Column | How Freelancers Can Succeed

Inspired by Cirque du Soleil and large-scale creative experiences, Sarah Burren wants her fusion of interactive theatre and education to go global. She tells Ande Schurr about the five year journey, and attempts to secure funds from local government and corporations, to bring her 'edu-tainment' project Journey to the Deep to the world.   Read More »

In his latest tips for How Freelancers Can Succeed, Ande Schurr says Facebook can ignite the fires of your business and help define and develop its culture and spirit. He offers some case studies and encouragement to start devoting more emphasis on social media. Read More »

By Ande Schurr

There is a saying that blood is thicker than water, that the bonds between family members is stronger than those of friendships. When it comes to building a successful company, the rules change. Colleagues become family. Read More »

By Ande Schurr

Adapting to the market is not a business strategy but an entire overhaul of your work ethic. It means being aware of anything pertinent to your business.

From eyeing the competition, keeping close to clients and tools of your craft, to knowing the latest funding criteria changes. Read More »

By Ande Schurr

The corporate video market is an industry unto itself. Hundreds of small production companies around New Zealand vie for the job to produce internal videos for medium to large organisations who have grown beyond their ability to have a face-to-face conversation with their employees. Read More »

Ande Schurr reviews and wraps-up his columns from 2011 with 12 lessons for freelancers and, as part of our ten year celebrations, considers what The Big Idea means to him.

"One reason I started the column, 'How Freelancers Can Succeed', is because I wanted to challenge the notion of the artist or technician who lives by the skin of their teeth." Read More »

A freelancer who is looking to remain relevant in their industry must search within themselves from time to time, assessing what they are doing wrong as much as what they are doing right.

In his latest column, Ande Schurr outlines three common mistakes that freelancers make and some tips on how to avoid them. Read More »

Lewis Bostock has made it his business to discover how independent film and web producers can make money, or as he puts it, become 'sustainable'. Ande Schurr interviews the freelance web video producer and co-host of web show The Social Life. Read More »

We can become so consumed with our work that we forget about the things that deep down we yearn to understand, says Ande Schurr in his latest column for freelancers.

"Even more important than keeping our craft sharp and our skills refined, is the need to keep our mind continually growing and stretching." Read More »

Storytelling is one of the oldest art forms for communicating ideas and one of the great adapters to evolving mediums. So are the storytellers, like transmedia director Chris Clark.

He tells Ande Schurr how his role is becoming broader and more collaborative.“Which is great. More clever people with more good ideas! Read More »

If you're tuning into live coverage of the Rugby World Cup 2011, spare a thought for those working behind the scenes. Ande Schurr talks to one cog in the machine - audio engineers on OB (Outside or Onsite Broadcasts) trucks, delivering live sound from the field to your screen. Read More »

Ande Schurr shares his 'lesson learned' from six years of freelancing and asks you to share yours.

Ande works in the film industry but his lessons apply to many freelancers including; specialising and generalising are two opposite, yet valid, pathways and having a mentor is the fastest way forward. Read More »

In the middle of the recession, popular director-producer partnership, Mike Oldershaw and Johnny Blick, started up their own company Waitemata Films. Read More »

We can lose more than our income if we neglect the basics of building a business and jump ship too soon.

Ande Schurr’s latest post for freelancers deals with the importance of specialising in one area before 'chasing the fancy ideas that pop into our heads'. Read More »

Capturing 100 percent clean location sound is the ideal, especially if shooting lower budget films, but is it always possible? Ande Schurr offers some technical tips and examples from his time on NZ feature films Russian Snark and Timeslow. Read More »

Ande Schurr interviews three line producers who have a healthy track record of bringing home international commercials.

They delve deeper into the business of line production, including improving and selling the advantages of filming in New Zealand. Read More »

Ande Schurr writes about the common fear of cold calling and how to tame it. He says by using one simple technique, applicable even in finding a date, the once fearful freelancer can start to enjoy cold calls like you are talking to a friend. Read More »

Ande Schurr suggests a way to break bad business habits by trialling a trick he learnt in a book about monks and Ferraris.

"When we use positive pressure to make the changes we need, we give ourselves a decent chance to achieve it." Read More »

By Ande Schurr

The Blondini boys are back. From the place film-makers go to when their funded short films don't make the A-list festivals, Jeremy Dumble and Adam Luxton have bounced back with a feature film Last Strike.

The self-funded film took four months to make from script to final shot. There is a kind of revenge in the air... Read More »