Sometimes the creative freelance life could do with a bit of a kick. We need information about what's happening in our world, or maybe we need a
confidence injection from reading about the life of another freelance success. Here we feature regular articles that explore in more depth issues of
relevance to creative freelancers. We also showcase other freelancers who are making their way on their own terms. The more information the
merrier, and it's a pretty good read for you too!
confidence injection from reading about the life of another freelance success. Here we feature regular articles that explore in more depth issues of
relevance to creative freelancers. We also showcase other freelancers who are making their way on their own terms. The more information the
merrier, and it's a pretty good read for you too!
In times of economic downturn, the prevailing idea is that jobs are in crisis.
Our finances are in peril and the time has come for extreme conservatism.
But what of those who already work outside traditional employment? How do film makers keep afloat during the tough times?
Monica Davidson investigates. Preview only, to read the full article click HERE.
Our finances are in peril and the time has come for extreme conservatism.
But what of those who already work outside traditional employment? How do film makers keep afloat during the tough times?
Monica Davidson investigates. Preview only, to read the full article click HERE.
Previous articles...
- Leap Into Freelancing. When is the best time to become a freelancer? And how can you know when to leap? Reproduced from My Career.
- Pleasure and Peace of Mind. Musings on the ups (many) and downs (few) of the frugal life in these times of economic crisis.
- Finding the Light in the Gloom. Things that freelancers can do to prepare for the oncoming financial storm on 2009.
- Rick Brewster. The guitarist from The Angels talks about a freelance career in the Australian music industry.
- Michel Streich. Freelance illustrator Michel chats about illustration and a freelance career that has spawned two continents.
- Emma Vuletic. Writer Emma talks about her work as a young playwright and an amazing journey that has taken her all over the world.
- John Harding. The founder of Soundbloke explains how he came to be a sound recordist and how the freelance life is treating him.
- Anthea Williamson. Freelance photographer Anthea talks about how freelancing found her and still sustains her.
| Preview only, to read the full article click HERE. Article and Image © Monica Davidson 2009 First published in Metro Magazine, 2009 |
| Keeping Afloat as a Filmmaker |
The global financial crisis began in 2007 when US investors lost confidence in the value of secured mortgages, and various major banks
and financial institutions worldwide became involved. In late 2008 stock markets worldwide crashed and a number of countries declared
recession, including the United States. Although Australia is not yet officially in recession, unemployment is on the rise and pundits predict
our economy will suffer further in the upcoming year.
Ironically filmmakers are both affected by, and insulated from, market forces. This is due in large part to the varied ways in which
productions are financed. Most professional filmmakers, regardless of their occupation, will spread their employment across a variety of
productions in any given year. Those productions could be wholly government financed, a corporate video, a commercial, a show aimed
squarely at the entertainment markets of cinema and television, or even an independent feature. Where their work comes from tends to
dictate how well filmmakers will survive in a recession.
Some areas of film and video production have been immediately affected by the current economic climate. Although there are no precise
figures to back the claim, many filmmakers have noticed a marked downturn in the amount of television commercial production.
Feature film production has been dually effected by the economy. Federal government funding was slashed by $9.5 million in the most
recent Budget, but the introduction of the Producer’s Offset initiative means producers can now get a rebate of up to 40 per cent on
Australian production spending. Tax rebates are also helping to attract foreign investment in local production, and some areas such as
documentary are remaining strong.
and financial institutions worldwide became involved. In late 2008 stock markets worldwide crashed and a number of countries declared
recession, including the United States. Although Australia is not yet officially in recession, unemployment is on the rise and pundits predict
our economy will suffer further in the upcoming year.
Ironically filmmakers are both affected by, and insulated from, market forces. This is due in large part to the varied ways in which
productions are financed. Most professional filmmakers, regardless of their occupation, will spread their employment across a variety of
productions in any given year. Those productions could be wholly government financed, a corporate video, a commercial, a show aimed
squarely at the entertainment markets of cinema and television, or even an independent feature. Where their work comes from tends to
dictate how well filmmakers will survive in a recession.
Some areas of film and video production have been immediately affected by the current economic climate. Although there are no precise
figures to back the claim, many filmmakers have noticed a marked downturn in the amount of television commercial production.
Feature film production has been dually effected by the economy. Federal government funding was slashed by $9.5 million in the most
recent Budget, but the introduction of the Producer’s Offset initiative means producers can now get a rebate of up to 40 per cent on
Australian production spending. Tax rebates are also helping to attract foreign investment in local production, and some areas such as
documentary are remaining strong.
