You uploaded this right in time to have dinner with me Karsten. Tonight I'm serving chicken tinga with pearl couscous, please wash your hands before you eat.
My wife and I moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in November 2018. Just the two of us and our 2 x 17 year old cats at the time. I was firmly established in the Chicago advertising and post production industry as a sound designer/mixer. There was then, and still is a very robust film industry in Chicago. I had the privilege of working with some of the most interesting creatives in advertising in Chicago and directors like the Steve James, a living legend (Hoop Dreams, Life itself). Leaving it behind was hard..I was truly scarred shitless moving to LA but it was honestly the best choice we have ever made in our lives. This place is no joke, it will beat you up but if you learn how to forge your own path and what sort of bullshit to avoid, it will make you better as a creative. I have had so many crazy, serendipitous opportunities happen from being here in LA. Best of luck Karsten, from 2 former Chicagoans (Andersonville) who landed in LA and are still swimming.
I mean those are the reasons people move anywhere Haha The place has allows them to enjoy their interests and they really like the weather of that area
this video was actually really motivating for me because i probably will move to LA in the future and everything in the film industry looks so dire right now but this lifted my spirits a bit, thanks man
Great decision. You've been crushing it on LB and YT, so I think putting yourself in the place where the actual power players work and live (Hollywood) will only help things continue escalating.
As someone who just moved to LA, welcome man! we are glad to have you!! if you are into standup comedy, i suggest checking out the Largo, wonderful comedy theatre and my favorite place in the city!
27 year old man try is the move. I also left the midwest at 27 and ten years later, I'm grateful I did it. You gotta take risks and I'm glad to see that you are. Live that life.
Moved to Chicago after finishing up undergrad in the Summer of 2022, discovered your channel sometime in 2023, and--admittedly, a bit parasocially--have been hoping I could run into you, or at least have a moment where I'm like "Oh shit that's Karsten!" (Apparently we were both at the Music Box's screening of Nickel Boys, but that shit was PACKED; can't wait for that wide relase, tangentially). Anyways man, I've grown to love to love the hell outta Chicago, and your General Presence around here will be missed, but as a random digital voice below your video? SO stoked for you man, hope you love the hell out of LA and it offers everything you need :) Very excited to follow your work!
Ayye! Welcome Karsten!! So happy to hear you moved to LA, I grew up there and miss it like crazy- there’s bomb Mexican food(esp taco trucks), super yummy Korean BBQ too, yea the weather is perf, so much diversity- my favorite thing about LA. I love how many people are in one special county, ya traffic is bad but idc. I hope you enjoy LA and you stay safe Karsten! You got this king
On the Rockies, my brothers and I took a road trip to Colorado and drove through Grand Junction, and I agree with your sentiment on the place. We continued south and drove on the Million Dollar Highway through Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Durango. Highly recommend, very scenic road that gets up to 11k feet elevation
Congrats! Move while you’re still young to where you want to be. It’s so much more difficult to move once in your 30s (family,stable job, etc.) keeping you tied down to a place.
This is such insane timing. I’m moving to LA next month for film by myself. I’m very nervous for what’s to come, but this video motivated me that it can be done. If you ever need another connection in the city, hit me up 🤙
Moved to Brooklyn this year without a job. Didn’t work out but I don’t regret it. Had an amazing time and met great people Even though I’m broke now and still want to live there 🙃
Coming from someone who has lived in Los Angeles for 10 years, it is a little crazy to move to LA with the sole purpose of making a movie in 2024. That being said, it is the correct move. Almost every single person you'll run into is in the industry to some degree. And don't let people convince you LA is a shit hole liberal cess pool of homeless people. Once you've found your people, your neighborhood and your footing, it's one of the best places to live in your 20s-30s. Don't be another statistic of another transplant that leaves after 24 months. Explore the city, work hard, and stay focused on your goal. Good luck on making the film. Welcome to LA!
