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HOW TO SUCCEED IN FREELANCING WITHOUT BEING "TRYING" By Douglas Arnold, Executive Producer, Quantum Productions It seems that everybody wants to be a freelancer today. The least amount of film or video experience suddenly transforms a novice technician into a freelancing professional anxious to take on any and every job. As a producer and director, I've hired and fired my share of freelancers. I often thought that if only someone would give these men and women some idea of what the real world is like, they would be able to advance their careers with fewer headaches -- both for themselves and for the producers they work for during a project. This is by no means a comprehensive list of ideas, opinions or recemmendations, but I think it is a good start. Freelancers, regardless of age or experience, can benefit from some or all of these ideas presented. I welcome your comments and hope other producers and directors will contact me with other ideas to expand on this document. I will update it as often as I get new material. You will find three subchapters entitled "How Much Do You Really Know You Know?", "The Business of Freelancing" and "Preparing for an Assignment." It takes about ten minutes to finish the entire article. So, let's begin at the beginning: 1. HOW MUCH DO YOU REALLY KNOW YOU KNOW? O.K., you went to college and have a degree in communications/ speech/ journalism/ theatre/ etc. You know how (or should) to walk around a studio or set and turn on some fancy equipment. You know the difference between 3/4" and 1", as well as how to point a camera at a subject. But how many assignments have you really been on? How much tape have you edited or shot? I, as a producer hiring experienced people, want to know your level of experience in hours of tape shot, not numbers of cassettes! Regretfully, there are more recent grads out there than jobs. Most experienced producers can spot them in a New York second -- age 21 to 24, full of enthusiasm, a resume padded heavily with co-op assignments, charity activities and some "hands-on" internships. Most of these novices are looking for their first real break in commercial production and they freelance to stay alive until a real 40-hour a week job opens up. If they have a demo tape it is of their college extra-credit assignment, usually of kids, animals or old people. These are not criticisms, just observations. I've seen dozens - more than a hundred - resumes of this type. The University of Missouri Journalism School is about 100 miles from here and it turns out some of the best grads anywhere. Most return home to St. Louis and eventually I get their resume. Most are heavy on education, light on experience. If you are a recent grad with limited professional (as in "I got paid money for this job") experience, don't try to dazzle people with your resume. It will show through immediately. So you don't have years, or even months, of experience. Producers will consider young talent if they are mature, willing to following orders, recognize their limited economic value and have an positive, hard-working attitude. Maturity is simple to define. Be on time. Be neatly and appropriately dressed for your duties. This means a suit sometimes, and jeans sometimes. Being mature is knowing when to do things. Know when to keep quiet and when to speak. Most immature freelancers run at the mouth constantly; and in front of clients this can be a problem to the producer. Willingness to follow orders is vitally important. I was recently on a shoot and my gaffer would not light the scene the way my director wanted it lit. The gaffer was a professional -- he told my director his opinion of how it should be lit. This is not only fine, but I expect my professionals to make good recommendations, even if it is not the way I originally planned. He was polite and direct, no beating around the bush. My director listened to the gaffer's idea. I like this director a great deal; she knew the man had lighting experience and respected his knowledge. However, when he was through explaining his recommendation, she said it was a good idea but not appropriate for the mood the script called for. The problem resulted when the gaffer refused to set up the lights the way the director wanted them prepared. He wanted to set them up his way and show her the effect. Now my director was quite experienced and could mentally visualize most lighting situations. She also knew that we were on a tight schedule -- and translate that into every additional hour meant hundreds of dollars spent by the client. The two went back and forth for about ten minutes before the diretor called me and explained the situation. She was not authorized to fire the gaffer; I was. I heard her side and asked the gaffer for his side. (A good producer mediates everything and should always hear both sides before making a decision) I respected his opinion but felt the director had a better understanding of the overall "look" and "feel" of this production. Her lighting set up was to be prepared immediately and the gaffer was informed that he would follow her orders on this shoot without getting me involved again. I told him that if was to work for me again, my directors were the final authority on everything that occurs on a set. He understood, but more than 45 minutes were lost on a very busy day. And he knew that my directors were in charge of all creative decisions before he took the job. Creative recommendations are important. They should be expressed, but when prima donna directors, scriptwriters, gaffers, shooters, and talent clash one -- and only one -- person will ultimately be in charge. Know who that person is and do what that person wants done. Recognize that you have limited economic value to the producer. What does this mean? Simply put, the producer is going to spend more of the client's money on experienced professionals than for young professionals still learning the business. Most young people don't understand the principle that you don't get paid for the amount of work you do, you get paid for how you do your work. This relates to the saying "Work Smarter, Not Harder," but for most apprentice workers you must work smarter and harder. A young production assistant stopped me during a shoot several years ago and said he did not understand why he got only $90 a day for being a production assistant (a.k.a. "go-fer"/grip/driver/etc.). He complained that he was working his ass off doing grunt work when he knew more than the videographer doing the shooting. I reminded him that he was hired as a production assistant and that he knew he was a P.A. when he signed on to the shoot. I didn't need two shooters, I needed a shooter and a P.A. and he was the P.A. He did not like the fact the shooter was getting $150 a day for a lot less "sweat work." Maybe he was a better shooter. Today, I know he is a better videographer. But he was hired as a P.A. and he was paid P.A. wages. I make sure my crew knows what they are to do and what they get paid before they work for me. New grads are not going to get paid the same as experienced, older workers. These workers usually know tricks of the trade, shortcuts and pitfalls to avoid. Younger workers are expected to learn while they earn, but earn less. Many producers won't hire new