Andrew Mula is a classic example of a filmmaker who has worked in a number of occupations across all the various levels of film and video production in his twelve year career. As an
independent freelancer, he has moved from features to television to creating web videos. His work has, quite literally, shrunk.
Andrew started working in features as a runner and camera assistant at Warner Bros, and then moved to television. After moving to the UK in the early part of the decade, he was a camera
operator and editor on documentaries for the BBC and CNN. When he returned to Australia several years ago, he immediately saw the potential for internet video. “I could see bandwidth
expanding, reaching so many consumers. The time was ripe to tap into a commercial market, so I moved to the smaller screen." Andrew’s primary work now is as a field producer and director
for a number of clients including non-government organisations, councils, and corporate clients such as Pacific Publishing. His combination of a diverse range of clients across a niche area of
the production spectrum means he has not yet suffered from the economic downturn. “I’m fairly insulated from it, because dealing predominantly in internet video it’s a very monetised,
measured result for clients. They’re able to see more specifically the results than they would in traditional forms of media like print or TV.”
However, not all have been so fortunate. Andrew says, ““In the last 12 months, I’ve had a little bit more work. At the same time, I have peers that are really struggling. They’re not in as much of a
niche area, they’re technicians in film and TV, who have really seen a shrinking of the sector.”
Jamie Platt has worked as an assistant director in film and television since the early 1990s. His credits include Home and Away, two of the Matrix movies, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
Jamie’s employment has been typical of many filmmakers, in that he has moved steadily from one employment position to another. “I always worked for different companies, and I worked on
different projects whether it was a film or a commercial. It could be one day, three weeks, three months, whatever. At the end of that you‘re unemployed and you have to keep generating work.”
Jamie has also been insulated from the shaky economy. “I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve been through a time in the Australia film and television industry where there was an abundance of work
for those who were skilled. During that, and after, I realised it’s also a young person’s game so you have to bank for your future, and work out where you’re going to go next.”
Amy Le Brocq is a writer and emerging filmmaker who recently decided to stop full time work and concentrate on her creative career. In that time she has completed her Certificate IV in Screen
and Media, and her short film The Shot placed second at the Wollombi Film Festival in 2008. She produced and directed her first hour length documentary The Naked Truth about Aussie
Blokes, which will be released later this year.
The global financial crisis, while important, was not a factor in her decision. “Everyone needs a motivation to spur them into action. If my life was to be about money, then I can find ways to
maximise that, but would I be happy? I’ve been writing for years, it’s been my fantasy world, my escape. Now it’s my reality and I’m bringing it to audiences. I’m making it real.” She has given
herself two years to become a self-sustaining writer and filmmaker, and while she still needs help from her partner to pay the rent, she is already fielding calls from directors about her work,
and producing her own projects.
Even though Andrew, Jamie and Amy work in diverse professions and are hired in different ways within a complicated industry, all three have devised some basic and practical measures to
counteract the possibility of reduced work opportunities. The first is to maintain and manage their cash flow.
Money Comes In, Money Comes Out
In any kind of employment in the film and television industry, understanding the flow of money is crucial. Jamie says “You have to ride on your success but you also have to set yourself up for
any future failures. You don’t want it, but you also know you have to keep eating. It’s just a matter of safe guarding for the future, and it’s whatever works for you.”
Andrew says the secret to successful freelancing is anticipation, including appreciating the famine and feast of working the film industry. In his twelve year career he has experienced a number
of lean times, and while inevitable, they are still daunting. “I can remember times when there have been 6 or 8 weeks when I haven’t heard from anyone.”
Andrew recommends planning for slow times when the cash is still flowing in. “It’s really important to manage your money effectively. We freelancers earn in lumps of cash, so knowing how to
spend it and where takes time. When to do that, and how much to spend, takes patience.” He goes on, “I know freelancers who don’t know how to manage their cash, they spend those lumps
as quickly as possible and struggle to make ends meet for the next month. We have to learn how to drip feed our finances to cover us in the lean months.”
Although raised to believe in working to put food on the table, Amy’s writing and filmmaker are not yet at a point where she can provide too much bread and butter. She is, however, committed to
her choice. “It’s not about dollar value, it’s about life value. Money you can budget, you can look at how much you’ve got and despite the amount, you can make it work to what you need. There
are things I’m going without, but which I’m happy to. I’ve had them before, and I’ll have them again. Right now my currency is story telling.”
