STOP WORKING FOR FREE

• STOP. WORKING. FOR. FREE

We all find ourselves there at one point or another--- saying “yes” to jobs over and over again, while also not valuing what we KNOW we’re worth. Navigating money in the entertainment industry certainly isn’t an easy thing--- you want the experience, the connections, etc. but at some point, you have to stop working for free. Here’s a few tips that we’ve learned along the way:

1. Building up a reel: Often people end up working for free because of this very reason--- you want footage of yourself doing your thing! Totally understandable. Initially, especially if you’re just jumping into the business, doing some student films, scenes, etc. in return for edited video for you to USE is worth it. The experience can be fantastic when it comes to actually working on camera and if you’re working with a student, both of you are learning from each other. This is worth trying at least once or twice.....but, not forever. Ya dig?

2. Assisting: Dancers know how this works; a fantastic choreographer asks you to assist him/her at their next class- definitely an honor, they see you and they see your talent! Starting out this way is awesome, definitely builds the relationship and positions you in a way that they see your value. Here’s the thing-- if they’re asking you to assist consistently, this is when money can/should be exchanged- tricky to broach that topic, that being said-- they know you need to pay your bills. If you’re assisting an audition, they can work it into their budget to have you there, the people that will pay you, want you to succeed and realize it isn’t all about them. This is an important lesson and a hard one to learn.

3. Shows: So your best friend calls you up and they’re producing a show, would love to have you in it....lalalalal. There’s one problem, they have no money. Fantastic. We’ve all been in this position before. The important questions to ask yourself is this; What is the time commitment like?? Is it worth the experience?? Will you RESENT them if you say YES? (Probably the most important question and if there’s an ounce of hesitation, don’t do it.) If you examine these questions carefully and realize it’s A. too much time or B. Takes away from what you could be doing, because you’re trying to do someone a favor and C. You’ll resent the job the entire time because you aren’t feeling valued, then take a step back. There’s always someone around the corner willing to do it for free---- don’t let that be you.

4. Know your unions: They’re there to take care of you. Don’t be so desperate that you ignore that....long term, your career and your pocket book will thank you.