07-27-2017, 06:43 PM
my experience with freelance has been searching and taking initiative is necessary mostly at the beginning-mid level, but if you have a niche and strong work, people will start coming to you more. Might take a couple of years to get to that...it depends on you and your work. I don't view self promotion or smart marketing as a negative at all. It's what any business does...create a recognisable brand.
studio work is the much easier option imo. get into a studio, learn, make connections, then go off on your own. There are few downsides to studio work...mostly if you don't like having to get up same tine everyday and commute, and don't like office politics. You also might find it hard to muster up enthusiasm for personal projects and always working on other people's shit.
There are many downsides to Freelance which also requires a lot of self discipline and savings to rely on during lean periods. If you don't have either you're in for some hard times. You can get very isolated socially, work too much or not enough. It only works well if you are prepared.
contracts and licencing isn't rocket science and doesn't have to take up too much time, though it can be time consuming ironing out details. I like the contract side, and I always retain all rights to my work and get half upfront with a kill fee. shitty companies like FFG will offer worse rights and rates...it's up to you if you want to devalue yourself with work for hire in order to pay bills and get some "exposure". It's a valid choice, just depends what your immediate needs are I guess. Work for hire becomes more acceptable when the rates go up...eg AAA or large studio movies etc
The one major huge benefit to freelance is being able to work from anywhere in the world pretty much and to your own schedule (mostly) and not having to deal with the always one or two obligatory persistent fuckwits that will be found inhabiting any officespace. I say this having spent the last 3 months travelling and working all around europe. There are few other jobs you can get that allow this freedom. As my granny used to say.... "No risk,no reward m$+=erF@#c#er"
studio work is the much easier option imo. get into a studio, learn, make connections, then go off on your own. There are few downsides to studio work...mostly if you don't like having to get up same tine everyday and commute, and don't like office politics. You also might find it hard to muster up enthusiasm for personal projects and always working on other people's shit.
There are many downsides to Freelance which also requires a lot of self discipline and savings to rely on during lean periods. If you don't have either you're in for some hard times. You can get very isolated socially, work too much or not enough. It only works well if you are prepared.
contracts and licencing isn't rocket science and doesn't have to take up too much time, though it can be time consuming ironing out details. I like the contract side, and I always retain all rights to my work and get half upfront with a kill fee. shitty companies like FFG will offer worse rights and rates...it's up to you if you want to devalue yourself with work for hire in order to pay bills and get some "exposure". It's a valid choice, just depends what your immediate needs are I guess. Work for hire becomes more acceptable when the rates go up...eg AAA or large studio movies etc
The one major huge benefit to freelance is being able to work from anywhere in the world pretty much and to your own schedule (mostly) and not having to deal with the always one or two obligatory persistent fuckwits that will be found inhabiting any officespace. I say this having spent the last 3 months travelling and working all around europe. There are few other jobs you can get that allow this freedom. As my granny used to say.... "No risk,no reward m$+=erF@#c#er"