Brother, got a question for ya. As a filmmaker who has just moved from LA to Chicago a few weeks ago, do you have any recommendations on filmmaking communities to hit up? I had a good group of creatives to lean on in LA but I am in no man's land in Chicago now lol
As someone who lived in Chicago and a few east coast cities then moved to LA, definitely check out the east side of LA if you don’t already live over there! The west side is so beautiful and star studded, but it often also felt isolating because of how big and car centric it is. Come anywhere east of thai town and it’s packed with all sorts of indie theaters and people looking for community :)
as a fellow angelino, a couple quick recommendations. quarter sheets pizza is the best pizza in town. angel’s tacos is the best street food. boxx coffee is the best coffee shop. welcome back, man!
Moved to LA from MN in 2017. Lasted three years and knew I couldn’t stay longer than I did. Don’t regret a moment of it, though! Ironically moved back right BEFORE COVID. Like a miracle..
Glad you decided to join the California gang! I can't wait to see your feature once you finish it, I'm sure it'll be great! I recently made a feature film over the past few months with my friends, and we're gonna premier it in December. If you like to come to the premier I'd be honored to have you!
ran into you at IKEA the other day and afterward was nervous it maybe wasn’t you because i didn’t think you lived in LA. glad this video proves me right! enjoy the city.
People talk a lot of shit about it but as a recent LA transplant who’s been here for 2 years, I honestly love the hell out of this city so far (price of living not included). So much cool movie shit going on all the time!
i'm from the dc/nova area , where nothing but network crime shows are filmed. i live in richmond va for film school, where nothing but historical dramas are filmed every five years. there is essentially no film business on the east coast besides atlanta, new york and sometimes florida (and delaware once in a blue moon). i've been told i have a soul "that would do well in california". and lord knows i would probably. as i'm in my second year of school i can finally feel myself getting my feet on the ground. i get my head in the clouds when my professors talk about graduated students living in la or ny. our school doesn't have much alumni besides macon blair, who is actually from my city. and rick alverson splits his time between richmond and la. idk. the world scares me. but yeah why not. ten years time hopefully. i plan on being a script supervisor or a second ac, and moving my way up as a screenwriter and director from there. ok, thats all.
As a film student my plan is to after graduating UCF is to stay in Florida until I have enough money to go to Atlanta to break in since its more friendly and less crowded for Inde Filmmakers, have family members in there and its low taxes. The only chance I would move to New York or LA is if I get into the mainstream. Love LA as a vaction for a week, but unless I get rich or the politics radicly shift, LA is not for me.
I'm SURE you've gotten a ton of recommendations but definitely check out Vidiots, The Vista movie theater, Amoeba records, Atomic records in Burbank, Videoteque in Pasadena, mystic museum in Burbank, and of course the new Bev.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throu off the boulines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Unknoun
I think the biggest downside of LA is the urban sprawl/car culture/ lack of public transport but the culture and general vibes are probably worth it for the right person as long as their finances line up with the cost of living
i did this move 3 years ago with literally 0 prospects and like no money and i do not regret it at all i found my way to where i wanted to be and you gotta take the risks to get the rewards
I enjoyed this more introspective one. I also don't think it makes sense (to me at least) to use 6 months as an indicator of if it was the right decision or not. If it goes poorly it doesn't mean the decision was wrong, or vice versa. It just means that it's going the way it's going 6 months in. You made the decision with the information you knew at the time. Hindsight is of course 20/20. I guess the decision is only good or bad if you base it off the information you had at the time, not information that was unbeknownst to you from the future.
As someone from the Midwest, I was always confused when people would relentlessly shit on LA for being a horrible city. I’ve learned that us folks from the Midwest love LA, and people from the west coast hate it
I’m sure you already know the theatres out here, but a few of my favs…Brain Dead, Vista, Laemmle, New Beverly, Landmark (Nuart, Westwood, sunset is getting there) the AMC citywalk imax is overrated (fight me).
I feel like LA is the least intimidating major city in the US for newcomers. I've lived here for a better part of a decade and the transition was really seamless because everyone here is just so unserious and "chill" that it's almost impossible to not find your niche or way around once you get settled in.
hilarious because i live in the LA area and grew up in CA, i am sick of it and planning to move to Chicago within the next year or so… i feel ya from the opposite angle 😂 lots to love about this area and i hope you have a wonderful experience here :)
hah that's funny he misspelled movies
Lol
You uploaded this right in time to have dinner with me Karsten. Tonight I'm serving chicken tinga with pearl couscous, please wash your hands before you eat.
