acting is going to be your major, then make software engineering your minor, or web design, or pick a career that you think you could be happy in and that will sustain you and get a degree in it so you'll be able to support yourself.
You've gotta have a plan. How will you market yourself? What do YOU have that all the other girls who look just like you, who are sitting in the room with you at the casting call, waiting to be called ... don't have? You have to be flexible, and you have to appeal to the broadest range of casting agents for the rolls that they'll send you up for. If they try to market you as a dramatic actress when you really are funny, then make sure they know you can do comedy - and vice versa. At the same time, you can't try to be something you're not. If you're fake, they'll see right through you, so just be yourself.
How long will you give it, before you tell yourself that it's not going to happen? A year, two years, five years? Sometimes it takes that long, and even longer. This is a little known story about Joe Pesci, who won an Oscar for his roll in Goodfellas. He went through a period where he didn't work for years, when one day he got a call from a casting agent who he had done a reading for TEN YEARS before. This casting agent had remembered him and had a script that they knew he would be perfect for, and if he hadn't blown them away a decade before, it wouldn't have happened. The reason they didn't hire him a decade before? He wasn't right for that part.
The reason I'm telling you this is because EVERY reading counts. You can't say "it's just a reading" because that's just wrong. Readings are how you make a first, second and last impression, and you have to put your best foot forward all the time. One thing I'm going to tell you that I hope you remember is: never chew gum at a reading, unless it specifically states in the script that you're chewing gum. Unless it specifically states it in the script, don't do it. They'll remember you for your gum chewing and not your talent, and not call you in again.
There will be times that you've barely started speaking when they'll tell you "Thank you, that's all for now. We'll be in touch." When that happens, it means that you're the wrong look for the roll they are casting. It doesn't mean you suck or that they didn't like you as a person - this is a BUSINESS, and they have a certain idea in their heads about how their character should look. Nothing personal - you're just wrong for the part. NEEEXT. This will happen time after time, but you CAN'T get down on yourself. All you can do is go to the next reading or casting call, be yourself, and hope for the best.
Another part of the grande plan should be saving at least $10,000 as a cushion for your first few months or so. LA is one of the most expensive places to live, and if you come here with $500 in your pocket, it will be that much harder, if not impossible. Having a nice big comfy cusion of $10,000 or so is what a smart girl does.
As for cheap apartments near UCLA, they don't exist. UCLA is smack in the middle of high-end Real Estate Central. Surrounding communities are all not where the po' folks live (Bel Air, Santa Monica, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Brentwood), and you can plan on spending about $1,000 a month for a studio apartment with just a living area, bath and kitchen. One bedrooms start at around $1,200, so you'll need to find a job that pays your rent, and also your other bills (food, phone, gas, insurance for your car, power and water, head shots, clothes, entertainment, etc ...)
To get here, driving across the country is something that everyone should do, if given the chance. If you have a solid car that gets good gas mileage, then drive it over here. It will be one less thing you have to worry about, and one less thing you have to save money for.
Another suggestion I can offer is to brush up on acting history. Watch older movies and study the best performers. One movie I can't recommend enough is "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner." This movie is brilliant because of it's simplicity. Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katherine Hepburn are all just amazing in their performances, and at the end, Spencer Tracy has to give a pretty long monologue. He did that monologue in one take, with a few pick-up shots for close ups. For pure performances, see this movie. A word about Spencer Tracy: This man is one of a handful of actors who earned more than 1 Oscar in their career, and one of 3 or 4 who won an Oscar back to back, in consecutive years. He is one of those rare performers who just listen, and then say the line when the impulse moves them.
One last thing: Spencer Tracy once said, when asked about acting and how he does it, that all he does is memorize his lines, show up on time, and hit his mark, and that they actually pay him to stand around and wait for his shot to be set up, because he does the acting part for free.
Well, this should give you lots to think about for the next 4 years.
If that's how passionate you are about acting, then you can make it happen.
Best of luck, and break a leg !!
This is rrreally long, but full of information that you really need to hear.
Following your dream is something that I think should always be encouraged, but you have to either do it smart, or not at all.
At this time, unemployment is at 12% in California. This is extremely high, but in 4 years when you make the trip over here, hopefully that will have improved dramatically. This is still something that you have to take into consideration, and if you're smart, you'll be keeping an eye on things between now and 4 years from now.
Breaking into the business and becoming an actress is extremely hard. You do hear of people who jump off the plane, hit an audition and they person across the desk says, "You've GOT IT! I'm gonna make you a star!" ... but that happens about as often as lightning striking, so you have to be realistic. I'm not going to sugar coat this - the odds are stacked against you. If you're going to do this, you have go in with your eyes wide open and no rose colored glasses on.
The Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) has 120,000 members world wide, but only the top 2% (about 2,500 people) of it's members make more than $50,000 a year on JUST acting alone. The other 117,600 members are working night jobs (read: waiting tables) so they can go on auditions during the day, and are pounding the pavement, paying their dues, and hoping for a big break during the day.
Unless you're the next coming of Kate Blanchett, Meryl Streep or Katherine Hepburn, you'll need to develop a very thick skin and get used to rejection. The acting business is not for the squeamish or the faint of heart. Unless you eat, sleep, breathe and poop "acting", and if you would do it for food money ... and if it's not in your blood and your soul, you'll need to have some kind of marketable skill that will always pay the bills in case it doesn't work out. If Theater or Acting is going to be your major, then make software engineering your minor, or web design, or pick a career that you think you could be happy in and that will sustain you and get a degree in it so you'll be able to support yourself.
You've gotta have a plan. How will you market yourself? What do YOU have that all the other girls who look just like you, who are sitting in the room with you at the casting call, waiting to be called ... don't have? You have to be flexible, and you have to appeal to the broadest range of casting agents for the rolls that they'll send you up for. If they try to market you as a dramatic actress when you really are funny, then make sure they know you can do comedy - and vice versa. At the same time, you can't try to be something you're not. If you're fake, they'll see right through you, so just be yourself.
How long will you give it, before you tell yourself that it's not going to happen? A year, two years, five years? Sometimes it takes that long, and even longer. This is a little known story about Joe Pesci, who won an Oscar for his roll in Goodfellas. He went through a period where he didn't work for years, when one day he got a call from a casting agent who he had done a reading for TEN YEARS before. This casting agent had remembered him and had a script that they knew he would be perfect for, and if he hadn't blown them away a decade before, it wouldn't have happened. The reason they didn't hire him a decade before? He wasn't right for that part.
The reason I'm telling you this is because EVERY reading counts. You can't say "it's just a reading" because that's just wrong. Readings are how you make a first, second and last impression, and you have to put your best foot forward all the time. One thing I'm going to tell you that I hope you remember is: never chew gum at a reading, unless it specifically states in the script that you're chewing gum. Unless it specifically states it in the script, don't do it. They'll remember you for your gum chewing and not your talent, and not call you in again.
There will be times that you've barely started speaking when they'll tell you "Thank you, that's all for now. We'll be in touch." When that happens, it means that you're the wrong look for the roll they are casting. It doesn't mean you suck or that they didn't like you as a person - this is a BUSINESS, and they have a certain idea in their heads about how their character should look. Nothing personal - you're just wrong for the part. NEEEXT. This will happen time after time, but you CAN'T get down on yourself. All you can do is go to the next reading or casting call, be yourself, and hope for the best.
Another part of the grande plan should be saving at least $10,000 as a cushion for your first few months or so. LA is one of the most expensive places to live, and if you come here with $500 in your pocket, it will be that much harder, if not impossible. Having a nice big comfy cusion of $10,000 or so is what a smart girl does.
As for cheap apartments near UCLA, they don't exist. UCLA is smack in the middle of high-end Real Estate Central. Surrounding communities are all not where the po' folks live (Bel Air, Santa Monica, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Brentwood), and you can plan on spending about $1,000 a month for a studio apartment with just a living area, bath and kitchen. One bedrooms start at around $1,200, so you'll need to find a job that pays your rent, and also your other bills (food, phone, gas, insurance for your car, power and water, head shots, clothes, entertainment, etc ...)
To get here, driving across the country is something that everyone should do, if given the chance. If you have a solid car that gets good gas mileage, then drive it over here. It will be one less thing you have to worry about, and one less thing you have to save money for.
Another suggestion I can offer is to brush up on acting history. Watch older movies and study the best performers. One movie I can't recommend enough is "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner." This movie is brilliant because of it's simplicity. Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katherine Hepburn are all just amazing in their performances, and at the end, Spencer Tracy has to give a pretty long monologue. He did that monologue in one take, with a few pick-up shots for close ups. For pure performances, see this movie. A word about Spencer Tracy: This man is one of a handful of actors who earned more than 1 Oscar in their career, and one of 3 or 4 who won an Oscar back to back, in consecutive years. He is one of those rare performers who just listen, and then say the line when the impulse moves them.
