X-Dave_McLure
Imported Account
Feb 21, 2002, 11:28 PM
Post #2 of 3
(754 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Re: should you do anything for free?
|
Can't Post
|
|
I have often asked myself this question. I think many people can actually work well this way - witness the relative success of the open source movement. Even contributors who "give it away" for free typically reap some level of rewards later in terms of future resume line items, job references, and general good karma that such work engenders (not to mention the experience points). The burnout rate tends to be pretty high in this arena however.
I don't know about you, but I have always had a job (or a "gig") for as long as I can remember. Even as a kid, I almost always had a gig of some sort: lemonade stands, paper routes, lawn mowing, snow shovelling, freelance graphics jobs or something going on. Of course, many times, the pay wasn't real good and at times it was hardly worth the time to count the pennies, but the fact that I was earning some sort of money made it seem all the more real for me.
Even something as fun as video related work can be plenty grueling for someone who takes the project seriously. I have found that even when it comes to things I love to do, I still don't seem to be quite as motivated to do the job well if there is no money in involved. Even charity work involves money in some form (although it typically involves money to and from a non-profit organization).
As a creative laborer, whenever I have started out in a relatively new format, I have found that what works well for me is to explain to the client that I didn't feel comfortable charging a normal price, but that instead I would charge a fraction of the price. I would explain that I was starting out and that I would try my hardest under the circumstances. This is very common - especially in the fast changing medium of [computer] video where almost every job is different from the next. As always, they would also be entitled to their money back if not completely satisfied.
When it comes to the client, if they are the type of person who insists on a freebie, then they must be prepared for the potential frustration they will undergo by the [percieved] lack of commitment by the artist to focus on their particular job (even if this is not the case).
When even a small fee is involved however, everyone can be happy : the artist is happy because they feel more comfortable that they aren't under the higher expectations of a full priced gig and they consequently feel free to create and experiment. Meanwhile, the client is happier because they feel like they are getting a great deal! The only frustration in this case is the professional down the street who perhaps feels they are losing business to you and your cut-throat rates! ;^)
The only risk to this strategy is that it is easy to get hooked on charging such low prices and that you can end up low pricing yourself right out of [interest in the] business. I am currently somewhat emerging from this syndrome myself as I look to upgrade my equipment and try to get back into the groove again.
: I want to try new project ideas but not sure of its going to turn out right so should i pick a gini pig and practice on them?
:
|
