Dive In, The Freelance Pool Is Rich With Talent

Historically, freelancing in post production is not something you would shout about. When vfx was a ‘dark art’, confined only to facilities who had the deep pockets to buy and maintain the specialised hardware and software, the only way to have access to this technology was to be employed by a major facility house. 

Bearing in mind back then, TK was over a million pound investment, flame upwards of £250k (including hardware) you can understand why the only way to get on the ‘kit’ was a long road of working nights, sometimes for years, before being let loose on clients, even then, there was no guarantee of success. 

Freelancers back then, tended not to be the A list talent; but either, simply weren’t good enough to take up ‘a seat', or decided 12 hour days wasn’t for them, so more of a lifestyle choice. They existed only to provide back up to facilities to run 24/7 and had run their full time staff to exhaustion. Even then, rarely put in front of clients, but in the back room prepping shots.  

Non linear VFX / Editing first appeared in the mid nineties and the generation who first mastered the technology, like me, are now in their early fifties, honed their skill and at the top of their game. They now have the opportunity to make their skill and experience work for them for a better live/work balance.

The ‘Dark Art’ days of vfx are over, as is the traditional billing rates. The ‘Kit’ is now financially accessible to individuals at home, students at colleges etc (…and portable!), from Editing to VFX/CGI and we have a pool of freelance talent that is second to none; with 20 + years plus of experience in some cases and straight out of college in others. Coupled with advances in technology, you have the best individuals working as a team ‘remotely’ from home at a fraction of the price of the traditional model. 

In the current challenging climate, the need for high quality, cost effective video content has never been so relevant. Remote working has become the norm for us all in these challenging times, and there is now an unlimited, exciting and untapped resource available from the freelance community; whether it be agency creatives, directors through to post.  

Put a bespoke team together, you have an ‘end to end’ team who are committed, professional and experienced and, unlike the traditional production model, charge day rates only.   

The notion of freelancers being ‘B List’ is consigned to history.