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Topic: Getting freelance work from large companies
| Author | Message |
| marianna | Posted – 11/26/2008 11:23:54 PM | show profile Regarding large companies that are known to use freelancers for graphic design (say movie studios, Mattel, Nickelodeon) what is the most likely way an outside person would get a first time project? (Assume this person has a good porfoliio, a website and lots of experience.) Is it pointless to just pitch yourself directly, or should you be asked to be put on a RFP list? How do you find out about RFP's, assumming they are used? Or should the designer focus on doing some PR and marketing and hope these companies will come to him? ANY tips on what actually works would be appreciated. |
| paultroberts | Posted – 12/2/2008 2:12:08 AM | show profile | email poster The Holy Grail of Hollywood I've done tons of "celebrity PR", but always found that all other freelancers are thru "word of mouth". Someone knows someone who...well, you get the idea. But I've got an idea I'm gettting ready to launch. I've put together a "virtual agency" (www.westcoastmarketing.org) so I can run ads in the Hollywood trade papers and see if I can't rustle up some more work myself, not only for PR but for other areas as well (like graphic artists, web design, etc). I've got a top notch group of "freelance associates". Happy to add you to the site. Costs nothing. Check it out and see if you'd like to be listed in my "virtual agency" before I finish it and run ads in January. I solicit other projects in areas outside my expertise, get quotes from you and others, and then add 10% as a "finders fee/project management fee" to coordinate between clients and freelancers I find. email paul@westcoastmarketing.biz if interested. |
| marianna | Posted – 12/3/2008 3:44:53 PM | show profile thanks! That sounds interesting...I will definitely email you. |
| ericalm | Posted – 12/9/2008 9:54:30 PM | show profile | email poster Unfortunately, Marianna, I think the answer is "all of the above." A lot of large companies turn to firms who then hire designers if necessary. But the key is to get your name out there, be visible and be memorable. I'm going through this process right now myself, building a personal contact list to bombard with promos and trying to identify any possible "in" via my personal network. Yes, much of it is via word of mouth, but that comes from a number of places. So the more contacts you have and the broader your network, the more likely your name will come up. I think both the proactive (emails, self-promotion, etc.) and passive (having a good website, etc.) ends of it are necessary. Thing is, I've done work for a lot of these big companies (MTV, Honda, Nike, Nickelodeon), but it was always through a 3rd party so I was never the one with the contacts. Now I'm trying to figure out how to leverage that work as a freelancer. I have to admit, I haven't been a very good self-promoter in the past (and always had work, so it didn't seem like a big problem) and it's not an easy thing to do. But it's the only way to get in the door unless you have those "ins" at the companies you're targeting. ------ Art Direction, Design, Illustration ericalmendral.com |
| marianna | Posted – 12/9/2008 10:21:56 PM | show profile thanks so much Eric for that detailed reply. Actually, I"m in PR but this information is for a client of mine, a small 3-person freelance design firm, that had the luxury of getting regular, full time work from a large company for over 5+ years. Then the company went south and my client panicked, as their marketing & PR had been sadly neglected. Since they had a great portfolio, they assummed they could just email art directors at, say, Nickelodeon, and get these people to take a long, leisurely look at their website. NOT. I"m guessing most of their email pitches were deleted unread. So I was curious about how these companies find new designers and it sounds like the Nickelodeons of the world go to major, established design firms, simply because they're less risky...and instead the designers should go straight to the design firms, rather than the big company... |