One last thing: Spencer Tracy once said, when asked about acting and how he does it, that all he does is memorize his lines, show up on time, and hit his mark, and that they actually pay him to stand around and wait for his shot to be set up, because he does the acting part for free.
Well, this should give you lots to think about for the next 4 years.
If that's how passionate you are about acting, then you can make it happen.
Best of luck, and break a leg !!
can you get a good job after taking just basics in a community college?
Q. i was wandering because im really struggling in some of my classes and i have a grant but i dont know if there gonna let me keep that money im really seriously thinking about just taking my basics then finding a decent job about 60,000 a year any ideas?
A. You can get a good job by graduating with some goal for getting a job. That means getting good grades at the community college and specializing in an area where the jobs are. Here is a list of ten of the top jobs that require a community college degree in ten different specialized areas. None of them start at $60k a year, but given years of experience at one job, that would be a possiblity
therapist assistants are expected to grow by 33 percent in the next decade, especially as Baby Boomers age and "get a bit more creaky." Most physical therapist assistants either work in a hospital or a physical therapist's office. Average salary: $46,111 a year. Good luck.
2. Web Designer.
As long as there are companies, organizations and creative agencies with something to sell or promote, there will be a need for people to design, code and maintain their web sites. Even in the tough economic times, some would consider this is one of the best jobs you can get with an associate's degree. Though many web designers are self-employed, countless others work in staff positions. Average salary: $48,785 a year.
3. Electrical or Electronic Engineering Technician.
The high demand for engineers in this field makes electrical engineering one of the top 2-year degree jobs. These technicians comprise a third of all engineering technician jobs. They often work in industrial or commercial plants and laboratories, taking calculations, running tests, modifying equipment and otherwise assisting the engineers on their team. Average salary: $47,163 a year
4. Registered Nurse.
If it's a high-growth field you want, you can't beat registered nursing. It's one of the associate's degree careers that pay high salaries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs are the largest occupation in the health care field, with 2.5 million jobs out there, about 587,000 new jobs expected to open up by 2016 and 59 percent of RNs working in hospitals. Average salary: $55,276 a year.
5. Computer Support Specialist.
Finding one of the good careers with a 2-year degree isn't hard if you're interested in fixing computers. Computer support specialists include the tech support and help desk workers who assist customers and users with problems they're having with their computer hardware and software. Often, computer support specialists can enjoy the luxury of working from home or working flexible hours. Average salary: $46,111 a year.
6. Executive or Administrative Assistant.
In the business sector, there's no shortage of administrative jobs. It's one of the surest jobs you can get with an associate's degree. "You're talking a quarter of a million job openings every year," says Shatkin. And though you may start as the low man or woman on the totem pole, once you're in the door you're in a prime position to prove your worth and climb the ranks. Average salary: $37,669 a year.
7. Dental Hygienist.
While would-be dental hygienists must obtain a state license on top of their 2-year degree, it's well worth the investment. It is one of the highest paying jobs with a 2-year degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of the country's dental hygienists work part-time and many enjoy flexible work schedules. Even better, this is one of today's fastest growing occupations. Average salary: $57,148 a year.
8. Surveying or Mapping Technician.
Although the construction industry took some big employment hits in 2008, if all the infrastructure work President Obama has promised comes through, there will be a huge need for surveying and mapping technicians. It will be among the top 2-year degree jobs. Such technicians do much of their work in the field (a boon for those who don't want to sit in an office all day), collecting data, taking calculations and assisting with computer-aided drafting. Average salary: $42,104 a year.
9. Veterinary Technician.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this field to grow significantly during the next decade. Vet technicians often work in a private veterinary practice (zoo and aquarium work is harder to come by), performing lab tests and clinical procedures. Vet techs must pass a state exam and the salaries aren't as high as the other jobs on this list, but for those who want to help animals, the trade-offs are well worth it. Average salary: $33,363 a year.
10. Camera Operator.
While competition to break into TV broadcasting and film can be stiff, the continued rise of web content means more opportunities for camera operators. It's one of the best jobs that you can get with an associate's degree if you want to be in this field. Television and film work often involve long or unusual hours. For that reason, many camera operators gravitate toward commercial advertising or corporate videos. The more computer skills a camera operator has, the better their job prospects. Average salary: $42,558 a year..
therapist assistants are expected to grow by 33 percent in the next decade, especially as Baby Boomers age and "get a bit more creaky." Most physical therapist assistants either work in a hospital or a physical therapist's office. Average salary: $46,111 a year. Good luck.