Karsten, it's already Monkey Monday where I am! Hurl that chicken couscous at the ceiling and scream like a wild baboon
Karsten is slowly transforming into Bob Dylan
James Mangold should have waited a few years......
you're gonna have your mulholland drive moment
as a midwesterner, it is the most midwestern thing in the world to say that the drive from chicago to LA is "not really that bad"
My wife and I moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in November 2018. Just the two of us and our 2 x 17 year old cats at the time. I was firmly established in the Chicago advertising and post production industry as a sound designer/mixer. There was then, and still is a very robust film industry in Chicago. I had the privilege of working with some of the most interesting creatives in advertising in Chicago and directors like the Steve James, a living legend (Hoop Dreams, Life itself). Leaving it behind was hard..I was truly scarred shitless moving to LA but it was honestly the best choice we have ever made in our lives. This place is no joke, it will beat you up but if you learn how to forge your own path and what sort of bullshit to avoid, it will make you better as a creative. I have had so many crazy, serendipitous opportunities happen from being here in LA.
Best of luck Karsten, from 2 former Chicagoans (Andersonville) who landed in LA and are still swimming.
Disappointed that this isn't a review of Shinji Somai's Moving (1993)
Dude moved across the country to one of the most expensive cities in the world just cuz "I love movies and the weather is nice."
And make a movie
Real as hell
I mean those are the reasons people move anywhere Haha The place has allows them to enjoy their interests and they really like the weather of that area
valid
this dude @thetrison prob lives in rural Idaho
Welcome to LA, Karsten! We love it here and hope you do too.
this video was actually really motivating for me because i probably will move to LA in the future and everything in the film industry looks so dire right now but this lifted my spirits a bit, thanks man
Whether this works out or not, we here for you Karst!!
when you’re back in chicago, you’ll feel it
Great decision. You've been crushing it on LB and YT, so I think putting yourself in the place where the actual power players work and live (Hollywood) will only help things continue escalating.
Congrats on moving to LA! I made the move from the Midwest out there to work in PR in 2022 and it was definitely an adventure!
As someone who just moved to LA, welcome man! we are glad to have you!! if you are into standup comedy, i suggest checking out the Largo, wonderful comedy theatre and my favorite place in the city!
Will Karsten Filmquist be in theaters?
27 year old man try is the move. I also left the midwest at 27 and ten years later, I'm grateful I did it. You gotta take risks and I'm glad to see that you are. Live that life.
Moved to Chicago after finishing up undergrad in the Summer of 2022, discovered your channel sometime in 2023, and--admittedly, a bit parasocially--have been hoping I could run into you, or at least have a moment where I'm like "Oh shit that's Karsten!" (Apparently we were both at the Music Box's screening of Nickel Boys, but that shit was PACKED; can't wait for that wide relase, tangentially).
Anyways man, I've grown to love to love the hell outta Chicago, and your General Presence around here will be missed, but as a random digital voice below your video? SO stoked for you man, hope you love the hell out of LA and it offers everything you need :) Very excited to follow your work!
Ayye! Welcome Karsten!! So happy to hear you moved to LA, I grew up there and miss it like crazy- there’s bomb Mexican food(esp taco trucks), super yummy Korean BBQ too, yea the weather is perf, so much diversity- my favorite thing about LA. I love how many people are in one special county, ya traffic is bad but idc. I hope you enjoy LA and you stay safe Karsten! You got this king
Happy for you, moving toward a milestone like this in my life again the moment. It is very scary but comforting to hear someone else talk through it.
Will miss randomly seeing you at the Music Box and being too anxious to say hi
Indianapolis is GOATed, some say the next NYC
.......no........
@@TheBretchenShow well yes!
bro i’m sorry but no one ever is saying that
On the Rockies, my brothers and I took a road trip to Colorado and drove through Grand Junction, and I agree with your sentiment on the place. We continued south and drove on the Million Dollar Highway through Red Mountain Pass between Ouray and Durango. Highly recommend, very scenic road that gets up to 11k feet elevation
all these years of living in chicago i was so sure i’d run into you at some point. guess ill see you in the movies 🥲
Congrats! Move while you’re still young to where you want to be. It’s so much more difficult to move once in your 30s (family,stable job, etc.) keeping you tied down to a place.
