What You Should Know When You Work For Free

O

OldCorpse

Rockin the Boat
I have been a long-time fan of the youtube channel of a young DP who talks about the ins and outs of lighting techniques, and he also did one segment titled: "Working For Free As A DP | 10 Things You Should Know"


He lays out the reality of working FOR FREE as a DP and why it is both a necessity and a good thing, even if you are a well established pro. In view of the overt hostility among many aspiring filmmakers toward the whole concept of working for free, I thought it would be an interesting perspective for us to look at.

We've all seen ridiculous ads on CL asking for the moon, but I often feel ambivalent about it - because while some ads are clearly garbage, off-putting, unprofessional and exploitive, other ads being shown as examples of outrage are nothing of the sort, in fact, often generous in that they offer compensation at all. I don't always jump into such threads, but I think it's healthy for people to explore this issue.

As the DP in the video explains: not only is working for free a reality when you start out, it is a GOOD thing, and a necessary thing, and without it we probably wouldn't have a well-functioning movie industry at all. I know the latter for a fact, because I've had a chance to compare film industries in several countries and the U.S. system is a pretty good one, and at least part of it is due to people being willing to work for free, write their own ticket without being beholden to some bureaucracy, experimentation and true indie spirit.

I hope this video re-sets people's expectations, to realize that working for free in the film industry is not a curse to be avoided, it's an opportunity to grasp.
 
OldCorpse said:
I have been a long-time fan of the youtube channel of a young DP who talks about the ins and outs of lighting techniques, and he also did one segment titled: "Working For Free As A DP | 10 Things You Should Know"


He lays out the reality of working FOR FREE as a DP and why it is both a necessity and a good thing, even if you are a well established pro. In view of the overt hostility among many aspiring filmmakers toward the whole concept of working for free, I thought it would be an interesting perspective for us to look at.
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I've not been able to view the clip, but I'll just comment in general terms...

There 'free' and then there's 'free'...

I personally would work for free if I saw some benefit/experience that I would not otherwise get, and the offering is such that if I take it, it would not cut into someone's bread and butter... in other words the filmmaker would either have some work done for free... or not do the project at all.

There of course is 'working for free' when the filmmaker is just plain cheap...

And then there's 'working for free'... when one has under bid the project, and due to a sense of duty, completes the job, and when all is said and done, the amount received doesn't even cover gas (in real expense dollars... not IRS standard mileage deductions...), yielding a 'negative' pay.

There's also 'free' as in 'when my project comes around can I expect similar 'free' labor'.

Of course the latter is always 'agreed to'... but often forgotten when it's time for payback.
 
Part of what we do is craft and part is art. A grip guy doesn't need the art part - he needs to know the gear and be clever to use it efficiently (he should also stay off his cellphone...). Same is true with AC, probably sound. Those people charge for their craftsmanship. You than have two kind of producers: those who want to save and those who want to get stuff done. The former understand that they are paying for craftsmanship. Period.

But a DP is part craftsman and part artist. Some people simply don't have what it takes - their art sucks and will never develop. I went to art school so making pretty images was instinctual (even back when i knew nothing about lighting) but i also know some people who have a very hard time with the art aspect. They know all technical ins and outs and yet still struggle to deliver acceptable images. Those people will never have it "easy" as art is not part of their instinct.Because pretty images came to me instinctually i was always in demand - i literally shot 2 days for free in my whole career - and so working for free isn't something i really agree to. On the other hand i have friends who shot for free left and right to get where they are now (they still don't know how to produce acceptably attractive frame but budget allow them to create decent frames and so they keep on working). And so there is no one path. Some people have it easier than others.
 
I remember hearing that Janusz Kaminski DP'd 40+ short films while he was in film school, without pay, as part of his education. Shortly out of school, he had a reel good enough to get him hired to shoot Schindler's List.
 
