This was shot in Toronto. Take a look at it fellow Canadians
Jeff Ridout
Monday, December 27, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
What's Love got to do with anything?
So you're in love, a beautiful woman/man/hermaphrodite/strange Japanese pillow has come into your life and all you want to do is feed them your blood...or suckle upon their teat.. for whatever strange reason you do.
Want... to do that. um...
Anyway, you are in a happy place of joy and bliss. Nothing can go wrong. You see him/her/heshe/it on a daily basis. You text, you Sext, you gush over sappy poetry and send each other cute little emoticons expunging on your love.
Then the shit hits the fan.
Smack, in the face. The romance is over, she now wants you to not speak to your friends any more or go drinking with your buddies because they happen to be swimsuit models and she just doesn't trust you around tequila and tits.
Or, they keep insisting they love you while seeing other people eventually breaking your heart and tossing it..err ok you get the point.
Love is tough. Relationships are even tougher. There are some nasty ups and downs that are NOT for the faint of heart.
Business relationships are no different.
They can seem wonderful at first.
Then they, much like the nun punching the shark. with...a Gobot in the background for some reason, err... punches you back! Reallll bad! In the face! On the nose where it really really hurts for some stupid reason.
Suddenly you take a huge nose dive, and the one who loved the most, gets hurt the most!!!
Business is pretty much like this. Except, in this relationship, you get hurt where it really matters, your Wallet.
So, don't be a pussy, and let's carry on. I will equate business relationships with personal ones often so if you start to get wispy and teary eyes thinking of your recent dumping by your girlfriend, that's your problem, not mine.
Ok, back at it.
If you want to hold onto that romance, you gotta work at it.
It's a lot of work. (Thicken that skin and that 99 percent perspiration thing will be my standard throwbacks)
1) The Rejection (or so you might think)
In business, you make a contact and start working on a project. They like you, you like them. You deliver a good product, and they shit on it.
Why? It's their money, so why shouldn't they?
I've known many an artist who, after having a big steaming pile of "I don't like it" put on their chests, they wrap up and go work at Toys 'R' Us.
How many times have you gone up to someone of the opposite sex/other species (hey I don't judge) or online avatar, and been rejected?
Well, imagine getting past that point, in bed, post coitus, only to be told you really really stink at it?
Do you get all pouty and upset? No you get back on the horse and try again.
She or the client will question your actions and every time question your invoice. err resolve, invoice I mean.
What you have to do is be steadfast in your resolve. If they like you as a supplier, they will probably give you more than one chance to either fix a mistake or deliver a better product.
Don't be afraid to work a bit beyond your quote, give the client more than what they are asking for.
Like in a relationship, giving more than what's expected helps to ground and strengthen a solid foundation.
2) Establish a reputation of consistency
To be successful in a relationship of any sort, you need to cultivate deep roots.
Sounds like a lot of work!
One client, I love her to death. She is gorgeous, funny and great to be around. I formed a fast friendship with her, but developed a strong business relationship by not only delivering what she wants but doing so on a consistent basis.
I don't let quality fade, nor do I let he criticisms go unanswered or unquestioned.
Her friendship is important to me, but it also serves another function, in that, it helps drive my bread and butter. She is an A list client for sure, and not just because she has a pretty face but because she is consistent too.
Having clients, like relationships, is a two way street. If they are inconsistent (refer back to my post on having a Thick Skin) then why would you keep them around? All they'll end up doing is costing you money and time.
So, being consistent requires both parties to be accountable to each other. You give work they like, they pay you Simple.
Being consistent also helps out when you do screw up.
I had a long render. It was a mess. Nothing was working right, big glitches,
long delays. I forgot to turn on a transfer mode and it looks all chunky and garbage.
So I had to ask for more time.
She said yes, happily.
Why?
I delivered consistent work and she knew she could trust me to do it again, and if it means waiting, she will wait.
NEVER EVER EVER allow something you are not proud of to go out! Ever. Your credibility, and consequentially, the clients faith in you, will be gone.
3) Give more than just what's expected
YES! I did say be consistent. Deliver consistent quality of product. I didn't say anything about not going above and beyond what they ask for.
If she wants copy on the screen, add some glint. She wants glint, add a damn flare.
One up, or TEN up the client. At worst, all they do is ask you to take away from what you built. It's far easier to turn off a layer in your time-line than it is to build whole new elements.
