I’m not sure about you, but whenever I go for an interview for any type of job I’m always really nervous or anxious that I’ll screw up somewhere or say something wrong. There are a few helpful tips and pieces of advice that you should keep in your mind while being interviewed. The interviewers are looking for reasons to hire you, not the other way around If you get called in for an interview, this gernerally means that the person who is interviewing you has seen your resume/CV and was impressed by it. They want to make sure that you are who you say you are and that you can do the jobs required, but more importantly they want to look for reasons to hire you. “An interview is an audition. You need to project yourself as the sort of the person the interviewer wants to hire; as someone they want on the team.” (Moran, 2011) Be ready/prepared Think of some common question that they may ask you before hand and how you would answer them. Some common questions that may be asked are your goals for the future “Indicate how you hope to make a positive contribution to the employer’s company. For example: “I’d like to be working for you in a position of responsibility.” (Reserve, 2016), what some of your hobbies are and possibly if you prefer to work independently or in a team. Those are just some general questions that could be asked, but sometimes the interviewer may ask questions directly related to your field of work or about the job you’re applying for. “Identify your key strengths and think of examples of how you can demonstrate that you have the right skills to successfully do the job. The interviewer may also ask you about your weaknesses. Think of ways you can answer these questions in a positive way – answer with a weakness that doesn’t relate to the role you’ve applied for or state how you’re currently working to improve a weakness.” (drupal & DHS, 2006) Types of interviews There are a many different types of interviews that are held. Some common ones are in person where you’re called in and speak to the interviewer 1:1 or phone interviews where you speak over the phone. Other types of interviews may include Skype, which is similar to a phone interview but held over Skype instead. An advantage of a Skype or phone interview over face to face is you can do it from the comfort of your own home. For some jobs you may have to do more than one interview, for example after a phone or skype interview or could then be called into an in person. (Michael, 2012) Interviews in freelancing Much like trying to find work in a company or studio, freelance work also requires having to go through an interviewing stage. Generally this is an interview between the freelancer and the client. “The interview stands as the single most important stage when considering an independent contractor. Their proposal should explain the basics: a brief introduction, how their experience fits your project, and an overview of how they’ll approach the work.” (Sept, 2015) Trick questions Very rarely the interviewer may through some trick questions are you. If you happen to get ones of these the best thing to do is not to panic and think about how you’re going to answer it before speaking. “One of the biggest job interview fears is getting a question you didn’t see coming: not a “trick” question sadistically designed to trip you up (which rarely happens), but a strategic question meant to squeeze between your talking points to solicit a more honest, and often awkward, truth.” (Schwartzberg, 2016) References Moran, M. (2011, January 28). Five ways to improve your interview technique. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/careers/careers-blog/five-ways-to-improve-your-interview-technique Reserve, I. (2016). Successful interview Techniques—Knowing how to answer. Retrieved June 27, 2016, from https://www.ldsjobs.org/ers/ct/articles/successful-interview-techniques?lang=eng drupal, & DHS, Y. C. -. (2006, July 13). Getting ready for an interview. Retrieved June 27, 2016, from http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/jobs-careers/job-interviews/getting-ready-for-an-interview Sept, A. (2015, August 26). 9 interview questions to find the perfect Freelancer. Retrieved June 27, 2016, from For Clients, https://www.upwork.com/hiring/for-clients/9-interview-questions-to-find-the-perfect-freelancer-online/ Schwartzberg, J. (2016, January 24). 7 tricky job interview questions and how to answer them. Retrieved June 27, 2016, from Get a Media Job, https://www.mediabistro.com/get-hired/interview-tips/7-tricky-job-interview-questions-and-how-to-answer-them/ Copyright and Contracts
Copyright and Contracts This week in our CIU class we discussed how copyright is used and what its purpose is. We also discussed the use of contracts between a client [and freelancers] or between an employee and employer in the creative industry, why contracts exist and how they may be manipulated. (2016) Copyright By definition copyright is “a form of intellectual property that protects the original expression of ideas. It enables creators to manage how their content is used.” (Agency, 2016.) To put this in layman’s terms it basically means when you create any piece of content you own the rights it, and you choose how you want to distribute that content. The idea of this is to protect creatives and content creators from other people taking your work and selling it as their own. (2016) While the intentions of this may be a good thing there are many individuals or companies that will