Putting the Word Out
Effective marketing is the second measure to protect against economic downturn. While may filmmakers only focus on their marketing when they are already between jobs, all three
interviewees believe that their regular and consistent marketing has made the difference in cushioning them against the worst of the downturn.
Andrew likes to know where his work will take him around three to six months in advance. However, regardless of how much work he already has, he spends a regular amount of time each
month investing in his marketing. “Ring old clients, ring new ones, work out who you can better supply to existing clients, and let them know how.” Andrew is also a dedicated networker and
spends regular time attending networking events, conferences, courses, any occasion where he might meet potential clients or interesting peers.
Unpaid work that switches his trajectory or challenges him in different areas is another of Andrew’s strategies in down times. “I think it’s really important to do work that you may not get paid for,
but that will add a feather to your bow.” He has recently shot and directed a music video for upcoming hip hop act Choose Mics, and worked for free. “I knew that there were a few production
companies out there that were looking for music video directors, and it was timely because I was able to make this video. It’s a great time to help them develop a brand and an image for the
group, and for me too.”
Just starting out, Amy is keen to spread the word out about her work and spends a great deal of time researching, emailing and calling potentials. “I subscribe to different industry newsletters, if
a project jumps out at me, I’ll enquire about it to see if it’s the right fit as far as collaboration goes.” She continues, “Today I responded for an advertisement for a producer on an independent
documentary. If there’s an opportunity that speaks to me, I’ll make the phone call and pursue it.” She has also been known to spruik her filmmaking and writing abilities to anyone from major
film directors to her mechanic.
Jamie has been a successful assistant director for so long that his work speaks for itself. “I treat every production, and every person involved, with my best. In terms of reputation, it goes from
there. I earn respect, and I think that carries me forward to the next job.” He continues, “If you do consistent good work, and you don’t renege on it, then fortune should follow.”
Jamie’s recent challenge has been to move away from assisting other people’s productions and start creating his own. The potential recession has not swayed him from his ultimate goal, his
own business. “Platt Productions is something that I’ve wanted to do all my life. I’ve purposely set out to gather as much experience as I can, to learn as much as I can, to push it to the next
boundary. It’s scary, but I want to go to that next boundary.”
independent freelancer, he has moved from features to television to creating web videos. His work has, quite literally, shrunk.
Andrew started working in features as a runner and camera assistant at Warner Bros, and then moved to television. After moving to the UK in the early part of the decade, he was a camera
operator and editor on documentaries for the BBC and CNN. When he returned to Australia several years ago, he immediately saw the potential for internet video. “I could see bandwidth
expanding, reaching so many consumers. The time was ripe to tap into a commercial market, so I moved to the smaller screen." Andrew’s primary work now is as a field producer and director
for a number of clients including non-government organisations, councils, and corporate clients such as Pacific Publishing. His combination of a diverse range of clients across a niche area of
the production spectrum means he has not yet suffered from the economic downturn. “I’m fairly insulated from it, because dealing predominantly in internet video it’s a very monetised,
measured result for clients. They’re able to see more specifically the results than they would in traditional forms of media like print or TV.”
However, not all have been so fortunate. Andrew says, ““In the last 12 months, I’ve had a little bit more work. At the same time, I have peers that are really struggling. They’re not in as much of a
niche area, they’re technicians in film and TV, who have really seen a shrinking of the sector.”
Jamie Platt has worked as an assistant director in film and television since the early 1990s. His credits include Home and Away, two of the Matrix movies, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
Jamie’s employment has been typical of many filmmakers, in that he has moved steadily from one employment position to another. “I always worked for different companies, and I worked on
different projects whether it was a film or a commercial. It could be one day, three weeks, three months, whatever. At the end of that you‘re unemployed and you have to keep generating work.”
Jamie has also been insulated from the shaky economy. “I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve been through a time in the Australia film and television industry where there was an abundance of work
for those who were skilled. During that, and after, I realised it’s also a young person’s game so you have to bank for your future, and work out where you’re going to go next.”
Amy Le Brocq is a writer and emerging filmmaker who recently decided to stop full time work and concentrate on her creative career. In that time she has completed her Certificate IV in Screen
and Media, and her short film The Shot placed second at the Wollombi Film Festival in 2008. She produced and directed her first hour length documentary The Naked Truth about Aussie
Blokes, which will be released later this year.