grads at all. They don't want to be bothered with overly enthusiastic, under-experienced people on a set. I must confess, if the client is going to hover over a shoot, I don't want a novice doing something foolish in front of my bread-and-butter. There are jobs where new grads are welcome, and their are jobs where they are best avoided. Now, the subject of working hard. Really, I mean working "harder", usually harder than anyone on the crew. I look for young people who are willing to do any job, large/small, heavy/light, minor/major with the right attitude. A person succeeds in life partially because of their attitude. I like positive, upbeat people on my crews. I want my crew's spirit to be high. This sends a message to my clients that we are confident, capable and creative. Hard workers surface in every profession. They go the extra mile, do the little things, and follow up on every detail. It is hard to explain, but it is easy to see when someone is a hard worker. Usually it is in contrast with other workers who just aren't putting 100 percent into their task. The hard worker is obvious. I remember a videographer who did not carry or move the camera equipment on the set -- that was left for P.A.s to do. He was a bit of a prima donna, but outstanding creatively. He worked hard finding the right angles, the right lighting, the right movement for each shot, but he rarely touched the camera. When our day of shooting was over and we were breaking the set, he walked over and picked up some trash that was blowing across the floor. He helped pitch in loading our grip and offered to take one of our gaffers home, even though it was out of his way. He had worked hard doing his job during the day, and after the shoot continued to be a team player by offering to do more. A producer looks for people with maturity, the ability to follow orders, a solid grasp of their true economic value and the ability and willingness to work hard. 2. THE BUSINESS OF FREELANCING Many freelancers don't know there is more to freelancing than just working. Much more. First, the IRS is interested in your work, or more appropriately, the fruits of your labor. If you make more than $600 from any one job, the producer who hired you is obligated to file a Form 1099 with the IRS. This lists all money you earned on the freelance job along with your social security number and address. Failure to report income could be hazardous to your freedom and future. Keep good records. Know who you worked for and when. Know precisely how much you were paid and get be sure to invoice for jobs completed. Even if you were paid in cash, you must keep good records. Most producers today are faced with considerable liability burdens. Insurance rates for production have gone up dramatically. If you are independently insured as a freelancer you may be able to find more employment. This is because your insurance reduces the cost normally paid by the producer to insure crew and equipment on a shoot. Be sure to discuss this with your insurance agent before telling a producer you are covered. It is vitally important that you have special coverage for your liabilities when working -- equipment damage, injuries to you or other parties, etc. Having such insurance coverage is a good idea anyway. If you do not have special coverage you may be asked to sign a waiver of liability. I get one from all of my freelancers who do not have insurance coverage of their own. It simply states you will not hold the producer or client liable for any accidents that occur during the production. It may also state that the freelancer will be held responsible for any and all damage and injuries that occur while he or she is operating or responsible for equipment during the duration of a production. I always get a signed letter of agreement from freelancers prior to an assignment. This letter spells out the terms of payment, when and where the work is to be accomplished, the duties and responsibilities of the freelancer and other details (dress code, safety, travel, insurance, etc.) that may be necessary. This way the producer and freelancer know precisely what is to be expected during a job. The successful producer lives by the motto "NO SURPRISES!" So should the successful freelancer. 3. PREPARING FOR AN ASSIGNMENT I can tell precisely how professional a freelancer is by his or her interest in a project during the initial contact. Most of my most trusted freelancers are eager to prepare for an assignment. Doing one's homework involves several things. For the production crew it means reviewing the script and shoot list well in advance of the actual day of shooting. For the creative workers it is important to have some understanding of the client -- who they are, where they are from, what they do, who their customers are, what their services or products are, and what their services and products do. I always have client literature available for my "eyeball" people - directors and videographers. These people must be able to "see" the video production from the very start. Of course, if I don't write the script or produce the project, my scriptwriters and producers work with such resources first. Quite often there are previous films, videos or slide shows available that help define the visual personality of a company or institution. These should be reviewed before scripts or storyboards are prepared. Freelancers who can identify such traits such as logoes, packaging identities or other visual "corporate signatures" are very valuable to me and other producers. It is also expected that the freelancer know the equipment that is going to be used on the shoot. Often the producer packages a variety of rental equipment from a variety of suppliers for a project. This means that all personnel who will handle equipment should be familiar with the technology used. I would rather have a freelancers say "I've never worked with a JVC 4900, but I'll get the book immediately," than pretend he or she knows how to operate the same. Handbooks, directories and guides should be made available prior to the shoot so freelancers can familiarize themselves with the machines that will capture the images desired. Most rental houses will provide the original guides on cameras, recorders, editors, etc. and these resources should be reviewed. Nothing will ruin your reputation faster than messing up a shoot. If a director expects you to know how to operate an "Iki" or any other type of equipment you better be ready to shoot efficiently on the day of production. Novices who tinker and fuss around a camera or recorder trying to get it to work usually have limited careers as freelancers. Know thy equipment! Freelancing can be a profitable and exciting way of making a living. I hope these few ideas help you and others discover what producers and directors look for and expect from freelancers. A good friend has been a professional freelancer for more than 18 year in St. Louis - which is known to be a tough market. He has shared some of his experiences with me and and after more than 18 years his mother, to this day, tells all of her friends that her son makes a living as a video "freeloader." I hope your freelancing prospers and grows. Best wishes. Douglas Arnold (76456,2630) Executive Producer Quantum Productions Suite 320T 225 S. Meramec St. Louis, MO 63105