Freelance / Freelancing

This is a bit of an unfortunate post when everyone's desperate for paid work, but if anyone's interested in doing a pro bono rebrand for a charity please let me know.

...your really good. I kills me your struggling making ends meet.

Have you shown this work to CIA or Big Active?

Hey thanks, working for one of those guys is the dream, but just looking for any agency experience I can get at the moment. Still got alot to learn I recon.

i was just over at the studio of a bunch of mates, most of whom are rep'ed by either cia or big active. most of them are in the same boat. fees have fallen really drastically and there isn't much work being handed at the minute. sigh. quiet all round.

you guys on behance.net? or coroflot? you could find work overseas.

yeah, leave the country, the lot of you!

there are jobs out there. friend has got a second interview for a senior packaging designer job.
I do hope she gets it as she's not likely to get her last 2 months freelance money as her last client went into administration :-(

i was just over at the studio of a bunch of mates, most of whom are rep'ed by either cia or big active. most of them are in the same boat. fees have fallen really drastically and there isn't much work being handed at the minute. sigh. quiet all round.

My main client's had his art budget completely slashed, no money for freelancers and very little for commissioning illustration or photography... Don't know how they manage to put the mag together every week tbh... looks for sturdy beam from which to dangle

looks for sturdy beam from which to dangle*

tika too

you guys on behance.net? or coroflot? you could find work overseas.

Setting mine up now, thanks for the tip. Also Linkedin is good for networking.

Good luck people.

if you aren't busy earning money then get busy trying to earn money. i have been test shooting/retouching non-stop for the last week and have a day lined up with a DP and another photographer/director shooting some moving image stuff on HD.
i'm not going to earn any money but it all helps towards getting more work. i suppose designers find it hard to 'test' but doing anything creative is better than sitting on your arse feeling sorry for yourself.

this is an official HTFU message.

yeah. go out and organise a tweed run or something ;)

Agreed Mr Smith, I shot a friends wedding for free, approaced it in the same manner any professional would have. In turn they thought my pics were better than the snapper they hired, and I got recommended to one of their friends, and I am now getting a pretty well paid freelance gig out of it. I'm not full time freelance, but I do alot of freelance stuff, and its all about networking etc.

so shit to hear that people are struggling in the design world. I've had the same employer for 4 years now (shit pay though really) and have been planning a move down to London in a couple of months. I haven't really got the money to not be working and get a flat so I was relying on getting some freelance work through an agency to keep me going (and not homeless) until I got a permanent job. I suppose it looks like I will just have to try and get a job in London before I move down...which will mean lots of travelling down for interviews and that...bastard!

good luck to everyone anyway!

can anyone suggest any good creative consultancy agencies that they have got work through (the likes of purple)? I've heard mixed opinions about these places...I've heard of people being paid really well and on time...but also heard stories of people waiting months to be paid.

I'm going to go and do an MA in Advertising after I finish Uni now. Fuck this malarky it was hard enough to get into the design world without the credit cock. I'm lucky that I've got a steady bit of freelance work for the next year or so.

http://www.londonfgss.com/group34.html

yeah. go out and organise a tweed run or something ;)

Ahhhh, it all becomes clear!

I'm going to plunge myself into a sex, drugs and booze fuelled orgy of sex, drugs and booze 'til things blow over... With the occasional day of work... I'll let you know how I get on...

Excellent plan Withnail.

Form a friend of mine

Hello freelance Flash designers! We need you! Please email me your daily rate, online 'folio and availability - nataliep@criticalmass.com!!

I'm a freelance photographers assistant and every once in a while i find myself skint with outstanding payments on invoices (still owed money).

Does anyone freelance in a similar industry that know a polite way of asking for the payment?

Its hard because if you do come off in the wrong way you risk not being use by them again.

Or am i just over thinking it and im not being rude at all.

The invoices are over a month old now and i need money!

HOw badly? only you are quiet a handsome lad...

go 'round with a coupla big mates

I'd allow a minimum of 4 weeks for payment and then start charging 5% extra per month after 6 weeks of non-payment. (All disclosed politely and up front.)

Be polite and always make something up to sound like it's not their fault (like I've had a few posts gone missing so just checking if you've got the invoice because nothing received so far...) Also, be persistent and they'll pay to get you off their backs.

The invoices are over a month old now and i need money!

That isn't late...

What are your terms? 30 days is normal, then you may have to wait longer because the company send out their cheques/do their BAC run at the end of the following month... Which means that if you send your invoice in the middle of Jan you may not see your monay 'til the end of Feb... Goes with the territory I'm afraid...

I've had to threaten a few clients with legal action, wouldn't have ever seen the money otherwise...