Freelancer Lessons 2011

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."

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Your 'big idea' is something very personal to you. You don't have to share it. You do, however, have to believe it.

For ten years, The Big Idea website has opened the conversation for all of us to find out what we truly believe in. It has certainly contributed to defining what I believe in.

My 'big idea' has two aspects. Firstly, that the concept of the 'starving artist' be removed forever from our vocabulary. I believe that a six-figure income is possible for a freelancer in the film, music and media industry within their first 3-5 years of working.

Secondly, that working as a freelancer is the ideal training ground to become the person you wish to be. There are so many opportunities, chances to work with more experienced people than ourselves, chances to work on small and large projects, chances to work with people from different countries and ethnicities, that we are constantly challenged to improve; to perform better at our craft and as a person.

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.

You may have given up hope a long time ago of ever having such a financial reality as a six-figure income. Perhaps you have given years of your life for little pay to help get your film off the ground, or your album or an acting career.

If you have, then you are worthy of the highest praise for believing in your work so much that you stuck with it, even when society didn't reward you financially. I write my column for you. I hope that these simple business lessons, that I have learned from my business advisor, David Samuel and made my own, will fill in the missing link to the financial prosperity that you so well deserve.

Without further ado, here are the 12 articles and interviews that I contributed over the year. I have organised them each with a lesson.

1. Never stay still

The Blondini Boys Are Back

Having tasted success straight out of film school with a large injection of film commission funding, The Blondini Boys, directors Jeremy Dumble and Adam Luxton, had a promising future ahead of them. However, when their short film didn't make the A-list festivals, expectations came crashing down and, after some soul searching, they set out again to make their first feature film, Last Strike, in post-production now.

2. Use positive pressure to change yourself

Break Bad Habits

Inspired by the book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, I explain how we can break bad habits by getting help from our friends to keep us accountable. The only reason that we would want to change is if it becomes too painful or embarrassing to stay the same. Having friends to help us is the missing ingredient when we can't motivate ourselves to make the needed changes.

3. Meet new people, constantly

How to Love Cold Calling

This was my readers' favorite in 2011. It really is important for freelancers to keep meeting new people. There are many ways to do this and possibly the most difficult is to ring a new producer or director and introduce yourself. This article will help you do this.

4. Understand your industry in its entirety

Line Producers Talk

This serious interview draws on the responses from three established TVC Line Production companies in New Zealand. It covers a range of big, and often unsolved issues, and would form a good education for anyone wanting to understand the film industry from a wider perspective.

5. Adapt to your environment

Clean Location Sound

Timeslow was one of the first Esculator films to be shot in 2011. Fresh from winning $250,000 from the Film Commission's low budget feature film scheme, I share my experience as their location sound recordist. In what proved to be particularly difficult conditions in a non-sound-proofed studio, next to a railway station, I write about how to get clean location sound.

6. Commit to your profession

The Cost of Jumping Ship

This article was written for those people who never quite feel settled as a freelancer. It encourages you to stay put, and commit to your profession.

7. Know when the time is right to move on

The Making of a Film Company

It's interesting watching the movements of the production companies. Since they are the ones who hire us, it's good to know what is going on. More than anything however, this article is a story of what happens when the time is right to leave your old world and make a fresh start for yourself. Director Mike Oldershaw and Producing partner Johnny Blick, share their experience of starting up their own company, Waitemata Films.

8. Seek your own advice, don't listen to the doomsday predictions of others

Freelance Lessons Learned

After six years in the film industry, I wrote seven lessons I had learned to shake up the way you see the industry.

9. Find out who the best contact person is

Field to Screen

The Rugby World Cup was a major event this year, and it never was a better time to work as a contractor for Sky TV. This interview is with two of the audio staff who mixed some of the live world cup games and helped train the 45 strong sound-team. They advise those who want to get into live broadcast to put in some effort and contact them.

10. Bring your own flavour to your work

The Transmedia Director

Chris Clark, from Exposure, directed the award winning Orcon Interactive Web Banner, that was a TV commercial crossed with a web banner. For all lovers of film and TVC directing, this interview will appeal.

11. Strive to become more than you currently are

Follow Your Heart

This is a short encouragement to keep doing the things that make you excited. Otherwise you will get cynical and wish you were in another profession.

12. Keep marketing, even when you think everyone knows you

Mistakes Freelancers Make

We have to focus on the mistakes sometimes so we know what to correct. Not maintaining the business must be the biggest mistake a freelancer could make. Perhaps when we have been doing our job for 30 years we can stop actively marketing ourselves but even then, does McDonalds or Coke stop marketing their products and brand? It would be suicide. A freelancer is a similar kind of business.

FURTHER READING:

For more on The Big Idea and the last 10 years...