The global financial crisis, while important, was not a factor in her decision. “Everyone needs a motivation to spur them into action. If my life was to be about money, then I can find ways to
maximise that, but would I be happy? I’ve been writing for years, it’s been my fantasy world, my escape. Now it’s my reality and I’m bringing it to audiences. I’m making it real.” She has given
herself two years to become a self-sustaining writer and filmmaker, and while she still needs help from her partner to pay the rent, she is already fielding calls from directors about her work,
and producing her own projects.
Even though Andrew, Jamie and Amy work in diverse professions and are hired in different ways within a complicated industry, all three have devised some basic and practical measures to
counteract the possibility of reduced work opportunities. The first is to maintain and manage their cash flow.
Money Comes In, Money Comes Out
In any kind of employment in the film and television industry, understanding the flow of money is crucial. Jamie says “You have to ride on your success but you also have to set yourself up for
any future failures. You don’t want it, but you also know you have to keep eating. It’s just a matter of safe guarding for the future, and it’s whatever works for you.”
Andrew says the secret to successful freelancing is anticipation, including appreciating the famine and feast of working the film industry. In his twelve year career he has experienced a number
of lean times, and while inevitable, they are still daunting. “I can remember times when there have been 6 or 8 weeks when I haven’t heard from anyone.”
Andrew recommends planning for slow times when the cash is still flowing in. “It’s really important to manage your money effectively. We freelancers earn in lumps of cash, so knowing how to
spend it and where takes time. When to do that, and how much to spend, takes patience.” He goes on, “I know freelancers who don’t know how to manage their cash, they spend those lumps
as quickly as possible and struggle to make ends meet for the next month. We have to learn how to drip feed our finances to cover us in the lean months.”
Although raised to believe in working to put food on the table, Amy’s writing and filmmaker are not yet at a point where she can provide too much bread and butter. She is, however, committed to
her choice. “It’s not about dollar value, it’s about life value. Money you can budget, you can look at how much you’ve got and despite the amount, you can make it work to what you need. There
are things I’m going without, but which I’m happy to. I’ve had them before, and I’ll have them again. Right now my currency is story telling.”
Putting the Word Out
Effective marketing is the second measure to protect against economic downturn. While may filmmakers only focus on their marketing when they are already between jobs, all three
interviewees believe that their regular and consistent marketing has made the difference in cushioning them against the worst of the downturn.
Andrew likes to know where his work will take him around three to six months in advance. However, regardless of how much work he already has, he spends a regular amount of time each
month investing in his marketing. “Ring old clients, ring new ones, work out who you can better supply to existing clients, and let them know how.” Andrew is also a dedicated networker and
spends regular time attending networking events, conferences, courses, any occasion where he might meet potential clients or interesting peers.
Unpaid work that switches his trajectory or challenges him in different areas is another of Andrew’s strategies in down times. “I think it’s really important to do work that you may not get paid for,
but that will add a feather to your bow.” He has recently shot and directed a music video for upcoming hip hop act Choose Mics, and worked for free. “I knew that there were a few production
companies out there that were looking for music video directors, and it was timely because I was able to make this video. It’s a great time to help them develop a brand and an image for the
group, and for me too.”
Just starting out, Amy is keen to spread the word out about her work and spends a great deal of time researching, emailing and calling potentials. “I subscribe to different industry newsletters, if
a project jumps out at me, I’ll enquire about it to see if it’s the right fit as far as collaboration goes.” She continues, “Today I responded for an advertisement for a producer on an independent
documentary. If there’s an opportunity that speaks to me, I’ll make the phone call and pursue it.” She has also been known to spruik her filmmaking and writing abilities to anyone from major
film directors to her mechanic.
Jamie has been a successful assistant director for so long that his work speaks for itself. “I treat every production, and every person involved, with my best. In terms of reputation, it goes from
there. I earn respect, and I think that carries me forward to the next job.” He continues, “If you do consistent good work, and you don’t renege on it, then fortune should follow.”
Jamie’s recent challenge has been to move away from assisting other people’s productions and start creating his own. The potential recession has not swayed him from his ultimate goal, his
own business. “Platt Productions is something that I’ve wanted to do all my life. I’ve purposely set out to gather as much experience as I can, to learn as much as I can, to push it to the next
boundary. It’s scary, but I want to go to that next boundary.”
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Freelance Success is a registered trademark #1241679.
Freelance Success is another business adventure owned by...
Freelance Success is a registered trademark #1241679.
Freelance Success is another business adventure owned by...
Andrew Mula, freelance filmmaker
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