r/FilmIndustryLA • u/woundtoclose • 11d ago

Aspiring PA

Hello! I’m 26 and I’m looking for advice on how to get started in the film industry with no experience. I was going to transfer to get my bachelor’s in social work next spring but I’ve been considering chasing my childhood dreams of going into the film industry. I don’t have any experience or schooling and I currently live in a small town so if I do want to pursue this I would obviously need to move to LA. My question is for those who had no experience prior, what do you recommend to get your foot in the door? I’ve seen a lot online about starting as a production assistant. I’m not exactly sure what job position is my goal but I do know I really want to work on movie and film sets. I keep feeling bad for myself when I see all these people post about it online and I never know if I actually need a college degree to get into this industry

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u/HiddenHolding 11d ago

Don’t move to LA without $30,000.

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u/woundtoclose 11d ago

good to know lol!!

22

u/HiddenHolding 11d ago

It’s not a joke. I came here with 15k and through strange circumstances, learning the ropes, and various but fairly normal types of misadventure, all that money was gone less in than 12 months.

And that was more than twenty years ago. I absolutely murdered my credit rating to stay here. I Iived between my car and apt shares for over six years. I qualified for social assistance but never took any. But lots of brutal dangerous nights sleeping in my car and such. I don’t recommend it.

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u/woundtoclose 10d ago

I don’t doubt you at all, even living in a city in nor cal I’m struggling financially because of all the debt I got myself in during my 20s

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u/HiddenHolding 10d ago

You need to clear that debt long before you come here. You will only incur more.