Freelancing outside of the LA area

[Bishop Six]

I would like to work a freelance artist(specifically concept artist) for games/films/etc. One thing which seems to be a big setback to this is the fact that I live in Arizona and the industry is in LA. Obviously, the best path for this career choice would be to move to LA, but I have a lot of ties in Arizona. I know there are freelancers out there who work in the industry but do not live in LA, although, it would seem most of them are able to do so because they are already established artists(Craig Mullins, for example). I was wondering what anyone currently in the industry thinks about the probability of being a successful freelance artist while living outside of the LA area. And to those doing freelance only, how long did it take you to build a solid client base? Thanks.

[Storyboard Dave]

With the internet being my ultimate tool for delivering work nowadays, it really doesn't matter. I still send out calls to people I know all across the states and still get work from all over- not just local. So I don't think it's an impossibility for you to get that kind of work if you're not in the area. Granted you might miss out on some opportunities that are super hot or really juicy but that's not to say you still can't land work from NOT being in the area.

It's all about making the connections.