The discussion around AI has got me thinking about the value of originality.
Firstly, originality doesn’t have to mean something that has never been done before, because that can be a tall order these days. Originality can just mean offering a new perspective.Generative AI doesn’t truly offer a new perspective, it just mashes together other peoples’ work and calls it a day, and I think that’s why AI art feels so empty and soulless to me, it’s that lack of human intention. Not to mention the obvious breaches of copyright, I’m looking forward to the results of the lawsuits on that one. For what it’s worth, my opinion is the fact they’re even having this conversation about whether it’s a breach of copyright or not means it probably is. But anyway, that’s a different topic for the legal experts. Back to originality…
I notice the same lack of originality in the social media world of photography by actual real photographers, not just AI. Many photographers try to imitate the work of others, chasing what’s trendy and popular, but always somehow fall short, and as a result they (and we) are robbed of seeing what the artist can truly do for themselves. I want to see a flavour of how they look at the world, where they live, what they like. Some might argue “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”, but people often forget the second half of that Oscar Wilde quote… “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can give to greatness”.
It’s good news for those who are inherently creative, they are continuously innovating and levelling up, a process that often involves a cycle of failures until they strike gold. Originality is lost by those who place higher value on chasing fast results for fear of failure, instead of a willingness to test out ideas for themselves. It is in failure that original ideas are born. The finished work you see is not what makes a creator successful, it’s everything that’s happening behind the scenes. Their work is driven by their unique perspective and innovation, and that’s not something that can be copied. As a result, those who rely on imitation will always find themselves 10 steps behind.
Let’s talk about the subtext of originality in creativity and why we celebrate it, and contrast what being unoriginal says about the entity behind the content. It takes guts and confidence to be original and put yourself out there as a creator, requiring total conviction in an idea and an acceptance that despite how much you might believe in it, it might not go as well as you hoped. An imitator then, by contrast, lacks the confidence in their own work or talents, and that insecurity puts any creativity they do have in a cage. Imitating those who they perceive as more successful than themselves might, for example, get them that popular Instagram account they crave, but they will always have that gnawing feeling of being a fraud. Something to keep in mind next time you see an account posting a photograph blatantly created with AI.
People who go out of their way to copy another’s art, photography, content, products, whatever it may be, are basically just a walking talking AI engine regurgitating what’s already out there. So with AI inadvertently pushing up the value of originality they will need to up their game or risk falling behind. Creators, on the other hand, naturally possess the secret weapon they need to succeed.
Finally, if you as an original creator find your ideas being copied, take it as a compliment! That means the copycat “creator” thinks you’re doing something right.
Remember, true innovation leads to genuine success.
There’s obviously more to this than meets the eye. Of course I, and everyone else, likes getting paid – that’s why we do what we do! But in the freelance world this frequently comes up as an area they find tricky to navigate. So we are diving into all things payment here after the topic was requested on my Instagram.
First up – rates. These are going to vary a lot depending on your field, but what’s common across the board are freelancers being very guarded about sharing their rates with other freelancers. I think this is a huge disservice to the freelance community who often struggle with setting fair rates for their work. We should be presenting a united front to the people who hire us, and we can’t do that if we don’t know what everyone else is charging. That’s why my rates are publicly available on my website. If people want to undercut me, that’s their prerogative, in the long-run they’re only hurting themselves. And it also doesn’t always work. So, set your rates and wear them with pride!
However, this can lead us into the weeds when it comes to the different tiers of clients. Consider this: when you walk into a car dealership the sales person will work to sell you a car that’s within your budget range*. If you tell them you can’t afford that flashy sports car, they know they’re not going to sell you that flashy sports car. But they still want to make a sale that day, so instead of showing you the door, they’ll show you other more realistic options. This is true for so many industries, so why should we expect every type of client to meet us at our rate.
This doesn’t always mean charging less for smaller budgets, it can just be reigning in the scope of the work and being smart about using the budget they have to make the most impact, as was the case with Neadra.
The creative industry is rife with low/no budget clients too, the ads of which are often unduly subject to ridicule in the Facebook comments section as a knee-jerk reaction to the low pay (however there’s a big difference between a low budget student project and an established company paying below minimum wage). But there may still be space for such low/no budget projects in your freelance business. Projects like these could provide valuable training material to hone your skills, it might also be a subject you’re incredibly passionate about, and it might give you more variety in your portfolio to help you land bigger clients in future. After all, they’re probably making the project for similar reasons, everyone has to start somewhere! So instead of focusing on them being low/no budget, consider them a growth project. Evaluate what they’re asking for, does it align with your business goals, and can you perhaps deliver it around your other higher-paying projects. If yes, then it’s worth a discussion.
