Hollywood is often synonymous with movies. Whenever people think of big movies, celebrities, and all the sophisticated style that goes with it, they think of Hollywood. Its impact produced the nickname of the Indian film industry, “Bollywood”. History is replete with tales involving actors who dream of making it big and moved to Los Angeles for that reason.
It really is very simple to get carried away with the idea that the only way to have a chance in the film industry is to move to Hollywood. In some cases, it is the best option. However, one very important factor to consider is that everyone is moving to Hollywood, which means there is much more competition for the job opportunities available there.
There are several cities around the world that have major film industries. A large number of American television shows, including the Stargate franchise, Battlestar Galactica, and also Smallville, are filmed in Vancouver. Toronto has many shows, as does New York. Pretty much any big city should have some amount of industry. Beyond the United States, you’ll find employment in areas like London and, of course, India.
Even if you don’t reside in one of those cities, it is still possible to find places to gain experience and employment. Remember that when shooting large productions with unusual scenery, the production may switch to a different country to shoot some scenes. Some parts of the new Star Wars episodes were shot in North Africa; The Count of Monte Cristo was shot on the island of Malta; The Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand. In addition, you will find independent and amateur productions almost anywhere.
In short, you can find employment everywhere in different amounts. However, if you want to build a career, you obviously need to be in a place that has many job opportunities and many prospects. You’ll likely only be able to fully support yourself if you’re in a place like Los Angeles or Vancouver and have enough work; Although you can find work in smaller towns, there is unlikely to be an adequate amount of work to keep you employed year-round. Although you may not have to move to Hollywood, you may want to move somewhere else. It all depends on where you live. Spend time researching your local film commission, if there is one, and try sending out networking letters or contacting professionals in your area for advice.
Networking is incredibly important in this industry, so if you manage to get in touch with professionals, that goes a long way! Networking takes time, of course, so one point to keep in mind is that if you are moving to a new city, it will take time to make the necessary contacts to land that first job in the film industry. And of course, once you’ve built the network, it’s very hard to walk away, because you’d be wasting all that hard work!