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Tip #631: Get Freelance Work From Video Marketplaces

… for Random Weirdness

Tip #631: Get Freelance Work From Video Marketplaces

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Find work in tough times using a video marketplace.

Topic $TipTopic

This article first appeared in MotionArray.com. This is an excerpt.

We are living in an on-demand video economy during very challenging times. Here are four companies that can help you find work.

  • Veed.me. At Veed.me, clients set up project pages outlining their needs including a timeline, budget, description, and references. Budgets can range from hundreds to several thousand dollars. As a video producer, you set up an account and sort through the various project options. Once you find one you like, you can submit a pitch, add files, and discuss with the prospective client.
  • Videopixie. Videopixie is another marketplace arranging clients with producers, but they expand the offering to include animators, editors, and colorists.
  • Video Brewery. Another marketplace highlighting both live-action creators and animators is Video Brewery. Using a slick interface with lots of details for clients, Video Brewery helps walk potential customers through the project-building process. From the creator side, it’s important to note that Video Brewery isn’t an open marketplace where anyone can sign up. They are trying to moderate who is in their catalog, so you must submit an application with relevant work to be invited in. This makes it a little harder initially, but once chosen, you can rest assured knowing there will be less clutter for potential clients to sort through when choosing a partner.
  • Tongal. Tongal takes a slightly different approach to the above marketplaces by incorporating a contest model with their projects. With Tongal, all of the community has a chance to make money on any given project, but they are competing against the rest of the community.

These are just a few of the many video marketplaces popping up on the web for freelancers. It doesn’t hurt to create profiles on all of them as a way to expand your network and reach new potential clients. There is work to be had, you just have to be ready when the client wants your help!


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2 replies
  1. Christopher Meurer
    Christopher Meurer says:

    This is such a challenging topic. As someone who’s been doing this a while and has taught or mentored new people in the industry, I’m still a bit skeptical about services like this.

    My main issue isn’t that you won’t get gigs from them, it’s that there is a misconception about how many you will get. Thinking of them as side or supplemental source of income is the more realistic reality. For me personally Staff Me Up has by far been the best but I’ve certainly heard others who it’s never worked for. I’m certain that’s how all of these services are, works for some, not at all for others. I think word of mouth is still king in our industry.

    The only ones that I do have a problem with are the “contest” ones. I remember when this first came out 10-12 years ago with companies like Pop Tent. I never understood why young filmmakers couldn’t understand that this business model devalues filmmakers. The “contest” allows a company to tell a real client that they can get them a commercial for a half price. The company charges the client half price and the filmmaker gets paid 1/8. The company (middle man) is the winner in this as is the end client who gets to choose between 100’s of pre-made commercials without having to pay anything for the creative ideas. Great for the client, horrible for the filmmaker.

    And I’m talking from experience. My good friend won the Doritos million dollar Super Bowl contest (Time Machine) so I’ve seen best case scenario but I still think it’s overall devaluing the filmmaker. Anyway, challenging topic for sure.

    Reply

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