I've talked about Joanna Quinn who is....well she has a company now, but still dose freelance work.
I was reading about working as a freelancer on this website and, well, there's a lot of responsibility in it.
> managing you time
> managing your buget
> making lots of calls and get your self noticed
> negotiation skills
> know about legal stuff...contracts, the government etc.
Reading from the website
Being a freelancer you gotta be able to negotiate, don't give in to a price for a job which you think too little and you end up getting payed below what you are being asked to produce.
Managing you time is obiously a big thing, you want to have everything done for the deadline, not just because you want to get payed, but because you want the client to come back to you or pass on the word that this guy is prompt etc...
So making sure everythings done on time will hopefully mean clients will want your work again and also pass on the word which means your building up a list of clients who would come back to you and also give a good reference.
The website also mentions 'slow periods' which says that when clients aren't calling you for work you need to have money aside to get you through it...
My dad's friend who's the author is also an actor and has a job which involves going to schools and giving a group of kids revision tips etc..
So he may be working freelance but he also has a job (which it flexible) to bring in income. I was asked to do illustrations for 2 of his books (one which was a reissue and another new one) but him and the publishers havn't come to an agreement yet and one has even been canceled till further notice because the company/ publishers finding it hard to stay afloat! so for him he's having a slow period! but it dose help that his wife has a steady job, so he is able to have these periods of slow income because there is still money coming in. So being married/in a relationship helps!
So there's loads of things to take into account and it appeals to some people and not others .
Me, well, i dont know. I dont think i'm ready to manage my work and stay alive at the same time...also your working on your own and that dosn't appeal to me, i would rather be throwing round ideas in a group....but we are 2 years a way from being let loose so things might change.
People like Joanna Quinn and John Lasserter had very strong student films and got noticed and then decided what to do, John went to work for Disney from showing a strong portfolio and Joanna became a freelancer. Two student films, two separate ways.
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I went for my hair cut a month ago (i've had it cut inbetween then, but the conversation was from early july)
The barber a go to owns the his shop, he doesn't work for anyone, and we were talking about holidays and where I was going and where he was going (just passing the time while he chops my hair to avoid that awkward silence) he was saying he's going away in September for a week and i said "a weeks too short, why not two weeks instead?" and he replayed "because when this place isn't open, I'm not making money"
To be a freelancer you have got to be motivated to work.
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