@moorefilm

What I’ve realised over the last few years is just how important autonomy in the workplace is to me. When I was younger I always loved the idea of running my own business but as I grew up the financial realities seemed too much to overcome. What I’ve managed to achieve over the last few years is autonomy in a way I didn’t expect and I did it thanks to one thing - the internet. I know it sounds cliche, especially when you say it like that. But the internet really is giving everyday people a chance to build a business in a climate where risk is relatively high.

When my grandparents were starting out the market was different. Rents were low, consumer need was high, systems either didn’t exist or weren’t overcomplicated by years of too much interference. I’m not saying things were easier, but it was a different kind of entrepreneurial environment. My parents spent most of their lives working for other people and being very unhappy about it. It’s not that working for someone else is such a bad thing, it’s just not what we all want deep down. I think most of us want the freedom to choose how we spend our days. We want to choose what time we go to work and what time we leave. We want to go to the gym when we feel like it and we want to catch up with friends over lunch without having to constantly watch the clock. It’s not that we’re inherently lazy because most people who crave autonomy are more often than not extremely hard working, we just don’t want someone else dictating our most basic movements and controlling when we create.

If you’re working on a big project, someone has to be setting the deadlines or nothing would get done but how much better would you feel about your work if you were the one deciding when and how each task got accomplished? 

A few years ago I’d just finished University and started my first job as a Producer’s Assistant. Ever since that first day “on the job” I can wholeheartedly say that I’ve spent every working hour since learning what not to do. Rather than learning new skills, I’ve spent most of my time observing how workplaces operate in my own, weird psychoanalytical way. 

If you don’t feel in control of your day then nothing but animosity and frustration can grow in the workplace. The last straw for me (although I didn’t realise it at the time) came when I was Coordinating a children’s television show. During the production of that show, which ran for almost 5 months I think, I watched a group of capable, creative and enthusiastic people drown in a sea of negativity. It wasn’t anyones fault in particular, it was just a series of mistakes made early on that had disastrous ramifications for everyone involved. What was more important than those mistakes however was the work environment itself. It wasn’t collaborative, no one felt like they were an important part of the solution and because of this, even the most basic needs of the crew were overlooked.

After this experience I was convince that getting another job in another company would help me find the productive work environment I was looking for. It took me a long time to realise that you’ll never find the right set of circumstances for you if you don’t make them yourself.  While I was writing cover letters and sitting in coffee shops looking for work, I started taking on some freelance roles. The pitiful amount of money I got from doing “odd industry jobs” enabled me to pay my rent and buy new software. My only goal at this point was to become an expert in all things “new media” and hopefully become more employable to the powers that be.

What happened next has really astounded me. My first objective was to build a new portfolio, one that included my new Web Design skills and digital media experience. So I started designing sites for free, or for much less money than a “professional” would charge. I went for jobs on productions that I wouldn’t normally go for. Like doing Behind the Scenes and developing video content especially for websites, again at a much discounted rate. Once I’d produced all this lovely web content I began to realise it’s potential as an alternative to traditional P&A. So with this in mind I began to teach myself more about social networking and community engagement. Somehow, whilst doing all this I managed to start a company.

Today I’m a Multiplatform Producer and a Consultant. I taught myself how to develop and manage content for all platforms and devices, not just good old TV and Film and now I help brands develop content that their customers will actually enjoy. The wonderful thing about the internet is that you can create a business from nothing. If you know how to leverage the products that are already out there, you can bypass the expense of having to open your own store and pay rent, you can write about any topic you want and earn money from simply advertising on your blog. You can even create an internet TV show and launch your own production company without ever having to meet with network executives.

If you’re working in an environment that makes you unhappy, where your every move is monitored and your productivity measured, now is the time to go it alone. It may mean a temporary pay cut, but I guarantee it’ll be the best investment you ever made.

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Recommended Reading:

“Crush It” - Gary Vaynerchuk
”The Thank You Economy” - Gary Vaynerchuk
”Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose” - Tony Hsieh 

Browse more titles in our bookstore. 

By Guest Blogger Rebecca Fazzalari.

Best described by media partner, pedestrian.tv as a “designgasm conference” Semi Permanent Melbourne 2010 presented a diverse selection of artists and perspectives to get your creative juices flowing.

One thing to be said for this two day conference run by Sydney Design House “Design is Kinky”, is that they get design. They have created a really strong brand for SP and plastered it all over their marketing materials. From the website, program and banners to the custom made tickets and pass out cards, their consistent application of their simple two tone logo has risen to the challenge of impressing their design obsessed audience.

•   The Diversity - Those in charge of selecting speakers really went out of their way to invite artists from a diverse range of industries to appeal to designers in the broadest sense. We heard from magazine designers, skateboard designers, painters, visual effects companies, spacial design companies, record cover designers, industrial & interior designers, photographers and more. 