Patryk_Rebisz said:
[...]Because pretty images came to me instinctually i was always in demand - i literally shot 2 days for free in my whole career - and so working for free isn't something i really agree to. On the other hand i have friends who shot for free left and right to get where they are now (they still don't know how to produce acceptably attractive frame but budget allow them to create decent frames and so they keep on working). And so there is no one path. Some people have it easier than others.
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But as the DP in that video states - you can be a fully working, even distinguished and famous DP, and still do work for free, i.e. spec work. It has nothing to do with talent. These are super talented DPs - and who have careers much much bigger than almost anyone on dvxuser (including Patryk Rebisz). Yet they do free work. So it's not about talent, or being "in demand". It's about doing spec work (for free) because you want to establish a relationship with a particular director, or broaden your market (commercials, narrative, etc.). They are plenty in demand, and don't have to work for free - ever. They choose to do so, because there are advantages to doing so.

Like you say, "there is no one path". Some people indeed do have it easier than others, and all kinds - including the ones to whom it all comes super easy - see advantages to working for free. You don't have to, but it's another avenue.

And yes, there can be advantages. What if a talented director appears who does a project on his own, but doesn't have $, so he chooses a DP who will work for free? What if that DP is quite talented and agrees to it, and the final product is fantastic? And the career of both director and DP is launched? And the DP banks that exposure and goes on to a great career with opportunities that would not be there before, including the ones presented by the newly famous and talented director? Yes, he'll initially be out $50K worth of work, but on his next project which he gets because of this, he gets paid so much it more than makes up for that initial $50K sacrifice? That's the story of Hollywood. Many, many have made this path, by joining forces with talented people all pitching in. Meanwhile, of course there are those "pros" who pride themselves on never working for free, who would pass up that opportunity, and gladly bank $50, but spend their lives never working above the level of "yet another one". All because of false pride and lack of vision. So that's also a possible path. Like you say, "there is no one path".
 
There can be other reasons (for yourself, for your community and country) to do some work for free. Since I have owned reasonably decent personal gear, I have shot campaign events and ads for local political candidates of choice as in kind donations. Same occasionally for other worthy charitable causes. Not really a career builder in my case, but satisfying nonetheless.
 
OldCorpse said:
But as the DP in that video states - you can be a fully working, even distinguished and famous DP, and still do work for free, i.e. spec work. It has nothing to do with talent. These are super talented DPs - and who have careers much much bigger than almost anyone on dvxuser (including Patryk Rebisz). Yet they do free work. So it's not about talent, or being "in demand". It's about doing spec work (for free) because you want to establish a relationship with a particular director, or broaden your market (commercials, narrative, etc.). They are plenty in demand, and don't have to work for free - ever. They choose to do so, because there are advantages to doing so.

Like you say, "there is no one path". Some people indeed do have it easier than others, and all kinds - including the ones to whom it all comes super easy - see advantages to working for free. You don't have to, but it's another avenue.

And yes, there can be advantages. What if a talented director appears who does a project on his own, but doesn't have $, so he chooses a DP who will work for free? What if that DP is quite talented and agrees to it, and the final product is fantastic? And the career of both director and DP is launched? And the DP banks that exposure and goes on to a great career with opportunities that would not be there before, including the ones presented by the newly famous and talented director? Yes, he'll initially be out $50K worth of work, but on his next project which he gets because of this, he gets paid so much it more than makes up for that initial $50K sacrifice? That's the story of Hollywood. Many, many have made this path, by joining forces with talented people all pitching in. Meanwhile, of course there are those "pros" who pride themselves on never working for free, who would pass up that opportunity, and gladly bank $50, but spend their lives never working above the level of "yet another one". All because of false pride and lack of vision. So that's also a possible path. Like you say, "there is no one path".
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Once again you are confusing terms. Free and Spec are VASTLY different. I shoot specs all the time as directors are pitching ideas and agencies are hustling for new clients but they are NOT free! Just last week i was in pre-pro on a spec with budget of close to $50k (!) - though i must admit spec budgets like that don't happen that often. I myself shoot specs for myself. Do you know how it works? You ask your usual crews to do you a favor and work for half of their regular rate. I have zero interest to "expand my reel" or connect with someone who's not willing to put up some money into their idea. Just like the famous Slawomir Idziak (all most beautiful films by Kieslowski) answered when someone at some Q&A asked if he would be willing to work for free if the script was killer: NO.

