디지디자인 포럼에 재밌는 (약간은 살벌한...)  얘기가 올라와 있어서 올려봅니다.

LA라는 동네루 이사오구 싶어하는 네덜란드 아그가 질문을 올리자 , LA에 있는 온동네 딴따라 들이 저마다 한마디씩 올리는데 장난이 아니네요.
비단 LA 라는 도시뿐만 아니라 전세계 어디든 최근의 음악하는 사람들 사정이 어떤지 , 특히 스튜디오 쪽으로 어떤 현실인지 말하고들 있네요. 그래서 그중에서 젤 현실감 있고 솔직하게 올라온 게 있어서 몇개 살펴보면

먼저 "큰 스튜디오들두 다 문닫을 지경이라 먹구 살기 힘드니 잘 생각해봐!!!"
는 요지의 글들.

You'd better stay in Holland. It's not much better here in L.A. But...if you still want to move here, here is what to expect:
§        1) You will have to compete with people from recording schools such as Full Sail, The Conservatory of Recording Arts, L.A. Recording Workshop, Berklee School of Music, USC, or Ex'pression. If you haven't gone to one of these schools, your chances of getting a job at a major studio in this town is less than 5%.

§        2) If you do get the job, you'll be lucky to make anything over $7.00 an hour (you'll be a runner, not an assistant), and even luckier if you get to touch the console for six months (besides cleaning it). Oh...and you may want to learn what a "Low-fat triple mocha grande with a tall milk" is. BTW, will you be buying a car when you get here? You don't have one, don't bother trying to get a job in a studio until you do.
§        3) This will make your post on topic: you better know Pro Tools TDM systems front and back (HD and Legacy) because that is what we record with out here. If you don't, there are 3 other guys in line behind you who do.

If you are ready to suffer for the next few years, then come on down!

Another sad reality: that doesn't matter. You will still start from the bottom and work your way up. Studio Managers here don't care if you may have assisted somewhere else, you've never assisted at THEIR studio, so that makes you no better then the people fresh from recording school.

Your best idea would be to start your own studio, but even then, the competition here is ten fold anything you'll find back home. Unless your bringing with you some credits (gold or platinum, awards, hit songs in your country) you'll be behind the curve.

L.A. is not what it used to be. It was cool back in the 80's because the record companies where sharing the wealth. But now, they're complaining about not making any money, yet paying the executives millions for doing JACK. Budgets for recording studio time are getting tighter, and now it's cheaper to buy an 002 or a small TDM system and work at home then book time, those big studios you mentioned in your last post aren't doing so well.

I'm not trying to demotivate you, I'm just trying to inform you. If you think you can make it, come on over. I don't know what you've been hearing about L.A. in Europe, but as someone who lives here, it's not as pretty as you think it is.

Right now the larger studios in LA are laying off employees.. not hiring. One of the largest studios in LA may be shut down any day now and only a hand full of the main studios is booked solid for the next 3 to 6 months.. the majority are fighting to stay alive... I've even heard of a 9K room in LA going for $500/day.

Not even to mention, you'd have to be sponsored by the company if they hired you (as a foreigner).

I have a small studio in L.A. and things since 9/11 have been spiraling down. I even advertise in Music Connection magazine and haven't received calls in weeks. I have return customers that have kept me afloat but I am struggling. I think the M-box has put the nail in the coffin for even us low budget studios to work. Luckily I've started PT consulting and have been teching and setting up rigs for people. There's more money in it. I would suggest another city other than LA or NY to work out of. I was going to move to Phoenix but my wife divorced me, so I'm stuck in LA for now.

친절하게두 "외국인으루 미국서 버틸려믄 비자문제까지두 생각해야 한다"는 얘기까지.... 살벌하죠....

위에 글들은 읽을수록 정확히 이곳의 슬픈 현실을 나타낸 거라 정말 씁쓸합니다. 한숨만 나오죠....쩝~~

하지만 아랫글을 읽어보면서 또다시 힘을 얻지요...

I have lived in LA for about 7 months now, and have a network of friends in the film/tv/music world large enough to learn the golden rule of this town. Fortunately I had these friends and contacts before I moved here:

IT IS NOT ONLY WHAT YOU KNOW, BUT WHO YOU KNOW.

I have enough experience to work in any facility I walk into, and have had to learn on-the-fly some of the toughest rooms, but I have decided to just keep working as a freelancer.

I interviewed at a few of these "world class" studios that you probably will be looking for work in, and have just decided that at this point in my life (just turned 30), I just cannot repeat the life as a runner as I had done in San Francisco years ago. Why wait two years working as a janitor these days only to make under-poverty level income? The only reason may be to pick up tips from visiting engineers and producers and maybe get hired by them- theres little other reason, sorry to say.

The reason everyone needs to start at the bottom is so that the studio ensures very well that you are going to serve their clients well and represent their facility as they (the owners) want you to. Dont worry about it hough, cause the need for these facilities in the world of popular music will be gone at some point (who knows) anyway, and you will HAVE to get work on your own.

I have actually pointed my efforts towards working in commercial and film work. I am also a visual artist and can get paid an average of $400 a day even as a set dresser.

Someone mentioned "the last bastion of rock'n'roll"? Well, commercial and film work could be that for you as well. You can get hired as a Production Assistant on a set which is similar to runner at a studio, and get paid $100-$200 per day. This is a great way to finance equipment purchases for your own studio as well.

The reasons for larger studios suffering is that recording budgets are stretched thin except for maybe the biggest acts. Even some of the big acts such as Metallica and Kid Rock for instance have their own facilities rather than rent studios.

There are so many talented engineers and producers out there that can match the big studio quality in small studios with Protools setups and good outboard gear.

For $50K, a good engineer can get enough gear to compete with a large studio with a million dollar console with 100 faders that move. That stuff just doesnt impress the clients as much these days. What impresses the clients is a great engineer, a comfortable environment, and a price per hour that is not in the four figures range.

The record labels simply do not care anymore (did they ever?) about sound quality past a listenable point. Most decision makers seem to be at least over 40 and they cant hear that well anyway. What they can figure out is the bottom line though, and will spend the least amount on recording quality and the most on advertising, marketing, and finding ways to cross their acts over into modelling, acting, and endorsement deals with Pepsi.

I think I have said quite abit already and will stop here.

To wrap it up- If you want to really get the "Living in America" experience, move to New York. You will get to live about 5 lifetimes in ten years there. If you want fame and fortune in the entertainment world, and enjoy great geography, move to Los Angeles.

Alot of people will try to tell you that Los Angeles is all "Plastic" and "Phony", but I dont see it that way. Most people I have met here, including the famous ones, have been nothing but helpful, supportive, and interesting to me. The weather is great also, and there are enough cultures represented to keep you from feeling like an outsider.

We have a symphony, the largest urban park (Griffith Park), the sometimes good Dodgers, the almost always great Lakers, and San Francisco is only a few hours away.

I love LA!

한마디루 "그리 나쁘지만은 않다!!! 자기하기 나름이다.!!! 힘내라!!!" 라는 얘깁니다. 저에게 하는 말이라 생각하구 힘내서 한번 열씨미 살아보렵니다.

첨부: 영문으루 올렸다구 돌 던지지 마시길.... 이거 번역할려믄 삼박사일 걸릴것 같아서 ... ^^.