zeroes and ones: Poll 1: Should An Editor Work For Free?

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Thursday, September 22, 2005

Poll 1: Should An Editor Work For Free?

Ah, the constant struggle to make a buck. We've all been there and still are. I placed a poll on the sidebar regarding this catch 22. All gigs take time and we all, as freelancers at least, have to make a decision on what jobs we take. So it's a game of weighing out the reward, whether it be monetary or for career advancement. What if you are offered a job that that allows you to advance your skills or could lead to more paying gigs like this but it's for a month with no pay. What do you do? Bite the bullet? Take the poll and leave a comment here if you have more thoughts on the subject.

1 Comments:

Anonymous said...: I used to do the occasional free, or at least very low-rate job. I would only do them if I had the time available. Of course, what inevitably happens is I get really busy once I have commited.

What I have found is the jobs you do for free can be very rewarding. Usually the people asking for help are happy to get whatever they can, especially when they get someone with a fair degree of experience. Typically they also appreciate the sacrifice I am giving them, and understand that paying work will take priority.

On the other hand, the jobs that pay a token amount ("we have a really low budget, so can just pay you a few hundred?") almost always turn into a nightmare. They think they own you even though you're working for a fraction of your typical rate. And it seems with a low budget comes a certain amount of uncertainty. The producer/director is looking for someone to bail them out, but will constantly second guess everything I do. Insecurtity is a killer, and a way to see time completely sucked into a black hole. And when they're not paying as much as my usual rate, and then demand I give them undivided attention, that makes for an uncomfortable situation.

I love what I do, and I love working with people who are passionate about their work. But this is my career and I need to make a living. I may work on a project gratis, but I will never work on something for a rate below what I'm worth. I wish I could afford to do nothing but fun and interesting projects, but vanity don't pay the bills.; 9:51 AM