This was a very productive visit. I met with an executive who was vice president of a major company as well as Louise Levison and others. I don't know if I can give details of the information, but here's the gist.
1) Yes, no one knows anything.
2) Film is a lottery, and, while you can score big, you must be prepared to lose your entire investment, and, if you can't afford that, don't play roulette.
3) LA remains key - you don't need to go to LA to get a job, but, to hit it worldwide, you have to have a presence in the City of Angels.
4) Last, but certainly not least, I spoke to lawyers who confirmed what I know, that there must be appropriate legal safeguards - to do without these would be to make the mistakes so many clients have made.
There is much, much more, but I've only scratched the surface. I will say one last thing - for a sci-fi flick, special effects are key, and my question now is how important they are, because they are expensive.
That said, I will soon be prepared to start filming shorts, to begin the next phase of my goal.