This is such insane timing. I’m moving to LA next month for film by myself. I’m very nervous for what’s to come, but this video motivated me that it can be done. If you ever need another connection in the city, hit me up 🤙
Thanks for making this. Been considering the move for similar reasons and have not gotten the feedback I’ve been hoping for online.
Moved to Brooklyn this year without a job. Didn’t work out but I don’t regret it. Had an amazing time and met great people Even though I’m broke now and still want to live there 🙃
congrats on the move!! good luck!!
Good luck Karsten. I hope you find a new part of you there.❤
Coming from someone who has lived in Los Angeles for 10 years, it is a little crazy to move to LA with the sole purpose of making a movie in 2024. That being said, it is the correct move. Almost every single person you'll run into is in the industry to some degree. And don't let people convince you LA is a shit hole liberal cess pool of homeless people. Once you've found your people, your neighborhood and your footing, it's one of the best places to live in your 20s-30s. Don't be another statistic of another transplant that leaves after 24 months. Explore the city, work hard, and stay focused on your goal. Good luck on making the film. Welcome to LA!
Did the opposite move, grew up in LA and moved near Chicago.
Hope you enjoy the sunlight! I've been loving all the seasons here in the Midwest!
Brother, got a question for ya. As a filmmaker who has just moved from LA to Chicago a few weeks ago, do you have any recommendations on filmmaking communities to hit up? I had a good group of creatives to lean on in LA but I am in no man's land in Chicago now lol
As someone who lived in Chicago and a few east coast cities then moved to LA, definitely check out the east side of LA if you don’t already live over there! The west side is so beautiful and star studded, but it often also felt isolating because of how big and car centric it is. Come anywhere east of thai town and it’s packed with all sorts of indie theaters and people looking for community :)
Chicago will miss ya. Have some friends in the film industry here and it’s growing but still not super lucrative yet so it makes sense
as a fellow angelino, a couple quick recommendations. quarter sheets pizza is the best pizza in town. angel’s tacos is the best street food. boxx coffee is the best coffee shop. welcome back, man!
Don't forget Bosa Nova and there Chicken Lasagna.
In and Out is overrated.
Moved to LA from MN in 2017. Lasted three years and knew I couldn’t stay longer than I did. Don’t regret a moment of it, though! Ironically moved back right BEFORE COVID. Like a miracle..
Glad you decided to join the California gang! I can't wait to see your feature once you finish it, I'm sure it'll be great! I recently made a feature film over the past few months with my friends, and we're gonna premier it in December. If you like to come to the premier I'd be honored to have you!
Welcome to So Cal dude! Don’t live in LA specifically but I live an hour outside of it! Hoping for opportunities to present itself! Enjoy!
ran into you at IKEA the other day and afterward was nervous it maybe wasn’t you because i didn’t think you lived in LA. glad this video proves me right! enjoy the city.
People talk a lot of shit about it but as a recent LA transplant who’s been here for 2 years, I honestly love the hell out of this city so far (price of living not included). So much cool movie shit going on all the time!
have always wanted to move to Chicago and subsequently hopefully run into my fav UA-camr but I’m from LA so now I can just hope here 🤣 welcome!!
i'm from the dc/nova area , where nothing but network crime shows are filmed. i live in richmond va for film school, where nothing but historical dramas are filmed every five years. there is essentially no film business on the east coast besides atlanta, new york and sometimes florida (and delaware once in a blue moon). i've been told i have a soul "that would do well in california". and lord knows i would probably. as i'm in my second year of school i can finally feel myself getting my feet on the ground. i get my head in the clouds when my professors talk about graduated students living in la or ny. our school doesn't have much alumni besides macon blair, who is actually from my city. and rick alverson splits his time between richmond and la. idk. the world scares me. but yeah why not. ten years time hopefully. i plan on being a script supervisor or a second ac, and moving my way up as a screenwriter and director from there. ok, thats all.
actually inspiring vid I hope I can do something similar I hope the feature film goes great!
How exciting! I wished to meet you in Chicago one day so there goes that dream
As a film student my plan is to after graduating UCF is to stay in Florida until I have enough money to go to Atlanta to break in since its more friendly and less crowded for Inde Filmmakers, have family members in there and its low taxes. The only chance I would move to New York or LA is if I get into the mainstream. Love LA as a vaction for a week, but unless I get rich or the politics radicly shift, LA is not for me.
