Doing Ronin

It happens often. A production corporation in a contract “requests” I be incorporated to do their work. I never have and never will be incorporated. Maybe, never say never. The request happens because the corporation wants to limit their responsibility-liability-to take me on as an employee. As a confirmed ronin, I do not want to be taken on as an employee, but these contracts are boilerplate and sometimes those plates need to be shifted. I have resisted being “incorporated”- as in becoming a separate body or “corpus” for those who know Latin. According to my long time and very astute accountant, it doesn’t really pay until one is making consistently over $300K per year. While hope springs eternal, so far, that’s not me. There are benefits to being incorporated, just not for my circumstances. Why do these production bodies ask a freelancer to be incorporated? Because they don’t want to take on the burden of a contractor as an employee with all the benefits and liabilities that impo...

Freelance Series Storyboard Questions from Caswell Design Illustration

“So I am on a 3 month contact w [Studio Y] as a storyboard artist. It ends right before my [Studio X] contract starts. But the thing is, for X I’ve agreed to work as a revisionist, so do you think I should stick with X or try and stay at Y? Which do you think would have a better opportunity? I also haven’t signed anything yet. X is waiting for my work permit.” I’ve received similar questions for a number of years during my full time at a famous college. I’m reformed but not dead, so I thought to examine the problem and write my thoughts. It’s negotiation and a problem of reputation management. Dear [New Artist,] This is on X as they didn’t commit to you when the revisionist opportunity was offered, but we need to understand the shifting COVID rules, opening of studios, and the exploding job opportunities especially for board artists. Most employers understand these are busy times and have to adjust from previous hiring practices, but they will ask: you good for your word? Remem...

Ronin need to understand how much to charge for their services. It may be referred to as “free”lance, but that means your sword/talent is free to be hired, not free to use. Someone on Twitter suggested the term be changed to “charge”lance.    Calculating an hourly billable rate are is essential. An hourly rate is how much $ you burn to survive and hopefully live to charge another day. Guard that close. It is not for your client to know. (Unless of course they will open their accounting to your close scrutiny too.)    Take your burn rate (your fixed and variable cost) per month. Divide by how many days a month you will work. Divide by how many hours in a day you plan to work. Be reasonable as to how much time you think you will work. Example: $3000.00 per month/ 20 days/  5 hours (you won't have 8 productive hours.) That equals your billable rate. $30 bucks an hour in this case.    So, if you are doing a commission for $60 bucks, spend 2 hou...

In response to various questions, here's a simple sample of what your invoice should say. One from me and one from the internet (credit lost.) You usually will not be paid until you submit your invoice.

“Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you have only an extemporaneous half possession. That which each can do best, none but his Maker can teach him.”  —Ralph Waldo Emerson from Self-Reliance .

With all the buzz about Arc, I thought I would weigh in with my 2 cents. MM helps get the whole picture which I agree with some of: START HERE THEN HERE The comments are certainly illuminating too.  And there’s this: MORE  But my main point is: THEY KNEW. They knew when they hired folks as recently as last week. They knew when they allowed their employees to go on with their lives (signing leases, going on holidays, starting families,…) oblivious to their gambles. They knew when they underbid contracts to get work in. They knew when they over promised to clients and employees. They knew when they were rebranded as they were rearranging the deck chairs. They knew they were placing so many in economic harm’s way. They -"the business owners"-get no sympathy from me. The apologies of that’s how business works are nonsense. They are the latest version of Trump University. There are good companies out there. You should align yourselves with them as long as it is a...

http://muddycolors.blogspot.ca/2016/02/resources-contracts-copyrights-and-legal.html http://www.bizsmarts.ca/

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Lots of Good info here.

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https://medium.com/i-m-h-o/c8729fa2a4ae

Questions about using licensed characters in fan art? Here's a good talk. He's a lawyer at Deviant Art.

When they tell you that this will look good for your portfolio, remember this post. J. Here.

Emma Coats ‏ @ lawnrocket 21 Apr If you didn't learn to work smart & hard at school, you're going to have to learn afterwards. If you already know, you're unstoppable! Emma Coats ‏ @ lawnrocket 21 Apr Nobody's going to look at your grades - they look at your portfolio. You've got to develop your own standard & hold yourself to it Like @ housedemsgirl says- just going to art school isn't enough. Beyond meeting people, you've gotta push yourself past what the school asks @ lawnrocket it's also important to note that just going to an art sch isn't enough. You have to get involved/engaged to build relationships. And talking about networking: Don't be a jerk, value your time & others', remember to network at YOUR level too, not just upwards. Also don't be a sleazeball please. Networking is just a fancy word for making professional friends. Chris Cookson ‏ @ coldmilk 21 Apr...