Give studios something to remember you by [Issue 024]

This week's freelance tip:

Give studios something to remember you by

Students in +$25k ask the Co-founder of  Cream Studio ,  Amanda Russell ...

Is it helpful for freelancers to niche down... from a studio's perspective?

YES!

Amanda talked to us about how important it is for freelancers to have a niche (or at least coherent focus). It gives the studio something to remember you by as well as helps you stand out as the obvious choice when the perfect project comes along.

If you're a generalist, it might be harder to command higher rates because you are competing against a sea of other generalists.

You have to be memorable and/or easily searchable.

Let's take a look at how you can niche down.

1. Your niche doesn't have to be a style. It could be...

   1. Characters

   2. Social content

   3. Title sequences

   4. VFX/Compositing

   5. Complex 3D Houdini shots

   6. You could be great at technical work

   7. Mixing retro with modern design styles

   8. Using simple shapes to convey a range of emotions

2. To determine your niche/focus...

   1. Figure out what you like most about your projects

   2. Craft your portfolio/reel so that studios have a clear sense of where to put you

   3. Amanda mentioned that it's fine to have multiple reels for different focuses

3. Be explicit

   1. On your reel, you can say what your focus is

   2. For example:  In my reel , the title shot says "Austin Saylor. Design and Animation. *and I love type"... and I show a lot of the type animation work in my reel

   3. I get hired for a lot of generalist work, but my love of type helps people remember my work

This is something you can cultivate over time. It doesn’t have to be an over-night transformation. And you’re not making a life-long commitment. Try things out and lean into your curiosities.

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