free work

[David Roth weiss]

“Free work???”

Wow, if ever there was an oxymoron, this is it. Even “pro bono” work, which we think of as non-paying, really comes from latin meaning, “for the public good.” There’s no good for the public in this scenario, and no good for you either Rob, I guess there only people that benefit are those offering the free work. Doesn’t sound terribly enticing to me.

Heck I want a free Lamborghini. Anybody jumping at the chance to fork one over for the public good?

David

David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los Angeles

POST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY ™

A forum host of Creative COW’s Apple Final Cut Pro, Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.

[Mike Cohen]

When I graduated college, this was before the internet, there were a few ads in the Boston Globe, looking for people to do deferred payment work on films. Deferred payment means never getting paid.

The best advice for young people starting out is, “if it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true. Also, there is no free lunch. Also, watch your back because nobody is watching it for you.”

Internships are free work which can help you get a paying job. But unless you have income, or the free work is a labor of love, just say no.

Mike Cohen

[Bruce Bennett]

Hi Rob,

When I graduated from college in 1990, I wanted to be an ad campaign designer. I had unsuccessful interviews for about a year trying to get a job as a media account manager/sales rep (I had absolutely no advertising experience when I graduated). After interviewing for, and not getting, a sales position for a production company, I became interested in video.

I approached an acquaintance who owned his own post house about an internship. He was kind enough to offer me a 6-month, 20-hour per week, non-paid internship doing consumer photo and film transfers to VHS tape, duplication and simple editing. In return, he was willing to invest his time and equipment in helping me produce a project of my choice for my portfolio. I ended up being hired as his first full-time employee and worked there for 8 years. BTW: I also worked a 40-hour per week full time job during that 6-month internship so I could make a living (on my own and not living with parents).

I get kind of miffed when I hear young college grads complain that the only work they can find is “work for free” gigs or non-paying internships. I feel it stigmatizes their generation in a bad way. During my 6-month internship, I gained more knowledge and hands-on experience than I could ever have asked for. It was priceless. To this very day, I consider myself very lucky to have been “chosen” from the hundreds of other non-experienced grads who also wanted my “work for free” internship.

Good Luck!
Bruce

Bruce Bennett
Bennett Marketing & Media Production, LLC

[Rob Grauert]

Bruce,

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve done my fair share of free work. And I don’t just bust my ass in school, I bust my ass outside of school as well. I have no social life. But I have no complaint, and my initial post wasn’t a complaint. It just seems that everywhere I turn, someone is looking for a a free editor with their own edit bay who will work for free, or someone is looking for a videographer who has gear that costs thousands of dollars who will work for free. In my initial post I was simply asking if all the professionals who visit the Cow experienced this when they were getting out of college too.

And I definitely understand the value of an internship. Technically, if you are there learning, you are not working for free. In my opinion, at that point knowledge is more valuable than money.

Robert J. Grauert, Jr.

[Rob Jackson]

This is why I pretty much ignore most Craigslist ads. Internships are not the same as these ads looking for “students/people who want to build their portfolio with a successful national company”, but yet refuse to name their company in the ad itself. Too many people looking for editing know they can get hobbyists and eager students with NLE’s to do a project for nothing or the promise of “more work down the road” as the NLE’s and cameras are so much more affordable than they were in the past.

When they realize the free work they get done isn’t up to par, they’ll pay someone to do it or just not do it at all.

[Bruce Bennett]

Hi Rob,

Sounds and looks to me like you have what it takes for a promising career: a very good work ethic and good sample reels (I checked out your MySpace page). I think you just have to keep playing the game of networking (including meeting people on the free gigs) until it pays off. It may take some time, but you should do fine.

Keep on truckin’
Bruce

P.S. I’m jealous. I wish I could afford to license AC/DC’s music for my projects 🙂

Bruce Bennett
Bennett Marketing & Media Production, LLC

[Matt Townley]

Bruce,

I think there is an important distinction that needs to be made between an Internship and “working for free.”

An Internship is a scenario where someone works for little/no pay in return for the company investing into that individual with their knowledge and experiences. The Intern in this scenario should not be the most experienced person and who be interning somewhere they will be taught new skills and gain experience to help them in their respective field.

On the other hand, “free work,” as I think Rob is referring to, is what more and more companies (especially on places like craigslist) want to hire people for. As he said, they often want people already quite skilled and with significant prior experience, demo reels and professional references. The trend I often see is companies wanting “interns” for positions where I highly doubt there is anyone in the company who would know more or have more experience than the “intern” they want to hire. How then is the intern going to learn anything new from this experience?

I completely agree that internships are incredibly valuable and should not be looked lightly at; however, this is VERY different than working for free and being taken advantage of and getting nothing in return.

[Terence Curren]

When I started, there was nowhere near the playing field that there is now. Building an online edit room cost nearly a million dollars and offline rooms were hundreds of thousands. This meant that every Tom, Dick and Harry didn’t own an edit system. To get on one, you had to get into a company that existed, and work your way up to the chance to hammer on a system.

So no, there weren’t a lot of folks asking for free work. But there also weren’t hundreds of channels, tons of internet sites, iPhones, etc. to fill with content.

Since the market place is SO diluted now, there isn’t a whole lot of money to dedicate to any one part of it. This spawns what you are seeing.

FWIW, if you find a good place to do a qualified internship, which either means they are paying you minimum wage or you are getting college credit, then you should jump at the chance. And when you are there, LEARN, NETWORK, LEARN, NETWORK, LEARN, NETWORK…. Get my point?

Terence Curren
http://www.alphadogs.tv
http://www.digitalservicestation.com
Burbank,Ca

[Grinner Hester]

Tey offer opportunity. Never do free work, man. Investing in opportunity should not be looked at as doing free work. I work all the time for no money but man, it sure aint for nothin’. I can’t afford that. I also can’t afford to just keep pushing buttons for others. That would have me doing the same ten years from now and I’m just not willing to do that. I create labors of love and submit them. One day I’ll make a great freakin’ living creating my own shows. My time is a great investment in this.
Back in the day when I worked for no money for others, it was so I could get jobs from those people after I proved myself. Again, that’s a wise investment. Suck it up. Get to work.
or get a real job.

[Rob Grauert]

lol, that’s funny you brought up the music, bruce. My teacher said I should take it down. Since then I have re-edited the piece, I just haven’t taken it down yet since I’m making my own custom website. I should get on that.

Thanks for the compliment about my work though.

Robert J. Grauert, Jr.