I've always heard that but it kinda makes me wonder...
I've grown up in Austin, where they say that traffic is the worst. So I'm kind used to it, or Austin's traffic anyway. I moved to Corpus for school and theres practically none. Things keep busy, but it always flows and there are no jams. So I was wondering, how is the traffic comparatively - Austin to LA?
I've been to LA once, but I wasn't a driver. Also....valet parking... at mexican food restaurants?! How extensive does this really go?
i LAUGH when people in Austin complain about traffic now. there is no comparison. you might get slammed in rush hour traffic on I-35, but you will still be MOVING most of the time. there were times on the 101 where it might as well have been a parking lot because nothing moved for over half an hour, and even then it was a crawl. it's not always THAT bad, but often enough. and also highly inconsistent. one day's rush hour might be completely free and open the next, while you could try to get onto one of the freeways at some random hour when there shouldn't be any reason for traffic and find yourself gridlocked.
as for parking...it depends on the part of town you're in (the Valley and the west side usually aren't too bad), but it usually sucks and everywhere has valet (who then go and park your car in one of the spots or lots you already passed but couldn't park in because the valet drivers had already filled it. it's a vicious cycle...:p ).
the_reverend wrote:i LAUGH when people in Austin complain about traffic now.
Ya, you haven't seen traffic until you've been at a dead stop on a six-lane (that's six lanes going in the same direction) for long enough that you turn your car off to save gas and get out to stretch a bit in the middle of the 405.
I used to live in the Valley and have gigs in Orange County. I would leave my place in Sherman Oaks at 300P to make a 900P gig, get off stage at 200A and be home at 300A latest.
the_reverend wrote:yeah, they say that God laughs when we make plans...but He pisses Himself laughing when you try to plan around traffic in L.A.
Which reminds me; I have been known to refer to the L.A. basin as "god's ashtray". It's not as bad as some places in China, but if air quality is an issue - well - even god needs a place to put out his cigars.
the_reverend wrote:yeah, they say that God laughs when we make plans...but He pisses Himself laughing when you try to plan around traffic in L.A.
Which reminds me; I have been known to refer to the L.A. basin as "god's ashtray". It's not as bad as some places in China, but if air quality is an issue - well - even god needs a place to put out his cigars.
yeah, it was vastly improved when i left than when i got there (and i heard even that was a huge improvement from what it had been). but it's still visible. and (cough) detectable by (cough) other means...
I moved to Chicago right after college (and after doing improv in Austin for about a year and a half). I have not read this thread, so I don't know what other people have said (except the first sentence of Val's post). Anyway...
Val is correct, it doesn't matter so much what you've done before you move to Chicago, you start at the beginning. It's humbling, but to be honest, it was very good for me and I would argue that it's a good thing for anyone. You learn a lot and have a good year and a half or so of doing nothing but learning learning learning.
I think the notion that people want to "get famous" in Chicago is a somewhat false one. There's no industry here. The winters are terrible. You move here because you want to get better at improv. Bar none. The ones that want to get famous (and there ARE some, certainly) eventually move to NY or LA (mostly LA). But the #1 goal of people moving here is to get better at improv and performing. There are quicker ways to fame for those that want it ahead of being good at improv.
The competition is to be one of the best improvisers in Chicago or be on the best team in Chicago. I'd say that's a very real competition. It comes from wanting to be good at improv and being a complete "improv is art" nerd, but at the same time, if working at improv every night and being a part of the scene isn't something you want, Chicago isn't the place to be, unless you want to do improv very occasionally and on a team with other people that only do it occasionally.
If you DO want to be a part of the scene, and you want to work hard, Chicago will make you a much better improviser very quickly. You're kind of forced to get better by the quality of teachers/performers and by the sheer amount of competition. Those that don't get better tend to fall away from the scene. Whether this is by choice or not, I don't know. Probably leaning more towards "not by choice" to be honest. That being said, there are a lot of people that get good at what they do (or get respected) just by sticking around. You stick around long enough, you'll be working in some capacity.
