[mr.wonton]

I was wondering how to get that freelance jobs to roll in? A lot of people tell me that an agent is what I need but I have no idea where to even start. Does anyone here know anything about htis? I'm a conceptual/matte painter. Thanks!

MW

[Gort]

Hey Wonton:

I believe that subject has been discussed here (remember, Padawan, the search function in very powerful):

http://forums.sijun.com/viewtopic.php?t=31281&highlight=agent
_________________
- Tom Carter

"You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf" - Jack Kornfield

[mr.wonton]

I did a search and followed th link and found some information. But I really wanted more inpu tin terms of how to market yourself.I just thought that there are probably some freelance people here how are doing quite well and wanted their experience of freelanceing. Thanks for sharing!

[Gort]

Probably one of the biggest failings of any visual artists is the inability to recognize themselves as a business. Yes. A Business. Let's face it; you are a business; you have a service to offer in exchange for money. Whether you like it or not, you have to adhere to the constructs of doing business, especially if you want to be reasonably successful and make money.

Who doesn't want to make money?

As a business you must therefore market yourself like any other business would. These types of things can often be hard for creatives; I know - I wrangled with it myself at one time. You will need to create a media kit full of samples, business cards, etc. etc. etc. The drawback to this stuff is that it isn't cheap; market collateral can cost you (prepress work will cripple you financially, so go Digital Offset [Heidelberg or Indigo Press]; it'll still cost you but it will be cheaper in the long run, and it looks pretty darn good). Regardless if you want to be noticed you have to do this stuff; create your kit and get it mailed out to every damn agency in town, region and/or country.

Get a hold of something like the "2004 Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market (Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market, 2004. It will give an idea of how to ramp up and target your concentration within the industry.

So what is your concentration? Different concentrations may very well require different means for marketing yourself. If you're a whizdamnbang concept artist, then maybe a simple disposable portfolio of your hotest stuff will suffice - just make sure it gets in the right hands. On the other hand if your concentration is editorial illustration and you're targeting agencies, then maybe going slickallout is better (something fancy...with impact...wowzer).

Preserverance is an endearing thing. Keep hitting people over the head with your stuff. If they shoot you down then ask questions; try to get some feedback. One time early in my career I submitted a book to Disney over there in sunny California; it came back rejected. I got on the phone and continually pestered the Director there for feedback till he finally said "OK - I'll talk to you". For about an hour (over the phone), he was gracious enough to tell me why I didn't make it in, but more importantly he told me what I needed to do if I wanted to work at Disney.

Grow a thick skin and prepare for failure. Prepare for conflict. You will run into people that think you suck. They will be managers; they will be clients, and worse off they will be your peers. Take this negative stuff and turn it into something better. If your skills need work then buck up, trooper, and hustle your ass into getting better. Don't let other opinions get you down. You can turn it into something good, or you can go wait tables somewhere.

Learn patience, determination and motivation. Learn to be a leader; it's your business you have to carry. Learn to stand up for and behind your work. Without these achieving success may be difficult. Focus!

It's all about you, so kick some ass!!


_________________
- Tom Carter

"You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf" - Jack Kornfield

[Eric UNSL]

On top of what Gort said, which is all good info. Having an agent is by no means a guarantee of steady work. You first off have to get with an agent that represents artists that do what you do and have really strong marketable work. If you get with an agent that handles a bunch of editorial illustrators and painters and you offer a portfolio of concept art to the agent you won't get far.

Most importantly, most reps won't touch you unless you've already proven you can get work. It helps to have had some moderate success doing what you do. Then realize that whatever agent you go with will already have a core group of artists that he/she works with. More famous established artists that command higher fees that what you'd get. So if you already get work and make enough to live on, consider if it's worth having somebody else find you a few jobs that other artists turn down, then take their cut of whatever you'd make on the job. Most reps take 25-30% off of whatever commission fee you'd get.

Decide if it's worth it.