Note that clients will not always tell you their budget, so you need to get good at assessing prospective clients, figuring out what their budget level is, and whether or not they’re just trying to low-ball you.
Ok, let’s move onto the scenario where you have your client, you’ve done the work, they’re happy and now you’re ready to get paid. What do you do? This is actually a trick question, because for me the process of getting paid starts as I’m onboarding a new client. It’s important to talk money early on, clearly laying out your expectations and making sure both you and the client are aligned. Laying out these particulars in a service agreement is a great way to set a professional tone with your client, giving both parties peace of mind. Alongside this, I also ask clients for a 50% deposit of the project fee before we start. This serves two purposes; one, it gives you cash flow which minimises the feast/famine rollercoaster of being a freelancer, and two, it puts your relationship with the client on equal footing. You are both now equally invested in the project. It’s also unlikely for a client who has already paid 50% to then not pay you the rest, and of course it eliminates the risk of you not getting anything from them at all. Historically I’ve had very little pushback on deposits and as a result, now in my fifth year of freelancing, I’ve never not been paid. One or two have been late, but never not at all.
Be aware there is nuance to charging deposits. You will not be able to get deposits from every type of client, but the ones you can’t you can assess based on their reputation amongst other freelancers (word gets around!). For large projects you might also consider regular payment installments. I also take into consideration the length of a project, my relationship with the client and a client’s history of paying on time when deciding whether or not to request a deposit.
Going back to the future now, at the end of your project, you’re ready to be paid, you’ve sent the invoice with the payment terms you agreed at the start (e.g. Net 30, 60, 90, or any other arrangement). It’s perfectly acceptable to send polite email reminders throughout this period until the invoice is paid. It is not rude to do so. Just remember they are well within their rights to wait until the last day to pay you, so if you are going to send reminders the tone must be friendly. Include the invoice number and the due date, keeping the email short and to the point. The regularity of these reminders is up to you, but I would recommend no more than once a week. For clients who I know will pay at the end of the term, I might send a reminder a week before it’s due. Others I might not remind at all because they have a good track record of paying early. New clients are reminded weekly, with a final reminder on the due date if necessary. You can start to see how everything here is not so cut and dry, you are always considering each individual client with every aspect of your approach along the way.
Now for the big one, the nightmare scenario that haunts every freelancer… the dreaded non-payment. You reach the end of the payment term, sent the final reminder on the due date, and the day after there’s a noticeable hole in your bank account where that payment should be. First of all, keep an open mind at this stage. Email the client and explain the invoice is now overdue, and ask them the reason for the delay. It might be that it’s on the payment run for that week, or the payment has been issued on time but is still being processed from their/into your account. Whatever the reason, ask them to provide a timeframe for when you can expect the payment. Be polite but firm. Yes they have technically broken the payment terms you agreed upon, but when the payment appears to be on the way it’s not worth souring the relationship at this point.
That said, you are well within your rights to reissue an overdue invoice (no matter how late it is) with added late payment fees if these were included in your service agreement, and a revised due date of your choosing. This will often prompt a client to pay the original amount minus the late fees, and it is up to you whether or not you let these late fees go, pursue it immediately, or make a note and include it in the deposit if you work with them again.
Dealing with overdue invoices in this professional, procedural way honestly resolves most issues of non-payment with no further action necessary. Most clients are not greedy gremlins refusing to pay you, they are busy human beings who sometimes make mistakes. I have only had one case where I’ve needed to start pursuing court action for payment after an invoice became a month overdue, despite repeated assurances that payment was coming. It later turned out this particular production company had left a whole roster of unpaid freelancers in their wake, and to top it off its boss was facing serious allegations of bullying and subjecting workers to excessive working hours. This made industry news, and you can read more about it here on Deadline. This was just one bad egg in a basket full of good ones.
Most clients are not greedy gremlins refusing to pay you, they are busy human beings who sometimes make mistakes.
Fortunately, I did get paid in the end without it needing to reach court.
To wrap this up, although the topic of payments might be incredibly anxiety-inducing to you as a freelancer, bear in mind that many clients will also be anxious to see you deliver what you’ve promised – your expert services and a product they’re happy with. Particularly if you are working remotely. This is why it’s so important for both sides that you, as the service provider, lay the foundations for a professional relationship right at the start, so you can both go in with confidence.
*Never ever tell a car salesperson your budget. You’re welcome.
February 2024 sees me in my fifth year as a freelancer, so it’s a good opportunity to reflect on the journey and perhaps share some insights into what I know now with that experience under my belt.
My freelance career began at the start of 2020, having left my almost four years of full time employment at a TV production company in Manchester, providing in-house graphics and VFX services. Leaving was tough, but I knew if I carried on there I would be completely burned out within a matter of a few years. Probably less. So it was the right decision.