You can perform any night of the week at any number of small theatres around town or any bar. Especially right now, the scene is getting hugely independent. My friends and people I don't know (and I have done so as well) are putting up nights at black box theatres or gallery spaces for experimental work or newer people who haven't performed to do anything they want. There's always barprov, which is very hit or miss, but I know a couple people that run some really good ones.
Bigger theatres (iO, Annoyance, SC, The Playground) are good, and performing at them is fun (and you'll find some immensely talented people to perform with at all of these theatres). Just avoid the politics and you'll be fine. And don't get wrapped up in wanting to "make it" at one of these theatres. If you don't want to do the kind of work that is being done at these theatres, you won't enjoy it and you'll just get bitter.
The advice Erika May gave me before moving here was to just be a nice person, and you'll get along fine. I'd say this is just good advice for life, but it also works in Chicago improv. Most people are super nice and just want to hang out and nerd out. This is probably true of most cities, I don't know.
Uh, yeah. In conclusion...I love Chicago, it's great for me and has been one of the best decisions I've made, but it's not great for everyone. It involves a lot of hard work, a good amount of luck (by god, I have been extremely lucky), and is a constantly humbling experience. If you like it, you'll probably love it, and if you don't like it, you'll hate it.
the_reverend wrote:yeah, they say that God laughs when we make plans...but He pisses Himself laughing when you try to plan around traffic in L.A.
Which reminds me; I have been known to refer to the L.A. basin as "god's ashtray". It's not as bad as some places in China, but if air quality is an issue - well - even god needs a place to put out his cigars.
yeah, it was vastly improved when i left than when i got there (and i heard even that was a huge improvement from what it had been). but it's still visible. and (cough) detectable by (cough) other means...
So I've heard. When I lived there 20 years ago, it was bad enough visibility was a big issue (to say nothing of breathing) Sometimes you couldn't see downtown from Mulholland. Flying into LAX was like sinking into a dustpan. Do they still have smog alerts where they tell old folks, kids and people with respiratory ailments to stay indoors?
mpbrockman wrote:
Which reminds me; I have been known to refer to the L.A. basin as "god's ashtray". It's not as bad as some places in China, but if air quality is an issue - well - even god needs a place to put out his cigars.
yeah, it was vastly improved when i left than when i got there (and i heard even that was a huge improvement from what it had been). but it's still visible. and (cough) detectable by (cough) other means...
So I've heard. When I lived there 20 years ago, it was bad enough visibility was a big issue (to say nothing of breathing) Sometimes you couldn't see downtown from Mulholland. Flying into LAX was like sinking into a dustpan. Do they still have smog alerts where they tell old folks, kids and people with respiratory ailments to stay indoors?
not that i can remember. there might have been one, but i think it was when the fires in Mexico were blowing smoke and ash and what not up our way. the pollution element of the smog is pretty minimal. it's mostly just crap from the marine layer lingering after it recedes. lol!
Oh, I'd like to add...when it comes to Chicago improv, there's not a prevailing style of performer. There's a big emphasis on "what makes you interesting as a person makes you interesting as a performer." I've found this to be true pretty much everywhere in Chicago. There is more emphasis placed on "ensemble" style and each performer has their own place within it.
I don't tend to see this in NYC improv or LA improv. Granted, I also don't see those cities perform every day. But there you have it.
It might be understood, but it really helps to have a "sugar mama" or "sugar daddy" helping pay the bills so YOU have time to audition and do the work. You could do it all yourself, but you will need to find a very flexible job that can financially support both your living expenses, and pay for those classes (where you'll get networked).
If you want to do film or commercials, you'll need to be able to leave your job to audition, and then later, take off the allotted time to film the work. You could work someplace that you'd be willing to walk out of at the drop of a hat -- and burn your bridge with that boss. Or, try to get a job with a company that gives you a flexible work schedule. I have heard that the most flexible job you can get is a company that does TEMP work. To do this, you may want to brush up on your filing, data entry and typing skills.
but yeah, i've had plenty of friends who've moved there and loved it. 
