In this bi-weekly podcast, Adam sits down with fellow freelance professionals to answer your freelance, video production, and filmmaking related questions. Have a question? Email it to us, tag us on social media, or use the hashtag #freelanswers!
EP.10 - How do you go from full-time to freelancer?
A lot of freelancers don't start out intending to freelance, instead we have full-time jobs and end up doing some side work and this side works transitions into our freelance careers. Jena Marble is one of these people. In this episode of #Freelanswers we chat with one of Adam's friends from college and hear about her journey from working as an in-house graphic designer before eventually making the leap to freelancing. One of the questions we get frequently, and that Jena helps us answer, is how do you go from full-time to freelancer?
EP.09 - HOW TO GET STARTED IN BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY?
If you're in the freelance photography, video, or filmmaking industry, you've probably done a lot or most of your work with fully clothed people. In this episode of #Freelanswers we chat with boudoir photographer Cori Strong who does most of her work with women who are, ahem, nearly nude. We talk about why boudoir is more than just "women in lingerie", how she works with clients in intimate situations, the importance of lighting, her lifestyle brand that's empowering women, and we get an answer to "how do you even get started in boudoir photography?"
EP.08 - DO YOU NEED TO GO TO FILM SCHOOL?
Staying educated as a freelancer or filmmaker is vitally important - you should always be learning about new techniques, terminology, and technology. There are so many resources available for aspiring freelance filmmakers, and it's up to everyone individually to decide what works best for you. In this episode, my good friend and esteemed documentary filmmaker Griffin Hammond and I sit down and discuss our education paths, how we learn new things now, and we even dive into the age old question "do you need to go to film school?"
EP.07 - HOW DO YOU GROW YOUR FREELANCE BUSINESS?
Starting a freelance business can be hard, and growing or expanding your business can be even tougher. I sat down with freelance photographer Chris Fuller recently and asked him how he scaled his photography business and lands clients all over the U.S. We also talk about how to work with children, how COVID is affecting freelancers, navigating in-person client interactions during a pandemic, and what's next for his freelance photography business.
EP.06 - How to get started as a freelancer
Getting started as a freelancer can be daunting and confusing. Things like purchasing gear, developing a good work/life balance, and finding your first clients are just a few of the things you'll encounter as you go down this path. To help shed some light on this topic I asked Samantha Brinkman, who just recently got into the industry (she's also a part-time video editor for Droi Media), to chat with us about her experience getting started as a freelancer.
EP.05 - HOW TO FIND CLIENTS AS A FREELANCER
Without clients you don't have a business. As a freelancer finding clients can be one of the most difficult parts of our job, but we all have to do it. In this episode we sit down with Amanda Baker of Five Foot Productions to talk about how she finds clients, creates referral pipelines, and some of the hidden costs of starting a freelance video production company.
ep.04 - How to BUILD TRUST WITH YOUR CLIENTS
Building trust with your clients is the key to a good working relationship, and can help that relationship span decades. In this episode of #Freelanswers we sit down with a good pal of mine and UX Consultant Jon Robinson to chat about how he builds trust with his clients, freelancing on the side, and what a UX designer actually is. Jon also calls me out on not texting him more often.
ep.03 - How to find cast & crew for your short films
Finding cast and crew for your short films and creative projects can be a daunting task - from making sure they're qualified, to coordinating everyone's schedules, finding locations, and holding casting calls, there's a lot to juggle. So how do you do it? This week on #Freelanswers we talk with veteran filmmaker Tom Nicol on how to create a filmmaking community, using that network to find cast and crew for your films, and even starting a film festival.
ep.02 - WHat to do when a client questions your rates
Your rates are determined by a lot of things - your market, experience level, equipment and services offered, and lots of other nuanced variables will effect what you charge your clients. And at the end of the day you need to charge these rates to keep your freelance business open. So what happens when a client questions these rates? Or in some cases, pushes back when you raise your rates? In this episode of #Freelanswers we sit down again with long-time freelancer and cat enthusiast Pat Brown to talk about what to do when a client questions your rates.
ep.01 - WHat gear do you need to start freelancing
One of the questions we get asked pretty frequently is about what gear you need to start freelancing. Early on you're going to have a fairly irresistible urge to buy all the gear you think you'll need, and you might even think that having better gear will make you a better freelancer, or even bring in more clients. Spoiler alert: it won't. In this episode Adam talks with bff and Droi Media superfan Pat Brown, who has been freelancing full-time for over a decade, about what gear they started out with, what equipment they recommend new freelancers focus on now, and the importance of slowly building your kit up over time.