23 replies to this topic

[swaino]

Hey

I've made the official jump into the wonderful world of freelance. It's going pretty well so far, and I've stayed very busy. I finally got around to putting a portfolio site together. It features my latest reel and work from the past several years. The site is about as straightforward as it gets, but I really just wanted a page that showcases my work. No muss, no fuss.

I'm wide open to comments and suggestions...about the site, the work...or both.

Thanks!
www.daveswain.tv

Edited by swaino, 30 September 2007 - 06:11 AM.

[coachaviv]

Hey

I've made the official jump into the wonderful world of freelance. It's going pretty well so far, and I've stayed very busy. I finally got around to putting a portfolio site together. It features my latest reel and work from the past several years. The site is about as straightforward as it gets, but I really just wanted a page that showcases my work. No muss, no fuss.

I'm wide open to comments and suggestions...about the site, the work...or both.

Thanks!
www.daveswain.tv

I must say I liked your work! I hope I can get to that level one day! I'm just at the beginning stages. I had two questions . . . I have the new Final Cut Studio with Motion3 and all that fun stuff - is that enough to do some of the work that you do (i'm asking specifically after watching the Ruchmond school of law reel you have up); can i do that sort of work, with much practice of course, using the final cut studio?
Second question: what did you use to make your site, specifically to make the movies pop up on a seperate window - i'm simply using the iWeb that i have when i bought my macbook pro.
thanks in advance for any help!
p.s. how do you go about advertising yourself as a freelancer?

[Beaver]

Nice site/reel. I think straightforward is good. Congrats on going freelance, how's business in VA?

[swaino]

Nice site/reel. I think straightforward is good. Congrats on going freelance, how's business in VA?

Thanks man. I think that overall, business around here isn't bad. I'm lucky in that I'm getting tons of work from my old employer. So, that's working out pretty well. There's a big agency here in town that I'm hoping to pick up some jobs from. I've also had some pretty good success working remotely for studios in bigger markets...which is really what I'm most interested in. I really do like Richmond and don't want to move any time soon...so if I can make that fly, life will be grand.

Thanks for the feedback.

[swaino]

I must say I liked your work! I hope I can get to that level one day! I'm just at the beginning stages. I had two questions . . . I have the new Final Cut Studio with Motion3 and all that fun stuff - is that enough to do some of the work that you do (i'm asking specifically after watching the Ruchmond school of law reel you have up); can i do that sort of work, with much practice of course, using the final cut studio?
Second question: what did you use to make your site, specifically to make the movies pop up on a seperate window - i'm simply using the iWeb that i have when i bought my macbook pro.
thanks in advance for any help!
p.s. how do you go about advertising yourself as a freelancer?

Thanks for the kind words...and welcome to the world of mograph. It's funny...I feel like I'm always trying to convince my creative friends (designers, artists etc) that they really need to give motion design a shot. It's just such enjoyable work and tends to allow (or even require) a great deal of innovation and creativity. It's a really fun and rewarding field. To answer your first question...I don't know. I haven't spent much time in Motion. That's the only app in FCS that's gonna even come close to allowing you to do that kind of animation. After Effects has always been my weapon of choice. I feel like you should at least have AE and Photoshop if that's the kind of stuff you're interested in doing. It looks like Motion is getting pretty strong, but I just don't know if it offers the same level of control of every parameter like AE. Maybe someone else could chime in.

I built my site in Photoshop...just a big layered image file with seperate layers for rollovers...and a friend (www.slickpixel.com) turned it into a website using Dreamweaver. I probably could have hacked my way through it, but I needed it done quickly and he knocked it out in no time.

Advertising yourself as a freelancer: I'm still working that out. Posting here can be a good start...it's a well-known forum. And there's a lot of good information for freelancers at http://freelanceswitch.com/ .

Hope that helps...good luck!
Dave

[Tims0l]

like your reel like the things you did with the paintings and drawings. dont like the intro with the plants and stuff. with the mattechokers kindoff effects in there. seems a bit simple.

[nullObject]

Looks great Dave! Good luck to ya!

[renatokg]

I actually like how simple the intro is... Maybe I would change just the type to another.but like how the works flow..sometimes it´s clean and smooth, which is amazing

[biggieboy]

Nicely done Dave, welcome to the wonderful world of freelancing!

[swaino]

I actually like how simple the intro is... Maybe I would change just the type to another.but like how the works flow..sometimes it´s clean and smooth, which is amazing

I kind of go back and forth on the intro/outro (I like the outro better for some reason). I think that within a few hours, I could bring a bit more sophistication to the treatment. Now I just need to find a few hours . I do like it though...and I don't think it's something that will make or break me. Thanks for the feedback.

[coachaviv]

Dave,

Do you do most of your work with clients that are not in your area at all. Clients that are in another cities/states/or even countries? What i'm trying to get at is if I can assume that one day the kind of work you do can be done from your home and your location is irrelevant? Is this the kind of work/job that you can get business and people will hire you (if your good of course) without ever having a physical meeting with them - everything over the phone/e-mail etc.
If the answer is yes, then that means you have to sell yourself without a face to face meeting as well - maybe you can shed some light on that part of the process as well.
Thanks!

[Benjamin Budzak]

I really have an affinity for simple, clean, well designed 2d in after effects. You work, without a doubt, fits in that genre very well. It looks like the style of a place like MK12 or similar, and it looks like what I want my stuff to look like (one day, "sigh")...very good tho, good sense of timing also...

