Working as a freelance media producer can be an exciting and rewarding career choice, but it also comes with its own challenges and risks. How do you know if this path is right for you? In this article, we will explore some of the pros and cons of freelancing in media production, and help you assess your skills, goals, and preferences.
Freelancing in media production can offer you many benefits, such as flexibility, creativity, autonomy, and variety. You can set your own schedule, choose your own clients and projects, and express your artistic vision. You can also work on different types of media, such as video, audio, animation, or web design, and expand your portfolio and network.
You have to be comfortable with the rollercoaster of freelance life. Even for the best freelancers, there are going to be slow periods. This comes with the territory and you have to be comfortable with work slowing down (and the paychecks) before you pick up your next project. The flexibility is great but make sure to sock away some of the money during the good times to make sure you'll be fine and not sweating it during the lean times.
I agree freelancing is the best due to its flexibility. Managing people or people depending on you seem to be a tiresome and can lead to messes.
For some, there is no better feeling than being your own boss. In the freelance world, it is absolutely a perk that you can have much more control over your availability, level of pay you will accept, types of projects you accept, and ability to be seen as a valuable individual contributor to an organization or a project.
Freelancing in media production can also pose some challenges, such as instability, competition, isolation, and stress. You may face irregular income, fluctuating demand, and uncertain contracts. You may have to compete with other freelancers or agencies for clients and rates. You may also miss the social and professional support of a team or a company. You may have to deal with deadlines, client feedback, and technical issues on your own.
In my experience, one major one is that different cities have different levels of budgets and sizes of project. In NYC and LA, traditional advertising work is often done on a day rate. In smaller regional and local job markets where clients have smaller budgets, work sometimes is done on a day rate, and often times done on an hourly rate. Day rates pay for all of the time of that day. If you work 4 hours that day, you get paid that full rate. If you work 16, you only get paid that full rate. Hourly has challenges as well. If your project is 6 weeks long, and your client is only paying for 100 hours of your time, that isn't exactly a full time job. But you can take on multiple projects at a time. So it is more up to your discretion!
To succeed as a freelance media producer, you need not only technical skills, but also soft skills, such as communication, negotiation, organization, and time management. You need to be able to communicate effectively with your clients, understand their needs and expectations, and deliver quality work on time and on budget. You also need to be able to negotiate your rates and terms, manage your finances and taxes, and organize your workflow and equipment.
I've found that communication is the soft skill that is most valuable as a freelancer. It pays off in so many ways, whether it be networking, team work, negotiation, having difficult conversations about scope, and more. For some it becomes quite the tall task to have to constantly represent yourself as a business and is a major reason why some become salaried working for larger organizations. But for those that enjoy communication, networking, and more, freelancing can be very nourishing for those skills and find that much personal value can be built off of developing it further.
Before you decide to become a freelance media producer, you should have a clear idea of your goals and motivations. Why do you want to freelance? What are you hoping to achieve? What are your short-term and long-term plans? How do you measure your success? Having a vision and a strategy can help you stay focused and motivated, and avoid burnout and frustration.
Finally, you should consider your personal preferences and lifestyle when deciding to freelance in media production. Do you enjoy working independently or collaboratively? Do you prefer working on one project at a time or juggling multiple tasks? Do you like working from home or traveling to different locations? Do you value stability or variety? Do you have any family or personal commitments that may affect your availability or flexibility? These factors can influence your satisfaction and well-being as a freelancer.
Working as a freelance media producer can be a rewarding career choice, but it also requires careful planning and preparation. By weighing the pros and cons, assessing your skills, goals, and preferences, and taking the necessary steps to start and grow your business, you can make an informed decision and pursue your passion.