That is not to say freelancing isn’t tough too, it is (more on that later), but how does freelancing solve the problem of burnout?
The cause of burnout can be different for everyone. It might be that you’re no longer interested in the work, a lack of variety, poor management, demotivated by lower pay, just to name a few examples. For me it was about work/life balance and recognising that I could do the same work I enjoy, but on far more flexible terms.
The benefit to work/life balance is highly dependent on your freelance model. Some freelancers will take long contracts with companies (many of them on-site) for 6 months to a year. Maybe more, but I’m not sure how common that is. And yes, I consider 6 months in the freelance world to be a long contract! This model could still leave you with no work/life balance for the duration of the contract, and lead to burnout, if that’s a problem for you.
I tend not to take long contracts, instead focusing on smaller pockets of projects that range anywhere from days to a few months, and working remotely. This is a great way to keep things fresh and productive. The trade off is this is generally a more stressful model and not for the faint of heart, because you’re relying on lots of different projects coming in regularly as opposed to the perceived security of a longer contract.
Which brings me to my next thought – job security is an illusion. Freelancing made me realise this, because as a freelancer you have to wear all the hats from boss to button-pusher. In a full time role, your job is reliant on your boss continuing to bring new work into the business, and if they fail, you’re out of the job and there’s nothing you can do about it. As a freelancer, you are responsible for bringing the work in, and if you fail, that’s on you. Your livelihood rests entirely in your hands. I like that.
Speaking of wearing lots of hats, let’s dive into that a bit more. To be a successful freelancer, you really do have to be able to do everything. As well as being on top of your game in the freelance services you provide, you also have to be CEO, website admin, marketer, sales rep, HR, accounts… the list goes on, and on, and on. So while it’s true you can earn a lot more money in a shorter space of time compared to a full-time salary, thus needing to work less, you will spend a good chunk of the time you’re not actively working on a project dealing with the day to day running of the business. Then you can have your free time.
To be a successful freelancer, you really do have to be able to do everything
Shifting focus now to freelancing in a post-Covid world. When I began my freelance journey, the Covid-19 pandemic hit just a matter of a few months in. This was not good timing, or so it seemed. I must acknowledge a lot of terrible things happened to a lot of people in this period, but the pandemic did have the knock-on effect of changing the landscape of work culture which proved to be hugely beneficial.
At the beginning, I naively thought clients would generally accept a remote-working freelance artist. But that turned out generally not to be the case. So whilst I did have some work lined up at the start, I’m not sure I would have been able to sustain the remote freelance model beyond the first year if it wasn’t for the pandemic. I would have needed a shift to more on-site roles. As it happens the pandemic did hit and, literally overnight, the entire industry moved to remote working and that became a norm that has seeped into the way we still work today. Businesses’ attitudes toward flexible working, where they can accommodate it, changed forever.
This brings us to the present, with the pandemic feeling like a distant memory. Now I consider the flipside of the remote working boom. Over the past few years there has been a gigantic influx of people setting up remote freelance businesses, and it’s fantastic that they are now empowered to do so in light of the shift in work culture. However, that does mean the market is now oversaturated. Coupled with the recent strikes in the film and TV industry, the state of the UK economy, and the bubble bursting on the post-Covid production boom, it is the perfect storm. The vast majority of my fellow experienced freelance artists are either out of work entirely and have been for months on end, or have much less work than normal. I don’t think Pixel Catcher would have been financially viable by the end of year one had I launched it within the past 12 months and been amongst all the other new startups vying for clients. It’s not impossible, but unlikely. I get to speak to a lot of fantastic freelancers on my Instagram, and I’ve seen too many having to pack in within their first year through no fault of their own, the current state of the industry just can’t support them. Compounding this, I have also seen a shift away from fully remote roles to hybrid, with a sprinkling of on-site. Living in the countryside with a dog to look after, this isn’t my favourite trend, but I remain optimistic that there will still be some space for remote workers.
Finally, the future. As ever, we don’t have a crystal ball, but things are starting to pick up for TV & Film freelancers, and I think it will be largely back into the swing of things by summer. I have been lucky enough to be kept busy through this more turbulent year in the industry, and as productions are getting in gear again I am heading into the fifth year of Pixel Catcher with eager anticipation of things to come. I can only hope the success of freelancing continues, but we must never rest on our laurels.
I love networking with fellow freelancers in the Film & TV industry, I fully believe in the sense of community and helping each other out where possible. I do sometimes defer work to other freelancers where their skills are better suited or I haven’t got capacity, or I bring them onboard to help me on projects. Head to the Contact page to find out how you can get in touch with questions, portfolios, or just to say hello.