•   The Short Format - 2 days, 12 speakers, 1 hour each = pretty good value for money. 

•   SMS your question - rather than shouting out your question like an unruly hoard, you sms-ed it through and the best questions were asked at the end of each speaker. 

•   Venue - Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre itself is beautifully designed and was a very comfortable venue at just the right size. 

•   The Positive Vibe - There was a lot of love in the room for doing what you are passionate about and being persistent in developing your work. Many speakers talked about how collaboration and having a community or mentor around them has helped them develop their style. 

•   The Work - It was great to see that many artists were willing to share examples of their very recent or unreleased work. 

•   The Freebies - A 2 day pass a copy of the Semi Permanent 2010 Book #2 in a hip calico bag.

•   A theme to link the speakers - Everyone got up and talked about themselves over a presentation of their work. This is fine but there was nothing to really tie all the speakers together or a theme for them to relate their work to, so some struggled to fill out the time. 

•   “Presenters” - The artistic merit of the speakers is not in question, as this was obviously why they were chosen to speak, however very few actually got up and really smashed it, making it a presentation rather than just some dude talking about his [really good] drawings. 

•   A web designer - Perhaps a conscious choice but none of the speakers were web designers specifically, an industry that I would have thought was quite prominent and well represented in the design field. 

•   Volume control - picky? yes. But some presenters spoke more quietly and were a bit hard to hear.

#3 Buck - Visual Effects Agency USA presented by Creative Director Orion Tate - What I liked about this presentation was that as well as showcasing their client work (which itself if quite impressive) Tate focussed a lot on the things Buck do, either individually or as a team just because they about your art.

#2 Timba Smits - Graphic Design/Illustrator/Magazine Australia - Some artists have a very specific style which, if you’re not into that type of art, can make all their work look the same. Timba has a great look to his work, acknowledging that he’s labelled “that vintage guy” but his work is diverse in subject and just really fun, while still maintaining his unique style.

#1 Pixar - A predictable choice perhaps but Animator Simon Allen really ticked all the boxes. Strategically placed as the the last presenter of the conference, Allen’s presentation detailed the animation process of their latest movie Toy Story 3. However their step by step demos and funny videos of their funky staff and offices only added to the fact that Allen was a very engaging presenter. I doubt anyone was sitting in the back row for this one.

• Leif Podhajsky
• • Graphic Designer
• • Australia
  
  
• Claire Martin
• • Photographer
• • Australia
• Big Active
• • Creative Agency
• • United Kingdom
  
• Framestore
• • Visual Effects
• • United Kingdom
  
• United Visual Artists
• • Spacial Design
• • United Kingdom
  
• Akin Creative
• • Industrial Design / Architecture
• • Australia
  
• Timba Smits
• • Graphic Designer/Illustrator/Publisher
• • Australia/London
  
• Pixar
• • Feature Film Animation Studio
• • United States
  
• Buck
• • Motion Graphics
• • United States
  
• Beastman
• • Artist
• • Australia
  
• Sylvia Ji
• • Artist
• • United States
  
• Andy Jenkins
• • Graphic Designer / Artist
• • United States

• Framestore - KIA soul ad campaign
• Buck - Sherwin Williams ad campaign.
• Andy Jenkins Product (red) Skateboard design.
• SP Melbourne 2010. 

I started consulting with a global media agency this week. I’m helping them build and manage a community around a niche blog/video campaign. It’s been incredibly interesting seeing how media agencies manage their relationships. At the moment everything feels fraught with anxiety. The agency is worried about how the client feels, the client is worried about how to “reach” their consumers, the agency is scared about “saying” or “doing” the wrong thing while “reaching out”. It’s like constantly being in the early days of a relationship but never getting to the stage where you feel comfortable enough to order spaghetti. 

What I’ve picked up on this week is how social media has completely and utterly flattened the playing field. The people with the most power are those who run niche blogs. Those guys (and gals) are holding all the cards but they just don’t know it. Their neutrality makes them highly desirable to brands. If you created a group or forum that has in excess of say 500 users, put a proposal together and go canvas the big brands TODAY - they will take a meeting with you. I promise. I remember listening to Gary Vaynerchuk chat about turning a love of “Smurfs” into a profitable online business years ago. He wasn’t wrong. If you have a hobby and can create an engaging site that other people love too, then sure - start off using affiliate advertising like Google Ads and Amazon but once you’ve got those numbers, approach brands directly. Offer them space on your site in return for some sort of investment. You could ask them to subsidise an event or donate prizes to a competition you want to run. Start small but make sure you start!  Just. Do. It.