How you, as a 3D graphic artist, can get started on your own.

Many people dream of working as freelancers (freelancers can also concentrate on the creation of 3D configurators) Organize yourself, take on assignments that currently best suit your situation and work flexibly from home.

While freelancing can be a good way to work in larger studio projects and even be a full-time source of income, it is certainly not suitable for everyone. Some designers need the clearly defined working hours, the finely tuned schedule, and the team environment that goes with working in the studio.

There are three important things you need to consider before you consider freelancing: You, your clients and your finances.

We talked to 3D modeling expert Jeremy Chinn about sharing more about his experience as a freelance artist. We also asked him to share his advice with us.

Over the last few years, I have been asked several times about the possibilities of freelancers to earn extra money without working full time in a studio. There are many different models online that show simple ways to sell 3D models.

I wanted to take a moment to talk a little about the freelance process, the business and the industry we work in. There`s a lot of talk about freelancers in other industries. Information about freelancers in animation and visual effects, on the other hand, is rare. I`ve interviewed some of my mentors here at CG Spectrum about the world of free art and collected all our advice and experiences.

From my own experience and the experience of the other mentors, there are three things you need to consider before you can decide to freelance: You yourself, your clients and your finances.

You yourself.

Reflect on yourself before you consider becoming a freelancer. This is a very important step and not being honest with yourself can cause some difficulties.

This is what you need to be able to do:

• Work alone for long periods of time? Freelance is very different from the typical collaborative workflow. Get ready to sit alone for many hours a day and appreciate the sound of your one voice. Some people love this idea, but for others it can be a real struggle. Make sure you go out and participate in networking events, whether it`s a conference or a meeting with other artists outside of work. This will help expand your network and keep you socially active.
• Are you instrinsically motivated and disciplined? Are you ready to work 8 to 10 hours a day from home? Working at home can be very annoying. Many things like family members, pets or the PlayStation can make it difficult to concentrate and do the work. It can be helpful to rent a small office near the house. Nowadays, there are many community workplaces where you can surround yourself with like-minded professionals and create even more networking opportunities.
• Do you communicate well with your fellow men? If you choose to work from home, make sure you have a conversation with your partner, roommate, family or pet and set clear limits on their availibility. Develop a schedule so that you are still available when you need to be. Freelancing allows you to be flexible with your time, which is liberating. But you also have to respect your work ethic to be successful.
• Can you easily interpret a customer vision? Being able to physically meet customers can be difficult working from home and lead to communication problems. Especially when you start for the first time, you may not have much experience with personal interpreting of notes, get alone e-mails. This can be a costly process as changes tend to affect their results. Make sure you work with your client to set a schedule for review. Depending on the client, you may need to meet them more regularly, or you may trust their judgment and need only a few meetings during the course of a project. Make sure these times are planned and agreed.

Customers.

The second thing to consider is the customers. I get them to keep them and to work with them. In a studio this is omething that the executives or producers would do for you. But if you work freelance, you have to do it.

Here`s what you should do:

• Do you have industry contracts that can help you get started? A start without contracts can be a quick way to failure. Working with customers acquired by cold calling is not only very gruelling, it is also usually associated with a payment risk. Having a few well-established, trustworthy, potential customers and contacts before you start your own business is a great help. If you`re just getting started, it`s extremely important to set up a professional website with a portfolio that shows your skills. Clients who hire freelancers are usually looking for specific needs and won`t bother to hire you if their portfolio doesn`t meet their needs. If there are breaks in your freelance schedule, you should consider this a good time to expand your portfolio. Keep track of the trends in the industry and create art that reflects that. Constantly improve your work and learn new skills to complement your strenghts so that you can be better recruited.

• Do you have sales experience? Once you have exhausted your existing contacts, you need to win new customers. And the product you are going to sell is yourself. When a customer talks to you, it means they are convinced of the quality of your work, but you will have to convince them of their ability to work within a time frame and deliver the final product on time. After you have completed a project, make sure you get a good reference and publish it on your website or LinkedIn profile. You can ask customers to give them an overview of theirn work, or even get them to approve something you wrote so they don`t have to.
• How do you organize your incoming payments? One of the biggest problems is the payment ethics of customers who hardly know them and therefore have not yet been able to build real trust. Be very careful here and plan everything in detail so as not to be exploited. Never deliver a finished product to a customer who has not paid before. Make sure that you have several payment methods available to your customer, be it Paypal, bank transfer or a cash payment in a dark alley. make it easy for them to pay you.
• Do you know their rights as freelance artists? It is extremely important to be aware of their rights as freelancers and what options you can take if customers don`t pay. It`s getting easier these days to do a little research on how reliable a customer is. Network with other artists who have worked with them, but remember that there are two sides to every story. Try to get as many facts as possible before you start work.

Not being honest with yourself can cause quite a lot of misery.

Finances.

Finally, you should always keep an eye on your finances. This binds you to your customers and is a big part of the freelance workflow.

You should bring the following qualities with you:

• You should be financially able to withstand even low income months. Freelancing can be like any other business, especially if you don`t have a solid customer base before you start. Are you able to survive the start-up process and take a few months with minimal payment? In the same way, are you disciplined enough to save and make it through the lower revenue months without losing sleep? It may be a good idea to set up a high-yield savings account to which you transfer money daily, weekly or monthly. A small amount of money that you have to put away every day can add up in the long run and you will hardly notice it. When you get paid, make sure you put away half of it after your bills are paid and your basic needs are met. Also consider the cost of upgrading equipment and keeping your business running smoothly. Invest in yourself first.

Do plumbers or electricians work for free after years of expensive training? No, be polite and go on.

• Are you able to set budgets and make estimates? How long will it take? Freelance is typically project-based, so the ability to calculate exactly how long a project will take can be everything. Make sure you take all these customer changes into account. When you start, it can be tempting to keep the ball down yourself to get the job. This can be a good short-term step to expand your portfolio, but make sure you consider the long-trm nature and cost of operation. Never work for nothing. Do plumbers and electricians work for free after years of working to demonstrate the quality of their work. No. Stay polite and move on.
• Are you able to keep your books in order? Freelancing runs your own business, make sure you take the time to deal with the paperwork, accounting, tex implications and invoicing. Whether you are a freelance artist or not, it is always important to monitor your personal finances. If you have a lot of work and are busy, make sure you hire an accountant. If you have some spare time, learn to make your own taxes. Always reckon with tax deductions and include them in your tariff. It is standard practice to add a goods and services tax to your tariff.
• Are you ready to deal with international customers? If you work freelance with international clients, you should pay attention to exchange rates when calculating your rate and adjust them accordingly. Always calculate your tariff on the basics of your country`s standard of living wage and tax rate. A good assumption is to save about 30% of annual taxes. If the tax rate in your country is lower, you will receive a little more money at the end of the year.

As a general rule, for the above reasons, I would like to discourage students from going freelance too early. Getting a job in a studio, experiencing the latest workflows and efficiencies, learning how to deal with customers and how the overall production process works can be invaluable.

But if it`s something you`re interested in, please consider the topics above when thinking about whether it would be right for you. freelancing can provide flexibility in your life, easy commute and increase satisfaction with your own work, but it can also be very stressful if the right environment doesn`t exists.

Thank you for your visit.