E3 2013

Hey everyone,

I will not be posting a Motivating and Wacky post this week.

I will be back next week with some of my favorite picks from this year's E3 conference.

For up to the minute updates on E3 2013 check out Rev3Games and IGN.

-Travis

Wacky Wednesday Week 47

Not much to say about this...

Motivating Monday Week 47

Harmonix has confirmed that it will announce its new project tomorrow, and "it’s not Rock Band or Dance Central."

Harmonix Announcing New Game Tomorrow - IGN

It looks like Harmonix is planning a new game series for the next generation of systems!

I have always been a huge fan of Harmonix....the plastic Rock Band fad may have come and gone, but I still respect them as a very talented company. 

I look forward to seeing what they have planed. 

-Travis

5 Reasons Why You SHOULDN'T be Self-Employed (Self-Employed Saturday #4)

1. You have no self-discipline

This is huge! Anyone that doesn't have self-disciplining skills should stay far away from freelancing. At an office job you may be able to get away with goofing around on social media or playing games and still get paid, but at home you don't work...you don't get paid. Freedom is a wonderful thing, but if you can't keep yourself focused on the work when work needs to be done, then prepare to have unhappy clients. If you can't disciple yourself then you would be best sticking with a job in an office.

 

2. You are an introvert.

 If you want to freelance you have to talk to clients. For someone in the field of say web design, a lot of your clients may come from the internet. This means a majority of your conversations will be through email. With that said there is still a high chance you will have local clients who want to meet in person, and if you don't know how to handle yourself around people IRL you will be in for a rude awakening. You shouldn't look at freelancing as a way to get away from human interaction, in fact it is the complete opposite.

 

3. You are a workaholic

This may seem like a positive reason to be self-employed. Being a workaholic means more work, which means more hours, which means more money. This sounds great on the outside, but you forget the side effects that come with working nonstop. If you don't limit your work time you are limiting your time with family, friends, and  recuperating from hard work which will lead to burnout. Being a freelancer means being able to "shut down" the company when the work day is over, and not extending into overtime every night.  If you are freelancing and you find that you have to over work every night, then it might mean it is time for you to start outsourcing your work to other freelancers.

 

4. You dislike social media

Like it or not, if you want to succeed as a freelance artist you are going to need to be active on social media.  If you don't like being followed on Twitter, updating your status on Facebook, or posting portfolio work on a blog, then you will have a hard time with being self-employed. Social media may not be required to grow your business, but it sure will help loads if you use it correctly. A lot of the work I get is through someone seeing my work on Facebook, or because I was following someone on Twitter.  You need to be a fan of social media to fully strive in freelancing.

5. You want paid vacations and benefits.

This can be the biggest deal breaker for many. As nice as it is to have freedom to take a vacation whenever you want, that vacation will not be covered by an employer. You must really work to earn that time off, because unless you have employees working for you, the time you take off is time you are losing income. Don't forget about health and insurance benefits. Most full time jobs will offer some type of package for benefits. Since you won't be receiving anything like this, you need to make sure you are making enough so if an accidents does happen, you have the income to take care of it. This isn't a huge lost...you may be able to find an insurance plan that is better than anything a company would give you, or you could be married and sharing a plan that your significant other has. If you are a single freelancer that doesn't have a large income flow, then I would say tread lightly when it comes to being self - employed.

Do you feel like these reasons don't apply to you? Then check out my blog on 5 reasons why you should be self employed: LINK

If you like the content that I am providing PLEASE share this blog with other people in your networks!

Check back next month when we talk about our friend the "#"

-TRAVIS

Motivating Monday Week 46

I just recently picked up a Sony a99 and have loved it so far!

A few weeks ago I was able to use it on the music video I am currently working on 2-Far. (Which still has not wrapped up shooting) and I slowly started to really dig the camera. After doing more than enough research, I finally caved in and invested into the camera.

Previously I was shooting with Sony's first DSLR with video features, the a33. I decided to compare the two camera's video quality, as well as see how each holds us as far as ISO.

I plan to run the a99 through more in depth test, but for now check out this video as well as my new Flickr account which will cater towards test with the a99

New Flickr

Till next time.....

-Travis

Michelle McDonald & Grant Grossman Engagement Session

No matter how hard you try. It is impossible to get this couple to stop smiling at each other.These photos will be posted on my site in higher quality very soon. If you like the photos please share them, and like my fan page Facebook

Motivating Monday Week 45

Film Riot just uploaded a video last week interviewing the creator of a the app Shot Lister.

This app sounds like the future of how filmmakers will track their shots for a production of any size.

