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THE FREELANCE LIFE
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last update January 07, 2001

The Freelance Life

On the discussion of freelance I've been doing it for about 10 years now, but starving every step of the way. I love the freelance way of life but getting anyone to return calls seem to be impossible. One big drawback seems to be that I've been stuck in Denver all my life. There seems to be a good old boys club and only that circle of friends get any work in this area. Occasionally when I get work, I get told people love my styles and lighting techniques never to hear much else afterwards. Most others that I work with are just point and shoot photographers, none knowing anything else let alone shooting. They are always the ones getting all the work at least in this area. I finally started to produce a few documentaries which distributors took right away. But these take time and money leaving me to still need freelance work. I know I sound like a nag, but I constantly read how others are traveling and making a living at freelance. I've always stayed single just for the hope I might start traveling and shooting. Any suggestions on how I can get out of Denver and this never ending rut.
[From: Pat Halsey]

LET IT SNOW!
3 years ago I got a sweet deal on a 16 mm movie camera. Being an avid skier, I decided to start shooting skiing. It took spending lots of money on film and learning my mistakes the hard way for about 1 year before a film production company gave me free film. That season, I busted my butt hiking, shoveling snow, and staying out late into the evening in cold conditions. Last september, the film was released, my shots comprised about 50% of the Final Cut, so I was named Principle Cinematographer.

Once the film had been released, I went in and took out all my best shots, edited them down to a 3 min. action packed segment, made 100 copies and distributed them to the most important production companies, advertising my services, cheap. This entire time I was working as a waiter, and did so until 3/99, when Teton Gravity Research sent me to France for 3 weeks. Last January, 8 days after I sent out all 100 promo reels, Teton Gravity Research, arguably the biggest, most successful companiy in ski films, gave me a call. I was offered $100 for 4-6 hours of work and $200 for 6-8 hours of work using my own equipment.

To this day it was the greatest phone call of my life. My foot was in the door and my knee was getting closer. In skiing, you're lucky to get 15 days a month of shooting, and the talent doesn't usually ski more than 6 hours, so I was having trouble making ends meet. I was calling in sick, to my restaurant job on the days I wanted to film. I was, and now am, poor, and in debt but I loved what I was doing, and TGR was very impressed with my work.

In mid May TGR didn't have enough budget to pay me, but that didn't stop me from filming for them. I paid my way using a credit card to travel where the talent was and filming them. I should be reimbursed once the film is released this September. Now I am looking for work at a local TV station and at a restaurant just to get by.

I imagine TGR will have a better offer for me next season (Jan.). I'm of course going to edit together a new promo reel once the film is released in September and send it off to even more companies/people. Next year I not only will be getting paid more from Jan-July, but I will have met enough people to find work during the off season (X Games, Gravity Games)

That's my freelance story so far. Small Steps.

Peter O'Brien
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I would love to hear any suggestions on how I can go freelance. What camera to buy with minimal cash? Should I buy a certain type of format when working somewhere with high humidity, with the inevitability of dew getting into the camera components? If I want to go shoot over seas in war zones who do I reach to send my footage to? Do I just shoot, or should I package stories as well? What do I charge for my footage? Do I edit the stories when I am there? Do I approach a station when I am there and rent a edit suite for an hour? Is there a good formula to the basics of starting out to freelance? What about insurance on my equipment? How much money should I bring to a foreign country? Jehnifer Benoit

My husband worked at television city in L.A. for 20 years before taking a buyout and starting our own freelance stringer service. It has turned out to be the best step we have ever taken. We work together 24 hrs a day and love our work. He does the shooting and I do the reporting, couldn't ask for a better way of life. Nancy Casper Casper News Service

My name is Leandro Ekman. I am a local Argentine producer. My job includes working with foreign productions coming to Argentina on location shoots. If you are shooting in Argentina, I can help with all aspects of your project: Pre-production, production, and post-production. I can also arrange for hotels, translators, cellulars, transportation etc. In short, I will facilitate all your needs abroad in Argentina. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me. Looking forward to working with you in the near future.

Best Regards,

Leandro Ekman
ekman@ciudad.com.ar

Buenos Aires, Argentina
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on"
Leopoldo Marechal 1242
Buenos Aires (1414)
Argentina
Tel: (54 1) 854 3232

How about a discussion on the risks and rewards of freelance. I spent 18 years working for a variety of local network affiliates across the United States and each time witnessed various stages of burnout and frustration of many photogs. I learned to recognize some of the symptoms in myself and have found that all of us who have been in the business for more than five years find our attitude changes.

Freelance is a big step. It also releases you from under the thumb of some of the newsroom stupidity we have all experienced.

In the old days of movies, the big studios owned all of the equipment (cameras, lights etc.) and all camera operators and other techs were full time employees. In modern day Hollywood those types of jobs do not excist anymore. I think television news is going the same way.

I have been freelancing down here in Central America for the last two years. The first year was very frightening, wondering if you could make all of the gear payments and wondering if you would be having any work. Maybe this kind of life is not for everyone, but I have found new confidence and freedom in this kind of lifestyle.

NPPA is a great organization for the new guys in the business. I have found that NPPA does not address many of the concerns of the long time photog. It focuses more on lighting and transitions and not equipment, investment/health plans, financing and business structure of a successful freelance business. It is not a totally worthless organization by any means. I have a lot of respect for many of the shooters who have won awards. I just feel there is a big gap in information sharing for the more experienced shooters in the biz.

There is not just one way to shoot a story. Not every client wants an NPPA nat sound piece. As a freelancer you have to have a large assortment of styles for your clients to choose from.

My assignments down here have taken me all over Central America. Most of my work is for CBS and Univision with additional work coming from several clients from German TV. Each prefers a different style, and I deliver. This is a great business to be in. It takes a lot of courage and stamina to last. Freelancing allows me to make enough money to live as well as enjoy having a family and home of my own. Even shooters in the big markets are finding out that finding that balance can be next to impossible when you are constantly on the edge do to changing news managment or union contracts.

The biggest draw back I have found to freelancing is that I now have no one to blame when a job doesn't turn out the way I want. It has made me an even better shooter. It has also given me back a lot of my self repect which I feel todays news managment tries to take away from us.

I also advise all shooters to learn a second language. Working five years in Miami, I found it to be a problem not understanding everything that was being said. Especially in dangerous situations. This business is still one of those that a person can not learn by going to a university and reading some books. It takes actual street experience and screwing up a few times to gain the skills necessary to survive.

I enjoy the insights from people like Tom Tanquery and Darrel Barton. All of us have people we know are good and have experiences we can learn from. I think your web page is helping fill that gap I've found missing elsewhere. Please keep up the good work and I'll check you out again soon.

John DuMontelle,Freelance TV Photographer, Nicaragua.

Freelance life
[From: Terry Toller]

It is not what it used to be. When I started in 1972, people who worked news knew what they were doing. Today, people with absolutely no experience and very little training are placed on the assignment desks and sometimes as producers.

I recently shot a high school arson fire at 2AM. SEVEN hours later I offered it to two local stations. The people on the desk of both stations had the same reply, "No, I will send my crew there, they can get the same video you got." Time warp???

As a freelancer I have had the luxury of not having to answer to anyone but myself. When I run into an abusive police officer or a government official who wants to bar the press, I can stand up to them without fear of being fired. I have been arrested eight times and beaten by two cops once. My arrests have ALL been thrown out of court by judges who understand the law. In the case where I was beaten, one cop was fired and the city wrote me a nice check for my trouble...

I love freelancing, I only wish there was a good market in Sacramento...

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