I look at DPs reels all the time as sometimes we look for talent when i can't take the job and free work stands out all the time (free DP, free art direction, free actors, free editing, free sound design...). You know very well that making something successful is so hard that it verges on miracle when it's paid and the no-money adds yet another (HUGE i might add) burden. Making a successful PAID production is almost a fantasy and belief in making a successful UNPAID production verges on lunacy. Of course, there area few examples of free success stories that we love to repeat forgetting how rare they are. Don't get me wrong, i love your enthusiasm but i suspect this enthusiasm could be more fruitful if you didn't keep on banging on the free=success drum.
 
Guys like Idziak came up in a 100% state controlled film industry. There was no private filmmaking, and if you worked as a DP, you worked on state financed films, where you always got paid. Working for free was not even an option. Obviously, the concept is not in Idziak's scope of imagination, so of course, "NO". If lucky and gifted, guys like that hooked up with talented directors (like Kieslowski) and then proceeded to spend a lot of their careers in that situation - even translating that into work abroad with Western directors (as Idziak did). But the world is changing today. Many talented Polish (and former Eastern/Central European) DPs emigrated to the West, and got work - often starting with doing free work. Doing free work is a way to get started for some, and for others, especially those already established, it's a way of trying new things, expanding, forming relationships etc. Not everybody has to do it - if you are working steadily and not needing to do anything different, then working for free and trying new challenges may not be something you'd be interested in. Eventually you'll retire and you've had your run as a working DP. Others like to strike out into the outer edges, and for them working for free is a tool to use.

But there you have it - one perspective from a working DP (who made that video) who sees working for free as essential, and one perspective from a working DP (Patryk) who takes the sure paid gig every time. It's great to compare, and depending on your personality, everyone will have their own choice and perspective.
 
I'll absolutely work for free if it's a fun project and I get to work with cool people. Hell, I don't even take paid gigs these days unless they're going to be fun to do.
 
I think the question of working for free depends on how close you are to being one of the creators/producers. When I make my own short films, I pay for it out of pocket. So I am working for less than free. In fact, I'm losing lots of money, and I don't ever have plans to make that money back. I think everyone understands this.

When you work for free, or when you ask someone to work for free, I think you need "enthusiastic consent." Yes, I'm taking this term from sex. If you're offering someone a bad deal, you just need to say so, and ask if they want to do it. If you lie, manipulate, evade, but still try to rip them off, then it's not cool.

When offering a sh*tty deal, you just need to say, "Hey, I know this is a sh*tty deal, but I don't have anything better. Let me know if you want to do it."
 
I sometimes work for free, but I never employ anyone for free.

It's great to give my services for free to a charity or to help someone out - I take coin from enough dodgy corporates and governments so it's good to give something back occasionally:-)
 
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IMO the first question is the purpose of the film..

Artistic endeavour or commercial project.

As soon as a project has commercial gain to any party then dont work for free.

But collaborating on an artistic endeavour is cool and useful.

Pop videos are often a blurry mix.

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Technically I find lo-no budget jobs a huge use.. basically I wont take coin for teqniques that I am not well practiced at and cannot deliver on a fully professional level.

For example Ronin and Steadicam operation are skills that one needs many hours down with before I would feel able to offer them as professional services.

Being on a lo-budget set you immediately hit all the real world problems you will need to solve as a professional.. batteries, screen viewing outdoors, focus pulling and just operating motivated shots that are what the director wants.

Even smoothly panning a tripod from mark a to mark b at the right moment in a dramatic scene is a deep skill - many operators do not see that they need to practice.

When I moved on to a (fully paid, professional) handheld show my camera skills were pushed to the limit in terms of making moves in time with the development of the story.. I could not be confident on a pro show without the hours Ive spent doing lo-budget stuff.

One note.. I charge to cover my kit and insurance even when working for 'free'
 
+1 to what Sam said in the post above. Many, many good points (I particularly like "many operators do not see that they need to practice"...good golly, is this ever true!)

I can't even begin to think of the number of freebies I've done over my career. In more recent years I would actually convert low-budget jobs into personal freebies, taking my token pay and applying it back into the budget so we could get a little more gear or another body or two on the crew. In the beginning it was a way to build my reel and make relationships. Later it was purely based on the material, if I felt like it was worth being involved.

These days, my main concern about free or very low paying jobs is crewing. I don't like asking anyone to work for that and I am always leery of production finding me a crew (they can never find enough of them regardless). In that scenario I am more likely to have to work far, far harder to get the work done in such a way that makes it worthwhile for me to be there.
 
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