Deliver more!
That means more work from you, but when you actually do this, you will hold onto that client!
Ever feel like you give it all to your significant other and they keep expecting more and more from you? That's business. You deliver A, now they want A and B and so on.
The good thing though, and if they are a credible business, is that you can start charging more for the better work.
If all you do is deliver exactly what the client wants, they will dump you so fast, you won't even know it.
Give them more, they will crave EVEN more.
Sometimes it's hard to do that.
I just did a quick animation. The budget was for 2 hours of work. That's what they got. The end.
Suddenly they wanted changes, they didn't like the branding, etc etc. So it went from 2 hours to 6 hours of back and forth and additions and changes.
Do I charge for that?
Damn sure right Skippy.
Because I went out of my way to add more AFTER they gave me a set time-line and expect to NOT be charged? yah.... ok.
If the client establishes all the rules and regulations, how and where are you going to grow?
4)It takes two to tango, or in this case, to haggle.
You have to stand up for your company. If the client is dictating to you all the rules, how will you ever get anything done in your favour?
You are the supplier, and you answer to you, or your shareholders or whomever.
Your client also answers to you. Do not compromise your business or even yourself to satisfy the whims of a whiny client. There is only so much you should do to make the client happy without a return on you.
They should never get from you more than you get from them. Simple math.
Hopefully they can then make money from what you sold them.
Simple business.
So that means, do not work 24 hours a day to get a project done worth 5 hours.
Do not over promise either.
Tell the truth with a good markup and you will be laughing to the bank.
To be continued.
(I'm tired now)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thicken that skin!! Some advice to live by.
So, right now I am putting some quotes together for freelance work. Some of it is worth the time, most isn't.
When you run your own business from home, disappointment comes a lot at first.
Case in point,
I shot a couple videos. One was for a party, the other was a live shoot and edit for a stage event.
Both promised good money and I busted my buns over it. Neither paid. In fact the two staging companies I dealt with denied everything and just laughed at me when I threatened collections.
Why? It's not a lot of money and they would rather take the chance of me calling collections (which would end up costing me more in the end) then pay me the paltry cash they promised. to save a couple bucks, I'm the poor stooge that get's screwed over.
A lot of people would have given up. I know many who have. I've only technically been self employed for 3 months now, and it is a tough business.
I went through something similar with my TV show. I learned a lot from that one experience but there is still much to learn about these little, more annoying events.
A lot of freelance producers, editors, graphics guys, make their cash with one offs, small, quick, easy projects.
These tend to take up a lot of time, and rarely pay well, but they cover the bills and the way time between larger projects.
In my last blog, I said that most of what you do is leg work, this is no different. I have spent more time trying to get paid than I did actually doing the work in the first place!
Think I'm alone in this? I'm sure many of you face similar dilemmas.
Do I hate it? Sure. Does it scare me off of what I do? Nope. it just thickens my skin.
In any business, you have to be willing to take chances. Should I buy that new clothing line? Do I offer a discount on something in the hopes it leads to more work later on? Should I invest in new equipment or wait for the next project to pay for it?
Everything you do is risk. There are bigger rewards with risk, but you need to be willing to not falter when disappointment hits.
If you are good and patient, the money comes. In the meantime, learn more and educate yourself about what and how you go about business.
So, I will impart what I've learned.
1) Ask for a percentage up front. If they are legit and have the budget, this is not a problem.
Especially if you are going to be doing more work for them in the future. This establishes a line of credit with the client. They now owe you a percentage than, let's say a whole bill.
2) Don't be afraid to ask for more. Negotiation is about give and take. If they are serious and professional, they will negotiate. Aim high go medium. They will try and lo ball, or even use emotion and sound stressed out. Don't let it get under your skin. It is business and everyone want's to save or make a buck. You are no different so being nice gets you no where.
3) An asshole you are not, but one they must fear. Cold, calculating and lack of information will ensure they respect you. (Tell them as little about you and your practices as possible unless you can build a relationship with them) A handshake and a smile are nice, but a well written invoice with proper information and follow up will guarantee respect.
4) Don't stop calling. They may not like it that you knock on their door or call at 2 in the morning or slash their tires (I'm not advocating slashed tires folks)
They have your money, and you did services for them. You're work is your whore and you are the pimp, so show your pimp hand and collect!
