I was an animator before I moved to freelance storyboarding. I learned some lessons during the move that may help you make the leap yourself.
My article is primarily for students or those entering a new phase of their careers. Also, I speak from the experience of an artist working in the Cape Town film industry, but I believe the same principles can apply to you whatever your speciality.
Getting started
A portfolio: It gets you the work you want. Putting together a portfolio, you want to consider what sort of work you want to attract; if you are an animator who’s found yourself building rigs you’re not excited about, putting that on your website will attract more rigging work.
On the topic of websites: buy yourname.com or .co.za. Unless you’re actually forming a company, your name and associated job title is what clients need to remember when telling their friends about you. Clients have finite time – make your website clear and easy to navigate, and make sure anyone can tell at a glance who you are and what you do. Ten or so pieces should be enough to give a good idea. If you’re an artist, show variety in style and genre. Be specific in the project descriptions about your role if multiple artists were involved. Being a generalist or multi-skilled is fine, but keep it simple and easy to remember. If you were a movie, could you give me the elevator pitch?
Getting work
There are many marketing techniques; social media, cold-calling, emailing production houses, event networking, business cards, or just showing up and introducing yourself. Ultimately, it comes down to doing good work and putting it in front of relevant people and then reminding them that you exist. Remind your friends at studios or ad agencies that you’re available and looking, ask people to introduce you at parties, follow people on Twitter, get involved in industry forums. Form relationships, not just cold business contacts.
Be graceful in rejection; it’ll happen. A no today isn’t a no forever, and it’s never personal.
Getting paid
I can only advise other storyboard artists on what to charge. But you know a professional in your field whom you can ask. Bug them. Buy them beer. Most people are happy to help: it’s in their best interest that you charge properly for services they also provide. Undercharging can create a false standard rate for the industry, and nobody wins a race to the bottom. This doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate, but starting from a strong number and working down is infinitely easier than starting from a weak rate and trying to push for more later.
For a young person starting out, it can be frightening to ask a rate that sounds like way more money than you’re worth. Experiment and ask it anyway. Clients are less interested in the artistic merits/faults of your work than they are in paying lots of money not to have to worry about that ‘thing’. If you can be the freelancer who makes problems disappear for a client and helps turn a headache of a project into a rousing triumph, they’ll be calling you again.
Getting good clients
Charging like a pro is important for another reason: you attract good clients and get skirted by the bad. If you’ve encountered neither yet, here’s a short guide to telling the difference: Good clients pay. They’re business people who understand that services get paid for, promptly.
Bad clients come in all shades of uncertainty; from inexperienced and non-committal to occasionally outright deceptive. Bad clients are coy about money and use words like ‘exposure’; good clients talk about money upfront and in plain terms. Good clients write single line emails. Two lines if they want to ask how your day is. Bad clients obfuscate with huge paragraphs, leaving you feeling annoyed and confused, even attacked and guilty, and unable to draw a solid conclusion about where your money is.
Good clients have clear direction and finite expectation of changes, pushing for as much as they can get for the time they can afford you. They do their research, give you references for the things they can’t describe accurately, and answer all your questions until they are certain you see what they see. Bad clients are insecure in their vision and expect others to execute it via telepathy, without any legwork on their part. Good clients treat you like an adult. They pay you well and expect the work done well and on time.
If you are in bad-client hell right now (and you’ll know), then chances are you’re undercharging. You may have to cut ties with your bad clients and turn away offers of future work from them. The PH-test of a bad client is always how they react to the question of money, but if you’re not great at seeing warning signs, you may want to put some protective measures in place. A half-upfront rule, a milestone payment system, signing contracts before work begins, or getting an agent or a more experienced friend to sound off of are all options for you.
Lastly…
Find a community – Every job is different at first. Finding freelancer friends and mentors to talk to about the specifics of each case can be a huge help and can rebuild your confidence if things go wrong.
Agents – Having an agent can be helpful in dealing with contracts and client stress. In my experience, though, agents will not jeopardise a working relationship with a client to get you your money. Also, exclusive contracts with agents have not worked for me in the past – an agent should earn their percentage by bringing you new clients, not by you bringing your clients to them.
Tax – If tax freaks you out at all, get an accountant. Most charge very little to put in tax returns and are willing to talk to you about what expenses to keep track of and how.
Deadlines – Don’t miss ‘em. And don’t put yourself in a difficult position by promising the earth in a day. If a client has no time-budget, it’s not up to you to catch them. It’s okay to turn away work you know you can’t do in the given timeline.
Listen and teach – Every client is different. Some may be a little inexperienced and not know what you actually do or how to communicate what they want. Be patient and let them feel heard, and educate them in how your job happens, the time involved, the steps to completion. Don’t be afraid to offer your expertise – they’re paying for it after all. But remember that you’re there to make their problem go away, not to take over the project.
Ask dumb questions – Part of this is getting a good brief, but it’s your responsibility to make sure you know what a client wants. Playing knowledgeable while not knowing what’s going on is a terrifying position to put yourself in. Much rather risk a moment’s embarrassment in the boardroom than a whole lot of embarrassment and broken promises closer to deadline.
If you have questions – or horror stories – get hold of me on Twitter: @Kay_Carmichael.
By Kay Carmichael