try to exploit or take advantage of this copyright system. For example some larger creative companies will claim copyright over common words or phrases, then target smaller companies that use said words or phrases. A recent example of this is Microsoft targeting the developers of the upcoming game “No Man’s Sky” for using the word sky in their title. “Apparently No Man’s Sky Developer Hello Games had some trouble with the “sky” word within the title of the game. Luckily, after three years, that issue has been solved as revealed by Creative Director Sean Murray on Twitter:” (Nelva, 2016) Contracts “A contract is a legally binding or valid agreement between two parties.” (“What is a contract? – the law handbook,” 2015). Contracts are used to state terms of an agreement between two parties. Some creative companies may try to take advantage or of you via the use of contracts. For example you could be working in an animation or game company and you may be asked to sign a contract which states anything you create even if is completely unrelated is owned by the said company. So basicly if you have a side project that you’re working on in your spare time, your employer could easily take that from you and claim it as theirs. So it’s always best to thoroughly read through any contract you’re given. Some networking companies may try and lock you in on a contract that infinitely renews itself or takes more of your earnings for what it is worth. The Machinima network is infamous with this and embedded below is one of many videos of ex-Machinima clients talking about their experience with them: (Pyrocynical, 2015) There are many different aspects to take into consideration when forming a contract with a client. Some important things to clearly state are any and all deadlines, when/how the creator gets paid, confidentiality, the quality or standard of the work ect. On the other side of the table References Retrieved June 20, 2016b, from http://www.tmlawworldwide.com/images/header-copy.jpgAgency, & 2016, contributors. (2016, May 8). About copyright – copyright agency Retrieved from http://copyright.com.au/about-copyright/ Retrieved June 20, 2016, from http://musicians4freedom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/WMG-block-500×303.jpg Nelva, G. (2016, June 17). No man’s sky developers settle “Secret stupid legal Nonsense” over “Sky” word in the name. Retrieved June 20, 2016, from http://www.dualshockers.com/2016/06/17/no-mans-sky-developers-settle-secret-stupid-legal-nonsense-over-sky-word-in-the-name/ Murray, S. (2016b, June 17). Yay! We finally settled with sky (they own the word “sky”). We can call our game no man’s sky. 3 years of secret stupid legal nonsense over Retrieved from https://twitter.com/NoMansSky/status/743928033942315009Murray, S. (2016, June 17). This is the same folks who made Microsoft change Skydrive to Onedrive… So it was pretty serious Retrieved from https://twitter.com/NoMansSky/status/743956071337828352 What is a contract? – the law handbook. (2015, May 7). Retrieved June 20, 2016, from 2015, http://www.lawhandbook.org.au/07_01_01_what_is_a_contract/ Pyrocynical (2015, December 16). The truth about Machinima Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHP7a_x4z88 Originally posted June 13 2016
Income and your art This week in class we went over some of the different methods of payment when working in a creative media. The two most common methods are either employed work for a studio [or company] and freelance work. There are also alternative options worth mentioning such as crowdfunding which I will elaborate on later. Employed Work There are many pros and cons for working for either a company or doing freelance work. Some of the benefits you could get while having employed work that you typically don’t have while freelancing, is being on a paid salary. “Working on a consistent paycheck means studio work is pretty much like being employed by any company. You work on an hourly rate on a specific, constant number of days a week. This results in being able to financially plan ahead which can be important in the current economic climate.” (Turnbull, 2011). You’ll always have people around you and have projects to work on. You might also have better work hours. But in return you may be stuck in a job that you don’t want to work or working on a job that limits what you can do with your creative abilities. You will also have strict deadlines to meet. (Desk, 2015) Freelance Work or Commission But on the other hand freelancing may give you more creative freedom, over working in a studio. While working with clients, you can take as long as you need to do the work by setting your own deadlines. Though this may mean that you need to work more even more hours to get the piece of work to the utmost highest standard. You could also be working with clients that are across the world. This means you could be up to ungodly hours in the morning to communicate with the clients, via phone call or any other method. “Freelancers may find themselves working more on the business side of things. Corporate logo animation, medical animation, product mock-ups and simulations, engineering design…the list goes on, and in some cases can span full-time in-house positions rather than contract jobs.” (Sanders, 2016) (Cruickshank, 2011) Crowdfunding “Crowdfunding is a method of raising capital through the collective effort of friends, family, customers, and individual investors.” (Fundable LLC, 2016). Some perks of crowdfunding is that