After watching this video be sure to check out all of Film Riot's content...they produce some great videos! 

P.S. The 2-Far music video had some lag to filming...I should have a new update next week. =)

-Travis

5 Reasons Why You Should be Self-Employed (Self-Employed Saturday #3)

Being self employed is defiantly not for everyone. When it comes to being in the creative field, working for a company means you are given more structured tasks. More than likely if the company hired you as an animator, then you will be animating, and not in charge of ordering catering for the client, or taking care of the company's taxes.  When it comes to being self employed be prepared to have full control. The job doesn't  end with just filming an event. First you must find the client, discuss pricing with the client, do the job, discuss revisions, and finally bill the client at the end. A self-employed artist sees the whole picture as opposed to just a small portion of it.

If being in charge of the full process sounds fun to you then self employment may just be the right now career choice for you. Here our 5 reasons why you self employment may be the answer for you.

 

1. You are free.

You are the schedule maker . Want to take a vacation for a week? Then do it! Do you need extra money to fund that vacation? Then take on extra projects! This sense of complete freedom may be a little daunting to some, but if it sounds like something you can manage wisely then you could be on the verge of a dream job. Typically a person's life has to revolve around a job. Where they live, when they wake up, what they do for work, etc...is all decided with that 1 job. With self-employment your job will revolve around your life. The choice you make, wither good or bad, will affect the job you have. Chose when you wake up, when you go to bed, where you live, who you work for, and more.

 

2. You get full value.

Typically working for the man means that the man is getting the full credit for what you did. Being self-employed means you follow the project through from start to finish. This means you can take full credit on the hard work you put into the project.  Being employed means that you only get a small portion of the full value of the project. Working for yourself though opens up the full reward to you and your team. 

3. You open up new career options.

To some people starting out freelance may be their only option if they want to get paid for doing something they enjoy. A lot of larger companies want their new employees to have 3 or more years of experience. Well how do you gain that three years if no one will take you? One option is to apply to work for smaller companies with lower pay and will have you doing jobs that don't push your creativity. The second option is to begin marketing yourself to anyone and everyone you know. Pick up some smaller jobs and build up. This not only will build your experience credibility, but also may lead you on a path to clients offering the projects you dream to do.

 

4.  You will learn more.

This might scare away some people, but if you are the type of person who always wants to learn new things, and be on top of the game then this should be extreme motivation for you to become a freelancer. Using a videographer as an example. Not only does freelancing require you to keep your shooting and editing skills top notch. You must also stay up on the current trends in your market to advertise your skills, stay up to date on current cameras and gear, bill clients, pay for assistant videographers, and keep records for taxes. Essentially, once you start freelancing you become a business. If you can't run your skills and services like a successful business, prepare to fail.

 

5.  You can keep your day job.

Being self-employed doesn't always mean that you must give up your 9-5 job. I know many freelancers who work a part time retail job on week days, and do photography at night and on weekends. This can be a win-win combination for some. Not only do you get the stability and benefits of your day job, but you also get to make some extra money doing something you love. Keep in mind that this option is not for everyone. Some businesses frown upon their employees freelancing on the side. You should check with the boss before pursuing extra work.

Being Self Employed is not for everyone. Join us next month with 5 reasons to why you SHOULDN'T be self-employed.

 -Travis

Wacky Wednesday Week 44

Silly ducky... that's not a tub. 

-Travis

Motivating Monday Week 44

Day 2 of filming for the music video 2-Far was a success.  At first we didn't know if we would even have an actress that would follow through for the video, but thankfully everything followed through. All the scenes were filmed in and around a bar that a friend of mine owns. It was a very good looking venue for the shoot, and I am very excited to show off these scenes of the video once the full project is complete.

Stay tuned for more behind the scenes information, and make sure to check out my Facebook page for more behind the scenes photos!

Facebook

-Travis

Free Comics!!!

Happy free comic book day!

Make sure to find a local venue that is giving away comic books today.

Also be sure to check back next Saturday for new posting for Self-Employed Saturday.

-Travis

Wacky Wednesday Week 43

So True!!!

-Travis

Motivating Monday Week 43

Happy Monday!!!

I am currently in the process of filming a music video for the Chicago DJ artist Kid Heartbreak. We wrapped up our first shoot on Wed night and have two more shoots coming up in May. Each Monday till the video is finished with filming I will post exclusive content to my blog.

Check out some stills from the video as well as some behind the scenes photos.

Find more behind the scenes photos at my Facebook page:

Facebook

If you like what you see please share it with others on Twitter and Facebook! =)

-Travis

Motivating Monday Week 42

Happy Earth Day!!!

-Travis