[swaino]

Dave,

Do you do most of your work with clients that are not in your area at all. Clients that are in another cities/states/or even countries? What i'm trying to get at is if I can assume that one day the kind of work you do can be done from your home and your location is irrelevant? Is this the kind of work/job that you can get business and people will hire you (if your good of course) without ever having a physical meeting with them - everything over the phone/e-mail etc.
If the answer is yes, then that means you have to sell yourself without a face to face meeting as well - maybe you can shed some light on that part of the process as well.
Thanks!

Hi Coach

I'm new to freelancing full time. While I had a full time gig, I did enough work on the side to know that freelancing made more sense for me. The majority of that work was done remotely, out of the studio in my house. It really comes down to finding clients (usually studios and post houses) that are willing to take a chance with someone they've never met face to face. You can get a good feel for who some of those companies are by looking through the job posts on this board and Motionographer. To get work in the bigger markets, you really have to have something to offer...both in terms of your work and your ability to communicate and deliver. Having a bit of personality...that comes thru over the phone or in email...can't hurt either. The talent pools in the main cities are large enough that those guys usually don't NEED to look for out-of-town freelancers.

There are guys that hang out on this board that remote freelance exclusively. Search around and see what they have to say about it too.

Good luck man!

[coachaviv]

Dave,
Your good - quick, short, straight to the point answers. How much would you say the average job brings in? I'm sure there are complexe projects and simple ones - how much does each project bring in usually? Are there lots of small clients, like small businesses who have their own websites and small restaraunts etc etc or is most of the demand for this work with big companies/studios etc? and again how much do you think the jobs pay acording to the size of the client/job?
I'm just wondering if this kind of work (like the work you have done or even simpler stuff) is needed for everybody like graphic design is needed for everybody (i.e. a restaurant needing a menu or business needed a poster made)?

can't wait to get to work! i love the fact that you can go to work and be creative and not know yourself what the final product will be. It's not like other jobsin life where it is the same thing everyday.

thanks again.

Hi Coach

I'm new to freelancing full time. While I had a full time gig, I did enough work on the side to know that freelancing made more sense for me. The majority of that work was done remotely, out of the studio in my house. It really comes down to finding clients (usually studios and post houses) that are willing to take a chance with someone they've never met face to face. You can get a good feel for who some of those companies are by looking through the job posts on this board and Motionographer. To get work in the bigger markets, you really have to have something to offer...both in terms of your work and your ability to communicate and deliver. Having a bit of personality...that comes thru over the phone or in email...can't hurt either. The talent pools in the main cities are large enough that those guys usually don't NEED to look for out-of-town freelancers.

There are guys that hang out on this board that remote freelance exclusively. Search around and see what they have to say about it too.

Good luck man!

[trustar]

nice clean professional work. Really like the simple and clean look of your work. The music for the reel is too 'lazy sunday afternoon-ish' for me tho, doesn't really accentuate (not sure if this is a word but you get the jest) the fun look of your design, something with a little more pop to it

[swaino]

nice clean professional work. Really like the simple and clean look of your work. The music for the reel is too 'lazy sunday afternoon-ish' for me tho, doesn't really accentuate (not sure if this is a word but you get the jest) the fun look of your design, something with a little more pop to it

Thanks man. Glad you like my work. You're not the first to have issue with the music track. I actually think it fits the style of the work pretty well. A lot of my work unfolds kind of slowly...so a track that's really upbeat might not suit it as well. I think (and hope) that this song (by Guster) helps the reel stand out in the crowd a bit. Tread used a Cake song a while back that wasn't a popular choice by everybody, but I thought it was right on, for that very reason.

Again...thanks!

[swaino]

I really have an affinity for simple, clean, well designed 2d in after effects. You work, without a doubt, fits in that genre very well. It looks like the style of a place like MK12 or similar, and it looks like what I want my stuff to look like (one day, "sigh")...very good tho, good sense of timing also...

Dude...I just realized that you compared me to MK12. Where do I send the gift basket?

[Platypus]

I'm lucky in that I'm getting tons of work from my old employer.

I am about to embark on the same journey. How did you leave your old job? Did you get let go/fired or did you tell them you were leaving to explore new opportunities...?

I am in a complete golden handcuffs scenario, and the work is so slow and boring I want to blow my brains out...

-Platypus

[swaino]

I am about to embark on the same journey. How did you leave your old job? Did you get let go/fired or did you tell them you were leaving to explore new opportunities...?

I am in a complete golden handcuffs scenario, and the work is so slow and boring I want to blow my brains out...

-Platypus

Going freelance was something that I had been considering for a while, and had been doing jobs on the side as time permitted. I actually hadn't planned on making the jump as soon as I did, but it was obvious that I wasn't happy in my full-time position...and the conversation with my boss came up out of nowhere...kind of the elephant in the room scenario...and we had a heart to heart that was probably long overdue.

Let me just say that if you're an asset to your company, it's possible to create a very comfortable exit where everyone wins. A soft landing for you, and quality work for them. It all depends on where your head is. If you're completely miserable, and don't even like the place where you work, things may not work out like that...or you may not want them to. But if it's just a matter of not feeling challenged, or wanting to carve your own path, your current employer could be your best client. And I think a certain amount of respect comes with unlocking the handcuffs and doing it on your own.

I really don't know if that helps or if I even answered your question. But I think the important part is to be confident that you can make a go of it on your own. That gives you an advantage. The knowledge that you don't need to be someone's employee is more empowering that I can explain.

Hope that helps. Good luck man!

[cubanhaze]

Im a big fan of Dürer, nice job on the piece!