it’s a way for people to invest in and give money to like minded people. It also allows the people who are behind it to have freedom over their project, not tied down by clients or a boss. There may be some disadvantages to this method. Some problems that are common is the developer doesn’t deliver what was promised. Either because the project was too ambitious or there may be some internal conflict between the people making the product. Some successful examples crowdfunding may include the movie LazerTeam “A crowdfunding campaign for Rooster Teeth’s “Lazer Team” sci-fi comedy movie has raised a record $2.48 million from 37,497 funders in a month on the Indiegogo site.” (McNary, 2014). Another example is the WWII first person shooter which is still in development, Battalion 1944. Battalion 1944 has raised £317,281 so far out of the initial goal of £100,000. It is set to release in May 2017. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bulkheadinteractive/battalion-1944-pc-xb1-ps4 References Turnbull, C. (2011, May 26). Freelance Gigs vs. Studio jobs: Which One works best for you? Retrieved June 13, 2016, from http://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/freelance-gigs-vs-studio-jobs-which-one-works-best-for-you–webdesign-3021 Desk, N. (2015, September 22). Portfolio entertainment opens animation studio in Toronto, Canada – the graphic slate | cutting edge content on the go. Retrieved June 13, 2016, from Animation, http://www.thegraphicslate.com/animation/studios/portfolio-entertainment-opens-animation-studio-in-toronto-canada/2015/09 Sanders, A.-L. (2016). Which is better: Working for an animation studio, or freelancing? Retrieved June 13, 2016, from Tech, http://animation.about.com/od/faqs/f/Which-Is-Better-Working-For-An-Animation-Studio-Or-Freelancing.htm Cruickshank, B. (2011, April 1). 5 solid strategies to keep freelance work rolling in. Retrieved June 13, 2016, from Freelancing, http://millo.co/keep-freelance-work-rolling-i McNary, D. (2014, July 7). Rooster teeth’s “Lazer team” movie raises $2.48 Million in Crowdfunding. Retrieved June 13, 2016, from http://variety.com/2014/film/news/rooster-teeths-lazer-team-movie-raises-2-48-million-in-crowdfunding-1201258661/ 2016, F. L. (2014, January 19). What is Crowdfunding? Clear, simple answer here. Retrieved June 13, 2016, from Crowdfunding Guide, https://www.fundable.com/learn/resources/guides/crowdfunding-guide/what-is-crowdfunding This was originally posted June 6 2016
How are we similar? If you’re working, or aspiring to work in the creative industry you should know that you’re not alone on your journey. Across all different mediums whether it be music, film or animation there are many similarities and many people are going through the same experience and or heartache as you. For example: Working very long hours, for very little pay. If you’re working for several different clients at the same time you’ll have to learn how to know which client to prioritize or if you’re running your own small company, you’ll have to learn how to manage your time so you get a healthy mix of work and play. “Lots of the work done by creative companies is project-based and deadline-driven. Companies and freelancers need to stay competitive, so timescales can often be tight. As a result, working hours can be longer than the average 8 hour-day office job, especially as the project deadline approaches. You may also find yourself working anti-social hours, such as evenings, at night and on weekends.” ( Creative Skillset, 2016) Speaking of work and play, another good example of how many different creative fields are similar is the informal and social work setting. In many multimedia companies you often see recreation rooms with games and TV’s. Embedded below is a youtube video of a small multimedia company SleepyCabin giving a tour of their office, relating to the informal work setting. (SleepyCabin, 2015) Keeping up with the times Across all mediums of the creative industry we need to keep updated with all local happenings. Whether it being keeping up to date with the latest software and updates or staying in the know of the latest projects and current trends. As an aspiring animator it’s important to keep updated with the latest software (such as 3ds Max) because they’re always adding new tools and features that may help speed up my workflow. Where do I imagine myself being in 2, 5 or even 10 years?Reading over this week’s lecture, it asks you to picture where you’ll be in 10 years. After thinking about this, I can honestly say I’m not sure. I know where I want to be, but I don’t know if that’s where I’ll actually be. It seems that this is a common for people to go through this when working in the creative industry, as explained in the lecture. Inevitably our goals and dreams will change over the years, and where I say I want to be now, could change in the near future. Love the work One last thing I will touch on before ending the blog is loving the work. Ideally if you’re aspiring to work in any creative field you should be there because you love, and have passion for the medium. This means dedication. References 2016, C. S. ©. (2016). What’s it like to work in the creative industries? Retrieved June 6, 2016, from http://creativeskillset.org/who_we_help/young_creative_talent/career_navigator/career_resources/487_what_s_it_like_to_work_in_the_creative_industries SleepyCabin (2015, February 25). We are SleepyCabin Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjBI3TPgFEQ |