5) Do not be afraid. All of this can not happen if you have fear. This is business. It is THEIR problem if they treat it personal. Don't you do the same.
If they owe you money, you need to get it. Rules of Aquisitions say
6) No good deed goes unpunished. You run a business, not a charity. Trying to cut people slack for sob stories only hurts you. You lose money and respect.
and above all, number seven,
Thicken that skin!
Yes, much of this sounds callous and jaded, but this is business! This does not reflect the totality of business, just a preparation for when people will actively try and screw with you.
To have everything you want, you have to be willing to sacrifice everything you have. You also have to be willing to put yourself out there, and suffer those consequences as well.
DO not be afraid!! Confidence and honesty, mixed with determination and a lack of fear will bring you great reward.
THICKEN THAT SKIN!
My next blog will talk about the importance of forming relationships and how to be confident in your choices.
Cheers.
When you run your own business from home, disappointment comes a lot at first.
Case in point,
I shot a couple videos. One was for a party, the other was a live shoot and edit for a stage event.
Both promised good money and I busted my buns over it. Neither paid. In fact the two staging companies I dealt with denied everything and just laughed at me when I threatened collections.
Why? It's not a lot of money and they would rather take the chance of me calling collections (which would end up costing me more in the end) then pay me the paltry cash they promised. to save a couple bucks, I'm the poor stooge that get's screwed over.
A lot of people would have given up. I know many who have. I've only technically been self employed for 3 months now, and it is a tough business.
I went through something similar with my TV show. I learned a lot from that one experience but there is still much to learn about these little, more annoying events.
A lot of freelance producers, editors, graphics guys, make their cash with one offs, small, quick, easy projects.
These tend to take up a lot of time, and rarely pay well, but they cover the bills and the way time between larger projects.
In my last blog, I said that most of what you do is leg work, this is no different. I have spent more time trying to get paid than I did actually doing the work in the first place!
Think I'm alone in this? I'm sure many of you face similar dilemmas.
Do I hate it? Sure. Does it scare me off of what I do? Nope. it just thickens my skin.
In any business, you have to be willing to take chances. Should I buy that new clothing line? Do I offer a discount on something in the hopes it leads to more work later on? Should I invest in new equipment or wait for the next project to pay for it?
Everything you do is risk. There are bigger rewards with risk, but you need to be willing to not falter when disappointment hits.
If you are good and patient, the money comes. In the meantime, learn more and educate yourself about what and how you go about business.
So, I will impart what I've learned.
1) Ask for a percentage up front. If they are legit and have the budget, this is not a problem.
Especially if you are going to be doing more work for them in the future. This establishes a line of credit with the client. They now owe you a percentage than, let's say a whole bill.
2) Don't be afraid to ask for more. Negotiation is about give and take. If they are serious and professional, they will negotiate. Aim high go medium. They will try and lo ball, or even use emotion and sound stressed out. Don't let it get under your skin. It is business and everyone want's to save or make a buck. You are no different so being nice gets you no where.
3) An asshole you are not, but one they must fear. Cold, calculating and lack of information will ensure they respect you. (Tell them as little about you and your practices as possible unless you can build a relationship with them) A handshake and a smile are nice, but a well written invoice with proper information and follow up will guarantee respect.
4) Don't stop calling. They may not like it that you knock on their door or call at 2 in the morning or slash their tires (I'm not advocating slashed tires folks)
They have your money, and you did services for them. You're work is your whore and you are the pimp, so show your pimp hand and collect!
5) Do not be afraid. All of this can not happen if you have fear. This is business. It is THEIR problem if they treat it personal. Don't you do the same.
If they owe you money, you need to get it. Rules of Aquisitions say
- Dignity and an empty sack is worth the sack.
6) No good deed goes unpunished. You run a business, not a charity. Trying to cut people slack for sob stories only hurts you. You lose money and respect.
and above all, number seven,
Thicken that skin!
Yes, much of this sounds callous and jaded, but this is business! This does not reflect the totality of business, just a preparation for when people will actively try and screw with you.
To have everything you want, you have to be willing to sacrifice everything you have. You also have to be willing to put yourself out there, and suffer those consequences as well.
DO not be afraid!! Confidence and honesty, mixed with determination and a lack of fear will bring you great reward.
THICKEN THAT SKIN!
My next blog will talk about the importance of forming relationships and how to be confident in your choices.
