Should I Move to LA?

I received an email from an actor with a strong theatre resume, a solid headshot, and great training.  My reply was so long that I thought to post it.  Maybe it'll help someone else as well.  The final line of the email is as follows:

"Would it be worth it to move out to LA getting all this positive feedback from teachers but not enough strong credits to my name? I feel like I am at a brick wall in my career."

My reply-

Hi [insert name here]!

You have a stronger resume than a LOT of actors that come out to LA.  You have a stronger theatre resume than I do.  I'd love to have as much theatre experience as you do.  I'm working on that currently.  Theatre, you know, is the great place to hone your art.

It sounds to me like you're very trained, but weaker on the business side of things.  If you come out to LA, that part won't change.  I absolutely think anyone that wants to come to LA should come, but come prepared, yet it's impossible to be prepared, if that makes sense.  Just know that nothing will be easier in LA, but the opportunities seem closer, because they are.

I advise creating your own work where you are.  Or, come to LA ready to create your own.  Get to know people on twitter, there's a bunch of LA actors on twitter that create their own work and are super supportive.  Learn everything you can.  Essentially, do everything you plan to do in LA wherever you are before you come here, so when you arrive...  It's all habit.  There will be huge transition time when you move to LA.  It's more expensive than you'll expect.  Example...  You WILL get parking tickets, you WILL pay for parking, and valet, and just overall...  You'll pay more for everything.  Maybe it's not that bad compared to New York...  But I don't know.  :)

I have no doubt that you can be successful in LA.  SO MANY PEOPLE come and leave before they even have a chance to think of success.  It's mind blowing.  Most come and leave in under 2 years.  Many leave in 6 months.  Most make a time limit.  2 years, 3 years, 5 years, 7 years.  I've been told it takes 5 years to even get anything done.  I agree that it takes a full year to even get settled.  So come prepared to stay.  If you come with a backup plan, you'll fall back on it.  Trust me.  So when you come, come for the long haul.

Realize that the best actors aren't always the ones that work.  And the actors that work aren't always the best.  You need to work the business side of things.  It's an art form into itself.

A couple books I recommend are Stephen Book's "The Actor Takes a Meeting" and Dallas Travers' "The Tao of Show Business".  They help empower you intelligently.  It's not hard to work in LA, but it's easier to get lost in LA.

You know...  You could also just come out here and get into auditioning courses.  Booking is a completely different skill than acting.  Completely different.  I'd had a lot of trouble booking, but that, too, is fixable.  My best advice is to do everything you can for yourself now, so you come out here and can do the same here.

I'm sorry if this is way too long of a reply, but hopefully it helped.  Let me know if you have any more direct questions or anything else I can help with.

-MA