Should you work for FREE? - A MARKETING LESSON FOR CREATIVES

ALL MY GEAR:

#davidmanning #learnphotography #learnfilmmaking #learnphotography

[jvinot]

Excellent advice. I’ve been in the film industry for years on the production side and you have to sell your talents over and over to get work.. Many felt production interns were a joke since they were not paid. However I’ve seen many interns who are making it because they choose to show what they can do. Actions can speak louder than words. Show me what ya got!

[HawkesComedy]

This guy is so smart ! He's always helping all of us out with his advice, no how, deals, etc. He should be making more than a Mcdonalds part time employee. Don't ever expect anything from anyone, but work hard for everything. So happy for you, Morgan and Lil Bit. So happy your channel is about to get that silver creator award button. A 100, 000 sub video.... Snapshots of your journey, from the beginning. Intertwine that with Morgan, Ellie and you doing something now ( trip, park, etc.), since they've been a major part of your journey. I would be willing to send you a quick clip of me congratulating you on it. (sure others would too) . You could intertwine those in the video also. Then do a give away if you want in it too. Should be something epic. A huge milestone. Only 160, 000 have made it out of 31 million channels.

[riley_oneill]

I like how you framed this as opportunity costs. I have been in business for 12 years selling fine art prints of my grandfather's paintings (most of which are scenes from here in Southern California). I would frequently have non-profits ask me for items for free that they could use for their fundraisers. 20% of the time it worked out for me, 60% I didn't receive any business and 20% of the time it was an outright negative experience (non-profit refused to mention my business by name or that I am selling these things and just kept it as a vague donation). I have used my prints as donations in the past to get into events (they usually will give me free admission, but not always) and then getting face to face with potential buyers who would otherwise be off-limits to me.
Value is completely different now with facebook/instagram promoted posts now where $10 will go a long way and $500 will be a huge amount of exposure.

[marcoantoniorojasrodriguez]

Im a graphic designer, who has post clients eating ramen just to survive and I'm currently a student studying my first passion which was photography... this time I'm aiming to do a passion of mine that I always wanted to do....


I hear your advice loud and clear and at least once a professional needs to do this.... it's a must. Word of mouth is more valuable than an ad.

Finally I think you should giveaway an expensive lense for a camera hopefully they get a choice of brands lol. Dude your charisma is defying lol. I'm glad I found your channel. You motivate my journey to this endless new road of photography.... hopefully my new career move.

[Ray_Dacted]

I totaly AGREE with you! Great analiss

[SeenByYosh]

I like that perspective of looking at the free opportunities strategically. Glad you mentioned the YouTube part at the end though. It won't be for everyone to grind away at something without an immediate (or even certain) return, but there are lots of advantages in creators doing that free work "for themselves"... whether that's building a platform following, curating a portfolio, starting a blog, programming a simple first app, etc.

[rtzi]

Thanks Dave, very good advice. Especially for those developing skills, doing free work helps obtain experience that otherwise would be difficult to get.

[TimKingsandiego]

Great perspective on this! Making the free work ‘work’ on your terms is the way to use it to your advantage

[careersteer]

Great advice David. I worked in the movie business for free to get started and eventually I ended up having three shorts at Sundance... so it works. Also, it builds character and true industry education. Any chance I can interview you for our CS channel for young people?

[ChrisTheDBA]

That is very wise! Our main business does that and we have built a great business on nothing but word of mouth and referrals. Most people don't quite get how that helps build business and experience and confidence and happiness.

[MorganLeighMusicNow]

Also you should totally give away a GoPro. 😜

[chrislostinflorida]

Stellar advice as usual. More often than not in life, you end up getting out what you put in. Your advice certainly walls in this concept!

[ManySkills]

It really is a balancing act of paid and free jobs; I'd been pretty well on track to "make it" until, you know, 2020 hit (this comes from a film perspective). Location plays such a big part; opportunities in California are probably easier to come by than say rural Iowa (I caught the wave of stuff coming through Pittsburgh, so I got lucky). So does work ethic. You don't want to take a free job and give them a "get what you paid for" experience. Think of it as a job interview and know that even if they don't say anything, they'll remember next time they're in town. Most importantly, KNOW YOUR WORTH. Decide based on your experience what is worth your time and don't forget to reevaluate as you grow. I've met so many PA's on set who have been doing free and entry level jobs for years; yeah it's who you know in the industry, but it's also respect. If you always act like that entry-level position on set, people will treat you as such. There's also nothing wrong with those positions. Being a good PA is hard work; you're one of the first to set and always the last to leave. I just prefer to climb the ladder.

TL;DR - Take some free jobs here and there, work hard, and reevaluate as you gain experience.

Quick Bonus: Decide if it's a hobby or a career. Some extra money from a hobby is great, but sometimes attaching monetary value to something you enjoy can quickly take the fun out of it. Good luck and thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[lukevanginkel]

I totally agree with this marketing strategy but this will work for not only "creatives" but also for any job, if you want to be a vet voulenter at a pet shelter. That type of stuff looks good on your resume ☺️

[Be.m]

you have an awesome channel, i wish you a lot of success!!

[juliankurwan]

Totally agree, i think Free Work can bring new jobs and Connections to grow your network
i am filming the graduation ceremony of my old school next week for free because maybe some parents or relatives see it and remember they need a videographer too

[colinfrankel]

Great vid. Do you happen to know of a YT safe 100% free music library

[PaulFeinberg]

Lots of Truth agree with this message LOL. Nice video dude.

[NicoleSignorCreative]

Definitely pick and choose. Some free work, just wants to take advantage of your business.. That's the hardest part to deal with.

[ParkerMax]

For 100k subs you should go on a hike and take 100k photos! ;) Keep up the great work. I must say I totally agree with everything you talked about in the video. I feel like an ad might put a lot more pressure on you to do well, where as a free gig would give you a bit more freedom!