Cheers.
How to walk tall....in the face of defeat...WITH A CONTRACT
Not much progress on the whole "TV Show" thing.
Not surprised.
Ego's have gotten in the way of logic and all I can do is marshal whatever energy I have left and carry on with great resolve, and other military cliches. Rally the troops, March On... yadda yadda
I was surprised at how quickly people jump ship once confronted with other options. the whole "grass is greener on the other side" nonsense.
Well folks, the grass isn't greener, it's just painted dirt.
And that dirt comes with a price.
I can't nor will go into specifics, but if certain parties want out, they will have to pay.
Will they? who knows, but a contract is a contract is a contract.
When any of you EVER considers getting into the creative field, you must wear two hats.
One, the pretty shiny creative hat. That one says "boy look at him go, he sure is a creative fellow".
That hat will be sequenced and sparkly, maybe covered in really cool flourishes or grunge effects, coupled with some solid graphic treatments and neat designs. A really spectacular awesome hat.
People will recognize you for that hat and want to work with you to have an even better hat!
The other hat is more demure. It's a grey fedora in standard pattern and look. This is the business hat.
Unfortunately for you creative types, this is also the most important hat you could ever wear.
I want you to think about this quote by Edison "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration"
What he means is, no matter how cool or wonderful an idea or how creative you are, without the actual hard work behind it, it is all for naught. And I'm not talking about the hours you put into the idea. That's a drop in the bucket compared to everything else you have to do.
That business hat will ultimately protect you and your creative investment for the future.
The effort you put in to making your project, into the creative arc, into the detail and research and all the tasty things that make what you created so spectacular, can be lost in the blink of an eye.
History is rife with situations where a simple contract, a little piece of paper could have protected that individual form being stonewalled and destroyed.
I can spend hours just typing out examples of this but won't bore you with a long list.
Part of having a creative idea is protecting it, and thus spending an inordinate amount of time wearing a business hat.
This includes employing a lawyer, negotiation, keeping track of cash, managing your time and budget.
All of this is actually vastly more important than your singular idea.
Think of Mona Lisa. A medium sized painting, not that beautiful in the context of it's simplicity, but look at the infrastructure surrounding that painting, all in the auspice of protecting that investment! It's priceless because there is no tally of the value of it's protection.
I spent maybe, 150 hours coming up with the concept, creating a trailer, shooting, editing designing etc etc. I spent weeks and weeks if not months doing the leg work, the legal stuff and trying to manage and sell this project.
Not to mention the business partners, friends, relatives, spouses and everything else that needed my attention.
So, the hard work put into creative, was far less than 1 percent of the total work done on this project.
Imagine for a second, that I didn't have a contract protecting me and my business?
Good Grief, I would have put a bullet in my head.
Mind you, some times I think it would be the easy way out. Yesh.
That two pages of legal bliss (however un-sexy legalities are) has saved my butt from total destruction.
At first I was scared of it. To understand the legalities is a daunting task. I was scared. Honest to Betsy, I would look over contracts and other legalities and cringe at how much detail is in it, not to mention the language used. It became gibberish. Alas, one must suck it up and get ones hands dirty. So I did, and you know what, it isn't so bad.
When you are a creative person, do not fear the legal, the financial, the money and forms. Embrace it. It will protect your investment, whether it is ever seen by glaring eyes or not, your ass is covered.
This gets back to one of my first points about the hats.
Many creative types I know are frightened off, scared even of dealing with the business side. I won't go into the need to be a salesman, that will be another post.
Part of business is managing expectation and ensuring the value you put in has a return on that investment.
Go pay for a lawyer to set up your corporate name (I can not stress how important this is and will be covered in detail in another post)
Talk to an accountant but above all, get a contract between you and your client, and protect what you have created.
You can never own an idea, but you can own the intellectual property and work put into that idea to ensure no one can come along and replicate it.
It only takes a few steps. Something as simple as mailing it back to yourself and not opening it, to registering it with the Directors Guild of Canada. Get a lawyer to stamp it.
If anyone wants help or to be pointed in the right direction, just ask. I would be more than happy to lend a hand.
Don't forget, you are your own worst enemy or very best friend. Take the steps to educate yourself about the way business is managed and the ways and means of how to be successful in your endeavors.
The creative industry is easy pickings for unscrupulous people, so a good defense, and smart offense will go a long way to making sure your dreams come true.