2. Web Designer.
As long as there are companies, organizations and creative agencies with something to sell or promote, there will be a need for people to design, code and maintain their web sites. Even in the tough economic times, some would consider this is one of the best jobs you can get with an associate's degree. Though many web designers are self-employed, countless others work in staff positions. Average salary: $48,785 a year.
3. Electrical or Electronic Engineering Technician.
The high demand for engineers in this field makes electrical engineering one of the top 2-year degree jobs. These technicians comprise a third of all engineering technician jobs. They often work in industrial or commercial plants and laboratories, taking calculations, running tests, modifying equipment and otherwise assisting the engineers on their team. Average salary: $47,163 a year
4. Registered Nurse.
If it's a high-growth field you want, you can't beat registered nursing. It's one of the associate's degree careers that pay high salaries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs are the largest occupation in the health care field, with 2.5 million jobs out there, about 587,000 new jobs expected to open up by 2016 and 59 percent of RNs working in hospitals. Average salary: $55,276 a year.
5. Computer Support Specialist.
Finding one of the good careers with a 2-year degree isn't hard if you're interested in fixing computers. Computer support specialists include the tech support and help desk workers who assist customers and users with problems they're having with their computer hardware and software. Often, computer support specialists can enjoy the luxury of working from home or working flexible hours. Average salary: $46,111 a year.
6. Executive or Administrative Assistant.
In the business sector, there's no shortage of administrative jobs. It's one of the surest jobs you can get with an associate's degree. "You're talking a quarter of a million job openings every year," says Shatkin. And though you may start as the low man or woman on the totem pole, once you're in the door you're in a prime position to prove your worth and climb the ranks. Average salary: $37,669 a year.
7. Dental Hygienist.
While would-be dental hygienists must obtain a state license on top of their 2-year degree, it's well worth the investment. It is one of the highest paying jobs with a 2-year degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of the country's dental hygienists work part-time and many enjoy flexible work schedules. Even better, this is one of today's fastest growing occupations. Average salary: $57,148 a year.
8. Surveying or Mapping Technician.
Although the construction industry took some big employment hits in 2008, if all the infrastructure work President Obama has promised comes through, there will be a huge need for surveying and mapping technicians. It will be among the top 2-year degree jobs. Such technicians do much of their work in the field (a boon for those who don't want to sit in an office all day), collecting data, taking calculations and assisting with computer-aided drafting. Average salary: $42,104 a year.
9. Veterinary Technician.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this field to grow significantly during the next decade. Vet technicians often work in a private veterinary practice (zoo and aquarium work is harder to come by), performing lab tests and clinical procedures. Vet techs must pass a state exam and the salaries aren't as high as the other jobs on this list, but for those who want to help animals, the trade-offs are well worth it. Average salary: $33,363 a year.
10. Camera Operator.
While competition to break into TV broadcasting and film can be stiff, the continued rise of web content means more opportunities for camera operators. It's one of the best jobs that you can get with an associate's degree if you want to be in this field. Television and film work often involve long or unusual hours. For that reason, many camera operators gravitate toward commercial advertising or corporate videos. The more computer skills a camera operator has, the better their job prospects. Average salary: $42,558 a year..
which is the best pc fix for a slow pc?
Q. have a old pc desk top hp 7855/ with windows xp pro but it is extremely slow and i need to speed it up /heard my clean pc is
A. Ten years since retail introduction..
Sorry , but this computer is virtually useless, except to do some simple word-processing, or simple Internet Browsing.
For about $500 you can buy a far-sight more computer than you have now, with a ton of storage, and memory.
Your computer is NOT worth ANY fixing, or tech support, from a $$ standpoint. It's just too old/slow based on current needs of most people.
HOWEVER, you can wipe out the drive, and start clean, keeping ONLY the basic needed software on it, which would probably give you basic use again.
This computer has a 1Ghz processor, and only has 128 megs of RAM, and can only take 512 as an upgrade. That's just not much to work with considering most mobile phones today, have more than that!
Sorry , but this computer is virtually useless, except to do some simple word-processing, or simple Internet Browsing.
For about $500 you can buy a far-sight more computer than you have now, with a ton of storage, and memory.
Your computer is NOT worth ANY fixing, or tech support, from a $$ standpoint. It's just too old/slow based on current needs of most people.
HOWEVER, you can wipe out the drive, and start clean, keeping ONLY the basic needed software on it, which would probably give you basic use again.
This computer has a 1Ghz processor, and only has 128 megs of RAM, and can only take 512 as an upgrade. That's just not much to work with considering most mobile phones today, have more than that!
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
No comments:
Post a Comment