Why Working for Free is Never ok...

Like many others in my industry, I have travelled a remarkable amount of milage through the back-alleys of free work - all in the name of progress. But as far as my experience bubble on LinkedIn could tell me I'm an 'All-Star', it quite frankly meant nothing for my bank balance and I even had to resort to the thing that I'd wanted to avoid at all costs, 'state benefits'.

I was upholding a zero-hour contract at a bar to pay my rent, alongside gaining relevant experience within the industry when there were no shifts left to take. I was working all hours of the day to make my mark on the industry and working all hours of the night to make up the money to live in London - and I'd often fall a little short, resorting to housing benefit to make up the difference.

It makes me feel almost ashamed to say that I was on benefits, but I realise now that this isn't my fault. If I was being paid my way, instead of agreeing to free work for companies that have a single production budget larger than my entire life's earnings - I wouldn't have touched them.

I think it is absolutely unacceptable for companies to palm work off on newly trained graduates or entry level professionals and freelancer, and NOT pay them. Does being young and enthusiastic somehow grant professional immunity to rent and bill payments?

At this point I want to encourage a round of applause for 'The Freelancer Club' who have stepped up to tackle the problem head on - despite the shit that comes with it from those grey-haired OxBridge graduates that once ran the business. This time we're stepping up the fight as freelancers are joining forces with grey-haired industry leaders that DO want change and young professionals to pave the way for this NEW, DIVERSE industry that everyone keeps talking about. With the BBC today announcing 5,000 9-week digital traineeships - surely NOW is the time to encourage change in the industry and train up a youth of professionals that will be valued for their talent, irrespective of their background and taught that 'The Only Way Is Pay'.

It comes at a price for the club, 'During the research period alone we've lost business as a direct result of our questioning' but I for one, am backing them all the way and I hope you will too. For all too long have we been silenced by the admins of various Facebook groups who say, 'it's how it was for all of us, so deal with it' or 'how do expect to get anywhere with that attitude?' when we're really not asking much - all we want is TO BE PAID. If this is the attitude we face at the top then it tells you everything you need to know about where the industry we all cherish - is doing things all wrong and is freezing out promising emerging talent with its inability to admit that change is necessary.

So join the movement, join the Freelancer Club and say #NoFreeWork - say that paying expenses only for Producer roles is WRONG and pledge to say that together we really can stop exploiting the talent that could transform the industry we know and love.

https://thefreelancerclub.co.uk/blog/post/no-free-work

https://www.change.org/p/freelancers-employers-stop-posting-and-applying-for-unpaid-freelance-work

MAKE SURE TO TWEET ME YOUR OWN STORIES OF FREE WORK & LET ME KNOW IF YOU PLEDGE!


And here's an interesting article about the argument surrounding internships too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-29996607 I'd love to see your tweets about how you feel about this!

Film-making's Easy, Right?

Today I began not only reviewing factual television (if you can call my ramblings a review) but discovering how they are made. I have experience of creating my own documentary, my first documentary about a cause I care very much about. In fact you can watch it here: https://vimeo.com/94738448

It becomes clear to me each time I watch it back that its misgivings are too large to ignore. The technical aspects of the film are far from superior and the story could have been told better. Don't get me wrong, the contributors are excellent and I am immensely proud of the content over the technical ability on offer to us. I completely and wholeheartedly adore our contributors on and off screen but I am becoming ever more aware of my first film's shortfalls and am now committed to making my next film, much better.

And so, I begin my journey with a venture into Barry Hampe's 'Making Documentary Films & Reality Videos'.

Thus far I have learnt that documentary film-mkaing is far from easy. I've also learned that I wasn't far off in my first attempt but that the following things are probably useful to keep in mind when making a documentary film to ensure we get the content we really need to create a compelling film:

• the purpose of the film
• the kind of behaviour [we are] is trying to capture
• what is happening in the scene being shot
• the fact that the footage will be edited for presentation to an audience
• how what is being shot in this scene might go with what has been shot before and what is to follow
• how to get the best possible images and sound as visual evidence of the event
• how far the crew can go with this and still remain on their own side of the invisible wall

Interview set-up (2 camera)

I am sure there are other things that are useful to know, such as how to interview to gain good responses, how to light the scene and how to record audio and visuals well. However, it all begins with the bullet points above. It's not as simple as pointing your camera at people and hoping they say the right things and capturing good moments on film, its about pre-empting and researching, planning to get the good stuff down the lens. It is about knowing the purpose of your film from the very beginning so that by the time you reach the edit suite, you get the same delight you get from completing a well-made jigsaw puzzle rather than the fatigue that follows the putting together of a kinder egg toy with missing pieces. You need the story all there, rather than a bunch of images and talking heads that don't amount to anything.

Of course, these things are common sense to most documentarians, but in the heat of the moment when the lights are on and the contributors are mic'd up and ready to go, when time is pressing on, it takes the very best of use producers and directors to remember the values at the doc's core and proceed.

Whatever words of wisdom I discover in my reading, I will share on this blog. So please, check back in a week or two!