Freelancer... what is important to know?

[Chris Noeth]

Hi,

I'm an artist from germany and worked at a game-development studio for the last 3 1/2 years now and because there isn't a new job right now I think I must work as a freelancer after october.

I have no experience as freelancer and maybe somebody can help me with tips and info about the right start.

Thank you!

- Chris

[BadMange]

Rule #1:
ALWAYS have a contract, and make sure that it includes a "kill fee". That way, if they cancel the project half-way through, you still get paid for your time. It also helps you if you had to turn down another project to work on theirs.

Rule #2:
See rule #1...

Rule #3:
Copyright EVERYTHING, and lay out the copyright agreement between you and the client in the contract. It's the only thing that will get you paid when you have to take a deadbeat client to court. And even then it isn't a guarantee...

Rule #4:
Don't work on consignment. That basically means that a company will have you present them some of your work and compare it with others' work, then choose the best design or whatever. If they don't choose you, you're out the $$ plus your time. There are a lot of sob stories where people do that and get screwed cause they tell you no thanks and then turn around and use your designs anyway.

Rule #5:
Stay away from sites like elance.com and the like. There are people there from 3rd world countries that will under-bid everybody just to get work. And that's bad for everyone in general simply because clients will start to think of it as paying next to nothing for something that took time, effort and creativity. Non-creatives just don't "get it," y'know?

And talk to everyone you know and tell them you're starting to freelance, and if they know anyone... Always carry business cards with you, cause you never know who you'll bump into!

I learned a ton of stuff from Graphic Artists Guild (http://www.gag.org) by reading their messageboard. Read through all the sob stories and problems to prepare yourself. You should join them because you'll get a copy of the handbook which has rules, regulations, advice, payscale, etc. You also get access to PDF's of different contracts and the like. Check 'em out, and not least of all spend a day reading their messageboard and you'll be much more prepared to start freelancing.

Best of luck,
-Bad Mange

P.S. There are a ton of people on this board way more qualified than I, and have been freelancing for years. hopefully they'll post their insight and add/correct anything I've posted here. I'm a newbie to freelancing, only having a couple jobs under my belt, so don't take what I've posted to be written in stone, it's just info from my experiences so far...

[BadMange]

Btw, when's your site/messageboard coming back online, Chris?

-Bad Mange

[Chris Noeth]

Thank you for the good tips BadMange!

Under normal circumstances my site would be online at the beginning of 2004 but now I think I must put it online before that ;) ... not the whole page but new art.
Problem is I haven't a new portfolio right now because I worked on the games only and can not show much of the art from those. I will work on new art for the portfolio the next weeks (after work) and think I will put it online when it's finished. So I hope to get the Online-Portfolio done in 'pieces' and let it grow over the next months.

I will post new art here at conceptart.org when it's finished.

Thanks again!

- Chris

[Chris Noeth]

Oh man,

I bumped this old thread here because I am working as a freelancer since may 2007 and it is funny to read this old 'thing'. The last years (and after starting this thread here) I've worked as a lead artist on mobile games. I quit my job to work in illustration and comics in April 07.

If you want to see more of my recent stuff please take a look at my sketchbook at: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=80794

Best,

Chris

[redFIVE]

So, how's the freelancing working out?

[Elwell]

So, if you could travel back in time four years, what advice would you give yourself?

[Chris Noeth]

So, if you could travel back in time four years, what advice would you give yourself?

Good question :)

I would say 'don't jump into the cold water' and plan your steps ahead before working freelance 100%.
The best advise is to start working on stuff beside the 'normal' job and make some contacts with people working in the position you want to work in or people who can give you work. The internet is a very powerful tool everyone can use to build contacts worldwide this days.
Never stop learning the things you want to do. When getting good enough the right people will notice and jobs normally will follow.

Beside all this there is the business side to it. Working as a freelancer also means less time to work on the art because there are many other things to take care of and think about, like bills, taxes, new gigs and so on. So this means longer worktimes... not the normal 9 to 5 job :)

Beeing without a job, having no contacts in the industry and thinking about a career as a freelancer is the wrong thing to do I think. It will take much longer to make a living this way and with a family there is a huge financial risk.
Do everything to minimize this risk. This is maybe the most important advice.

So four years ago I would say to myself "Go, look for a job at a company who works on things you want to work on and plan your freelancer life beside this job."

Best,

Chris

[AmishCommy]

I know this is an old thread but the business cards are very important to have on you at all times.

quick story: I was out with friends last night drinking ourselves silly, and we all went to a diner late at night after the bar closed down. The diner had a really bad drawing on the cover of the menu and I started complaining about how some ass got paid to do that. Next thing i know my friend starts talking me up to the manager. The dude asked for my card, and i didn't have any. Luckily for me the same friend had one of my cards on him. And even more lucky because I was wearing a shirt with my website on it, and all my friends tried to convince me to leave the shirt if i couldn't find a business card. :P

[DavePalumbo]

all my friends tried to convince me to leave the shirt if i couldn't find a business card

that would make a memorable impression

[Shadowwing]

well, thanks for bumping this old thread up to the top...I wouldn't have seen it otherwise, with it buried so deep. Good stuff in there to know, because I would like to try taking up freelancing soon (and juggling my full time job and family as well) :\