It all starts with a contract.
Not surprised.
Ego's have gotten in the way of logic and all I can do is marshal whatever energy I have left and carry on with great resolve, and other military cliches. Rally the troops, March On... yadda yadda
I was surprised at how quickly people jump ship once confronted with other options. the whole "grass is greener on the other side" nonsense.
Well folks, the grass isn't greener, it's just painted dirt.
And that dirt comes with a price.
I can't nor will go into specifics, but if certain parties want out, they will have to pay.
Will they? who knows, but a contract is a contract is a contract.
When any of you EVER considers getting into the creative field, you must wear two hats.
One, the pretty shiny creative hat. That one says "boy look at him go, he sure is a creative fellow".
That hat will be sequenced and sparkly, maybe covered in really cool flourishes or grunge effects, coupled with some solid graphic treatments and neat designs. A really spectacular awesome hat.
People will recognize you for that hat and want to work with you to have an even better hat!
The other hat is more demure. It's a grey fedora in standard pattern and look. This is the business hat.
Unfortunately for you creative types, this is also the most important hat you could ever wear.
I want you to think about this quote by Edison "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration"
What he means is, no matter how cool or wonderful an idea or how creative you are, without the actual hard work behind it, it is all for naught. And I'm not talking about the hours you put into the idea. That's a drop in the bucket compared to everything else you have to do.
That business hat will ultimately protect you and your creative investment for the future.
The effort you put in to making your project, into the creative arc, into the detail and research and all the tasty things that make what you created so spectacular, can be lost in the blink of an eye.
History is rife with situations where a simple contract, a little piece of paper could have protected that individual form being stonewalled and destroyed.
I can spend hours just typing out examples of this but won't bore you with a long list.
Part of having a creative idea is protecting it, and thus spending an inordinate amount of time wearing a business hat.
This includes employing a lawyer, negotiation, keeping track of cash, managing your time and budget.
All of this is actually vastly more important than your singular idea.
Think of Mona Lisa. A medium sized painting, not that beautiful in the context of it's simplicity, but look at the infrastructure surrounding that painting, all in the auspice of protecting that investment! It's priceless because there is no tally of the value of it's protection.
I spent maybe, 150 hours coming up with the concept, creating a trailer, shooting, editing designing etc etc. I spent weeks and weeks if not months doing the leg work, the legal stuff and trying to manage and sell this project.
Not to mention the business partners, friends, relatives, spouses and everything else that needed my attention.
So, the hard work put into creative, was far less than 1 percent of the total work done on this project.
Imagine for a second, that I didn't have a contract protecting me and my business?
Good Grief, I would have put a bullet in my head.
Mind you, some times I think it would be the easy way out. Yesh.
That two pages of legal bliss (however un-sexy legalities are) has saved my butt from total destruction.
At first I was scared of it. To understand the legalities is a daunting task. I was scared. Honest to Betsy, I would look over contracts and other legalities and cringe at how much detail is in it, not to mention the language used. It became gibberish. Alas, one must suck it up and get ones hands dirty. So I did, and you know what, it isn't so bad.
When you are a creative person, do not fear the legal, the financial, the money and forms. Embrace it. It will protect your investment, whether it is ever seen by glaring eyes or not, your ass is covered.
This gets back to one of my first points about the hats.
Many creative types I know are frightened off, scared even of dealing with the business side. I won't go into the need to be a salesman, that will be another post.
Part of business is managing expectation and ensuring the value you put in has a return on that investment.
Go pay for a lawyer to set up your corporate name (I can not stress how important this is and will be covered in detail in another post)
Talk to an accountant but above all, get a contract between you and your client, and protect what you have created.
You can never own an idea, but you can own the intellectual property and work put into that idea to ensure no one can come along and replicate it.
It only takes a few steps. Something as simple as mailing it back to yourself and not opening it, to registering it with the Directors Guild of Canada. Get a lawyer to stamp it.
If anyone wants help or to be pointed in the right direction, just ask. I would be more than happy to lend a hand.
Don't forget, you are your own worst enemy or very best friend. Take the steps to educate yourself about the way business is managed and the ways and means of how to be successful in your endeavors.
The creative industry is easy pickings for unscrupulous people, so a good defense, and smart offense will go a long way to making sure your dreams come true.
It all starts with a contract.
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