Grant is an experienced audio specialist and has been in the industry since 2001. He specialises in location sound recording, dialogue editing (dubbing mixer) and sound designing (dubbing editor). Grant gave an informative lecture on the roles, responsibilities and realities of working in the audio industry. He picked up on some very useful points regarding freelancing and finding work, which I found relevant to my fourth learning outcome.
Grant outlined the importance of the technical skills needed in the industry, explaining how you should expect different formats and workflows for each client you have. He also stressed the importance of understanding the customer’s needs and how you should be able to understand this from communicating with them using efficient people skills. Grant also discussed the importance of networking, as a lot of work can be generated from recommendations from previous work. Therefore it is wise to maintain contacts with those who you have worked with. It is also vital to be on top of all accounting due to the perks and drawbacks of being a freelancer (I explore these pros and cons in my ‘Freelance Master Class’ post in more detail). The lecture also explored how as a freelancer, you are the face of your product, meaning you are at the forefront of looking and sounding professional. As a freelancer, there is no leave, maternity/paternity or sick pay and it isn’t always possible to know when or where your next job may be. See the images from Grant’s slide below, for examples of what activities may occur in the life of a freelancer.
Some further tips Grant gave about working in the industry include:
Contacts – Keep a spread sheet/database of contacts. This includes; the dates you worked with them, the project, when you last contacted them and pay rate. Maintain these contacts. Others have also given similar advice in guest lectures, including Mark Hills and Susan Pennington.
CV – Keep your CV lean with a short and simple opening paragraph. Make sure all contact information is easily accessible. Include the previous projects, companies and people you have worked with (with dates).
Accounts – Have a ‘kit calculator’ containing industry rates and discounts, what to charge for (you), delivery/petrol, and other expenses. Use a ‘rate card’ that will include the price of your hourly, daily and weekly cost and then the prices of your equipment. If you have an agent, they will receive an agreed percentage of your wages, not your kit/equipment.
Invoicing – Keep your accounts simple. Include “ins” which entails invoices, wages and kit hire. Include “outs” which entails everything under expenses and purchases. Invoices should refer to rates of pay, minimum wage, and BECTU and PACT agreements. Finally, look at TV/film services for an idea of how much to charge client(s).
One of the most important pieces of advice Grant gave was to value your work, and not to work for a lower price just because you are less experienced in the industry.