Should you work for free?? Filmmaking, Photography, Video

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Cody Wanner
922 N 3rd St
Harrisburg PA 17102

This is a channel designed to encourage the doers - if you want to do something, I want to help you get it done!
Spreading the #NoSmallCreator mindset in a vlog style format. I started the Vlog on 1/1/18 with 111 subscribers.

[Levi_Allen]

Banger. Free work is dope when done minimally and with high intentionality. Big thumbs up for contract and invoice for free work. Show them how much it’s worth and they will value it more. Cross out the price and do it for free, but still put the price. (And it better be more than $1, 000, don’t ruin the industry your trying to break into)

[LukeSherran]

Perfect advice for doing free work. I have friends that are always working on video projects for other people, and I always say, I know it may sound overkill, but get everything in writing! Agree the scope in an email. Hopefully everything will go as plan, and the project will be smooth and enjoyable for everyone involved, but you've always got that email to fall back on if you need it.

[AlliandWill]

Great advice to people starting out! Communicating your value even if you are still working for free is IMPORTANT!! Don't create the expectation that you will always work for free. If you do, you're already losing!

[EricWen]

The info in this is SO TRUE . SO TRUE. I literally gave a mini rant about watching out for free work to a friend five min before seeing this video, and you said it all so well about the boundaries, reasoning with it.

Also such a cool engaging video dude, that bts shot of you using the 360 camera, my jaw dropped lol

[CatMilton]

You put out great videos Cody, but this one deserves every superlative going! Talk about value overload, and community support - yellow belt to 3rd Dan in on 6:55 minute video. Genius. You deserve greater success than you currently have and I can't wait to see it come to you. Bravo, and thank you.

[SlideWreckDan]

That revision tip was super helpful! Thank you for sharing all this knowledge and experience!
I definitely don't do free work unless it's someone I really want to work with or a project I believe in.
It's also YOUR opportunity to test your client. It's okay to be picky about clients it will save you headache and time. AND you get to really help people you feel you can help the best!

Some clients just have hard time being communicative or always want more with less money. Value yourself AND value the client!
They have to learn value of people and you need to find someone you can really make a difference for with the skills you have!

[JackStolz]

Contract/Scope is crucial. You nailed it with this one. Learned so much from you over the years. In fact You've been with me since the beginning!

[mandy]

CODY I COULD CRY! You're so lovely!

Thank you for pimping the new channel. You're such a incredible lovely human

[sdmoel]

That was clever with the 360 cam filming you against the wall. Tap spin walk. Love it.

[JamieMcEwanOfficial]

Cody, man, that snapshot of a rotating hyperlapse tutorial is so good. Stoked to try that out with my new Insta 360!
Also, those hyperlapses are insane!

[DarrenM]

Just got back from London this weekend. Love this way of working for free so they can see the true value. 👍🏻

[GreggGalgo]

Working for free the right way... thanks for the tips.

[TaylorBrownPhotoVideo]

Killer way to use your platform to help boost exposure to underrated creators. Keep it up man!

[ehJoe]

Always reaching out to the small and underated creators and sharing your light. #nosmallcreator true and true.

[RachelSarahM]

yess to all of this about free work! Took me a while to get my head around how to build up my portfolio. It's insane how much people can try to take advantage of you when you're new to something and not savvy/ smart about going about getting your work out there.

[SpencerHarrisPortfolio]

Just did a free shoot for a high end skyscraper restaurant in LA yesterday. Turns out the marketing girl just started in the position and was so impressed she plans to book us again for their winter and Christmas menus. We don’t do free work often, but this was exactly as you stated. We are nudging our way into culinary content and needed a portfolio piece. Home run!

[JennAndJorgeTV]

Literally everything you mentioned happened to me once. I enjoyed 100% filming and editing a project for free and then got caught up with revisions which took away my creative control and the fun of it by the end of it. Great tips for the future, thanks!

[NicoleGlass]

Great message. Love the wall mural action going on in the background. I already have a VidSummit ticket so see you there! :)

[AllenRReid]

Not only free work, but cheap work undercuts a lot of people. I know people who get taken advantage of charging minimally for drone work because it’s not their main source of income, so they don’t really care.

[JustEedee]

Those murals are AWESOME! Great VidSummit giveaway!