I'm SURE you've gotten a ton of recommendations but definitely check out Vidiots, The Vista movie theater, Amoeba records, Atomic records in Burbank, Videoteque in Pasadena, mystic museum in Burbank, and of course the new Bev.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throu off the boulines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover." - Unknoun
I think the biggest downside of LA is the urban sprawl/car culture/ lack of public transport but the culture and general vibes are probably worth it for the right person as long as their finances line up with the cost of living
Kursten's House Owner be like GET OUT!!! 🗣️🔥🔥🔥
I'm from indianapolis and... you're not wrong. But I still love it... some of the time.
good luck karsten 🤞🤞🤞
What would you say is the minimum you need financially to make the move/get started out there?
i got family in grand junction and you hit the nail on the head for it being depressing 😂
would love if you broke down the costs etc, as someone who wants to move, this would be helpful
good for you karsten!
im so happy for you man, i live in argentina and i hope someday i can go to LA.
Is that hitler bro really is Argentinean
This is just like the plot of the movie Robots (2005).
A feature, a creature feature, featuring the creature?
As someone who grew up in Omaha, I also hate Indianapolis
i did this move 3 years ago with literally 0 prospects and like no money and i do not regret it at all i found my way to where i wanted to be and you gotta take the risks to get the rewards
I enjoyed this more introspective one. I also don't think it makes sense (to me at least) to use 6 months as an indicator of if it was the right decision or not. If it goes poorly it doesn't mean the decision was wrong, or vice versa. It just means that it's going the way it's going 6 months in. You made the decision with the information you knew at the time. Hindsight is of course 20/20. I guess the decision is only good or bad if you base it off the information you had at the time, not information that was unbeknownst to you from the future.
Is the Barton Fink hair a part of it?
As someone from the Midwest, I was always confused when people would relentlessly shit on LA for being a horrible city. I’ve learned that us folks from the Midwest love LA, and people from the west coast hate it
Congrats on the move! How unfortunate you chose LA I doubt you’ll like it 😭
As a Coloradoan, I am not at all offended that you were underwhelmed by Grand Junction
does this mean the karstcast can come back
if you go in the hollywood area you'll definitely run into gregg araki (but i think you already met him so there you go)
how many blu rays did you pack
taking this as a sign that i'll be moving to la too
I’m sure you already know the theatres out here, but a few of my favs…Brain Dead, Vista, Laemmle, New Beverly, Landmark (Nuart, Westwood, sunset is getting there) the AMC citywalk imax is overrated (fight me).
Nah image clicking on this and thinking: “He’s gonna talk about Red One, isnt he?” 😅🤣
Yo welcome to my town
Which part of la did you chose to live in the end?
Talking Heads reference!!
Not me watching this from indianapolis.
Damn Karsten. I seen you at the Brickyard target once and I didnt want to bother you. Now I’ll never see you here again.
"if you're thinking about moving to LA, form your own opinions and I'll see you next time"
chi will miss u!!
this video should be called "where I was in November"
Come to the American Cinematheque!
Is karsten gonna be in the big leagues now?
Make the best of it!
Hope to see you at vidiots
welcome :)
become an american cinematheque member!!
Congrats on the move man!
No way bro made a talking heads reference
I also hate Indianapolis thank you so much for that take
hell ya brother
He took Justin Timberlake’s advice
I feel like LA is the least intimidating major city in the US for newcomers. I've lived here for a better part of a decade and the transition was really seamless because everyone here is just so unserious and "chill" that it's almost impossible to not find your niche or way around once you get settled in.
hilarious because i live in the LA area and grew up in CA, i am sick of it and planning to move to Chicago within the next year or so… i feel ya from the opposite angle 😂 lots to love about this area and i hope you have a wonderful experience here :)
Hope ur moving to my bedroom
MINNESOTA MENTIONED!!!
Congrats on the move - the process of moving sucks.
You’re actually agreeing with the tweet with what you’re saying
Wait till he finds out about the Bay Area 😮💨
3:03 ty honey
not knowing vegan food could be good is such a midwest thing to say