Going Freelance, need to cull old projects and questions
Hi everyone!
At the end of this year my contract will be coming to an end with probably no possibility for extension as I already worked there max term, so I was thinking of going freelance. I basically have until December 2022 to prepare everything, better start early to be prepared!
So at the moment none of my projects really show my current skill and they all have some cosmetic mistakes, be it in anatomy, cloth, hair or bakes. So they all need to be replaced and I think I can manage to make 2 polished characters within those months. Question is though, which project in my portfolio is now the weakest and should be culled first?
I'd still like my portfolio to show male and female character of different backgrounds and sci-fi, medieval/fantasy and a humanoid creature, because that's what I enjoy doing
I have done a little bit of research into going freelance, setting up accounts, pensions, etc. All the stuff around it
But I still have some more questions:
How is Freelancing in the UK? I mostly see a lot of big 3D Character Art freelancers in the USA, but a lot less in the UK. Do companies from outside of your country contact freelancers as well? Or do they mostly search within their own borders?
Is there a book similar to the THE GRAPHIC ARTISTS GUILD HANDBOOK: PRICING & ETHICAL GUIDELINES for the UK/Europe? Or is this book still relevant for those not living in the USA?
I noticed that Freelancers that have one project for a longer duration seem to be much happier than those with lots of smaller ones, which seems quite opposite from the concept artists that seem to juggle more than one project at once. What is the norm for 3D character artists?
People who have Freelanced; do you find the projects you get to do inspiring?
And lastly any other tips that could help out?
Replies
The thief is the best, Viviene or Grxeik are possibly weakest. Although to be honest all are very good.
I think these all look great, and I don't see any reason to remove any of the 5.
Same here. There is imho not a single weak character to see. More a bandwith of the possibilities.
Yes to international hiring. It doesn't really matter which country you're in, since you're a contractor. International hiring becomes a problem when you want to relocate the hire, but this isn't a problem with remote contractors.
Except you'll need to work out how they will pay in your currency. Most big banks will exchange without big fees. I freelanced for a few years in the US with a steady UK client, they paid me in GBP, my bank converted to USD without a significant fee.
The GAG book will still be relevant internationally. Just look up the local laws, and consult with a local employment barrister to make sure you're covered. But the rest in the book should be quite relevant.
As for longer-contract happiness, it definitely helped ease the burden of needing to find new clients all the time. My longterm client could sometimes be a pain in the ass though, so it kind of evened out. They got better over time as I gained their trust, and as I trained them how to be a good client. :)
I didn't find the work super-inspiring, to be honest. Some was, a lot wasn't. But it's a business, and I made money, that's the key. They call it "work" not "play". :D
That's all really good feedback, thanks everyone :)
Luckily I got a while still before I have to have it all set-up, so these first steps really helped me :)
wouldn't worry, your work is pretty good