John_1902

Hi everyone new to the forum.

I am currently working in post-production company as an edit assistant, my long term plan is to move to California and LA to be specific. This is isn't about making it big and being famous its more about actually challenging myself and trying something new and what a better way to do it than in LA the hub of the entertainment industry.

I have done some research regarding visa, but it down on me that the best way to get a working visa would be to actually find a job first (i know easier said than done).

What I am asking is what strategy should I approach this, as I am going there on holiday to visit family in December I really want to come back with some sort of information or just take the opportunity to speak with someone. But not sure how to go about it.

Your opinion would be very appreciated.

Thank you

Jscl

I know nothing about it but.... do you know someone where you are working who knows some one who knows someone etc.? That's the best way to get into any high competition field: contacts.

scrubbedexpat099

Networking

John_1902

Yeah that would be the easy way in, and with this industry its all about 'who you know not what you know'. But unfortunately I don't know anyone that knows someone.

christmasoompa

What visa do you intend to move over on? It's just that for most, having a job offer isn't just 'the best way' to get a working visa, it's essential. Plus of course finding an employer prepared to spend thousands on getting you over there. If you can let people know what visa you are thinking of from your research, then hopefully they can give you more specific advice.

Good luck with it.

rebs

Not sure how knowing that would impact the job hunting advice (ie network, network, network...)

christmasoompa

It wouldn't impact that side of things, but in his original post he implies that he's eligible for a visa without a job offer - so clarifying his visa status would be helpful, as the advice may differ if he's work authorised and doesn't require an employer to sponsor him.

And if he does require a job offer to get a visa, then it's all very well saying 'network', but if he's not eligible for a visa in the first place, then what's the point? No idea if an edit assistant would be eligible for a H1B for example (would that job normally require a degree?), so the forum pro's may be able to help with that side of things.

John_1902

+1
But for your information it will probably be the H1B or the H2B. But one step at the time really....so the networking or cunning plan on my visit is what I am after. If someone on here works within the industry would be awesome too

John_1902

Sorry for the misunderstanding. What I am saying is if I could find a company to sponsor me (this is where the networking comes in), it would make the actual process of getting a visa that little bit #easier' (I am not underestimating the process)

Egon

My path was along the same lines, albeit to the television industry in New York.

I went via a J1 (trainee visa, maximum of 18 months) visa initially and then met someone here and married.

The problem is that the key part to me still being here was getting married to a US citizen - I'm very aware that it'd be highly unlikely to have gained sponsorship for an H1b - not at the level of experience I had then, probably not even now after 5 years.

On top of that, the J1 was an unpaid placement. The likelihood of getting a stipend was low, and given the economy probably even lower now.

That said, if you can afford to try a period unpaid it can be great for networking and you never know what it may open up. At the very least, you can do a period in LA and it looks good on a CV.

ian-mstm

Since California is already your long-term plan, why not check out Vancouver or Toronto? Both have thriving film and TV industries... and it'll be a lot easier to get from the UK to Canada in the short-term. Of course, I don't need to mention that many US TV shows and films are actually filmed in Vancouver and Toronto... so the opportunity to network just jumped considerably! Something to consider, eh?

Ian

Chrisdc

Not "the easy way in," the only way in.... :-)

That said, there are a million things you can do to meet people in the industry, even when starting from scratch.

- You could be at NAB getting drunk with random post-house staffers...
- going to London-based Shooting People events and asking if anyone has friends in the industry in the US you can hit up for advice
- start posting loads on Creative Cow or Cinematography.net and make some e-friends
- cutting your own short films/spots and submitting them to US film festivals...
- attending said film festivals and getting drunk with other US film people
- hitting people up on LinkedIn
- Talking to everyone you know in the UK and finding out if they know people in the US (connections turn up in the strangest places - I once got hired by someone I met at a wedding.)

Be aware, the post industry is going through a pretty traumatic re-alignment right now, so make sure you keep your options open.

Also - there are very few H1b sponsorships in TV for people on the lower rungs. You need to have skills that are in demand and hard to find. At our facility we get resumes every day from US citizens looking to break into the industry. No need to spend 5K hiring someone from another country.

Are there specializations you could develop that might make you attractive to employers? Here are some ideas....

- DaVinci/Scratch Colorist
- Digital Imaging Tech (with flawless REDCODE handling skills...)
- On-Set Media Manager
- Flame Artist (maybe not so much these days...)
- Top-class Spot Editor that can also do decent After Effects compositing (in demand at the networks)

Also....

Consider a non-LA market. I was able to find a job in Washington DC because there was a definite shortage of highly-trained writer/producers willing to work outside the NY/LA hubs.... But even then, my boss said that if she had known how much paperwork was going to be involved in the H1b process, she would never have bothered. :-)

In summary....

It's probably impossible. But you should do it anyway.

Chris

christmasoompa

OK, now I'm really confused!

If you're talking about a H1B or H2B visa, then a sponsor/job offer is an essential part of the visa application (which the employer has to apply for - it's not something you can do).

Does the job require a degree? That would be H1B if so. The sticky at the top of the page outlines the various employment visa options.

I agree that Canada may be easier though, you don't say how old you are but if you're 30 or under then you could get a Working Holiday Visa which is a one year open work permit, so no sponsorship or job offer required.

Good luck.

caleyjag

Long-shot. I know some Brits who work in the editing industry from the Brit pubs around Hollywood.

If you email me your resume, I can forward it to them. Most of them are independent self-employed guys so I wouldn't hold your breath.

Also, I think the general rule of success in Hollywood is make your name in the UK first (BBC, etc) and then transfer over. It's virtually impossible to start up here - there are far too many young hopefuls here already.

John_1902

Wow! Thank you so much for everyone's response. I am very tempted with the Toronto idea which has been playing with my mind recently, and it is between Canada (Toronto) or the US (not just LA). Is getting to Canada less hustle than the US ?

As Egon suggested the J1 visa, is good idea but I am currently in a full time job getting paid a decent wages so it doesn't make sense financially.