You Should NEVER Work for Free

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Should you work for Free as a filmmaker? All creative professionals have stories of being asked to work for free, Take on spec commercial projects, working for EXPOSURE! In this video I break down my opinion on 'Should you work for free as a creative' and why working for free doesn't necessarily mean what you think it does. It also covers topics such as: How Much should I charge as a filmmaker? When should I start charging clients? Landing your first paying client, and Shooting passion projects as a filmmaker.
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[@yd6655]

Students: mmh, interesting

[@lighted2327]

Its the opposite

[@capta1nseal]

Technically not free...

[@RickGT500]

Exactly

[@Mice-stro]

I still have no idea why joel needed me to calculate how many watermelons he had.

[@hiruzenmonofuke7344]

@@Mice-stro cause joel is just being joel.

[@illegalmemedealer3549]

The golden rule: Never work for exposure

[@goodlightpringles6335]

madame drama flashbacks

[@noahniederklein8081]

@@GarySun2.0 Hello fellow Daniel Thrasher viewer!

[@elongated_musket6353]

Currently doing both

[@clanceeinfinity207]

basicly r/choosingbeggers

[@finlaysclips5163]

RUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNN

[@loganstrong5426]

This is crazy, I've said this myself for a long time: "Never work for free, but that doesn't always mean money." There are so many ways you can profit from projects like you said, it's important to make sure you're always getting something out of it.

[@rdev3720]

anyone realize but he is wearing the same outfit as rick astely.

[@suchirghuwalewala]

@@rdev3720 never gonna give you up

[@akanta5746]

yeah. Stuff like a cut of all future revenue can in many cases be just as if not more rewarding than money upfront

[@ShepherdXVII]

I think this carries across to all artistic mediums! Very well said mumbo!

[@codex4046]

all mediums, not even just artistic ones

[@ashutoxh]

Yes. In my field of software development especially in place like India, there are a LOOT of unpaid internships promising "exposure"

[@julienderiviere4907]

@@ashutoxh I was going to comment the same thing ^^ I experienced the exact same thing here in France (I'm a dev too).... As Mumbo put it, ".... no!" ;)

[@ezequielcattalin7402]

@@ashutoxh same in construction. I've done several plans for free with the promise of getting the job and they just hire a cheaper one that uses my design.

[@XDamainI]

@@ezequielcattalin7402 That's half the work in itself, trying to get fair compensation for your proprietary assets and keeping them from being stolen.

[@JamesRoyceDawson]

I would add to always read exactly how you're going to get paid. I did a filming job where I thought I was going to be paid 50% before production and 50% after production. I didn't sign the contract until I was already there and found out it was actually half after filming and half after the film had come out and made a profit. I never got that second half...

[@michellerabey6637]

We sue! We riot! The shame!!! :'(

[@discoj7112]

Basically 0 films, even some of the most successful of all time, make a profit on paper thanks to deliberate accounting practices to prevent it. A lot of people in film have been screwed by this.

[@laartje24]

Jup, I know a lot of those "I never got the second half after handing in the finished product stories" in many different disciplines. Especially the "This product didn't take you x hours to make". Be very very careful with those deals.

[@bobofthekerbals9797]

Yeah even big name actors have gotten cheated out of a large amount of payment because on paper the film “didn’t” make a profit. It’s usually done by the company that is actually making the film creating another company to do it for them and then charging a licensing fee that is well above the projected revenue of the project.

[@EmpressSock]

Mumbo in all seriousness. until he slides back, exposes his lack of actual pants.

[@RPAudioeVisual]

lol EXPOSED!

[@MidnighterKnight]

No trousers, that's pants!

[@MariusIhlar]

Totally bonkers!

[@tetsujin_144]

And to think he said "exposure is a myth"...

[@mjsvitek]

Literally squeaked from laughter when that happened 😂😂😂 Power move.

[@nordvestgaming1238]

As a photographer, I have a pretty simple rule I follow, if I offer a shoot then it's probably free of charge, if you ask me for a shoot you are paying in some way that isn't just "exposure".

[@syntaxerror9994]

What I learned : Mumbo has an accountant.

[@laartje24]

He basically has 2 separate pretty successful companies, I'm not that surprised.

[@Empire526]

I sometimes edit videos for my church, I don't do it for the money but it is appreciated when they do occasionally pay me.

[@DaxSudo]

I'm a software engineer and if you choose to go the freelance route it's the exact same. Contributing to open source projects and building skills and portfolio is invaluable. But it's not very financially viable without another income.

[@digitalcircuit]

Agreed. Open source contributions are a great way of building provable, out in the open experience (especially before one's first job), but doing that alone is not sustainable unless you're fortunate enough to be paid specifically to work on open source projects.

[@akanta5746]

It's a different situation really with open-source stuff compared to the creative fields as nobody's really asking you to contribute to open-source projects; people choose to do open-source because they want to. That being said I fully agree open-source should never be a first priority.

[@DaxSudo]

@@akanta5746 I get that but I completely disagree with ur last statement. Your goal should be to get to a point where open source is a viable first priority. Creativity and artistry in its most pure form is open source. It may be very different for artists but engineers make enough to where this kind of freely given for the good and enjoyment of humanity is a realistic and doable goal.

[@JackChesney]

if someone wants to pay you with "exposure" just remember, you had enough for them to find you

[@silidox3440]

Who else want a podcast of his voice for hours?

[@Couldnotfinduser]

Actually

[@iposhi2Videos]

Keralis impulse and mumbo podcast yes please!

[@felixberglund9218]

Yes!

[@Couldnotfinduser]

@@aragornderheld and bdubs to add comedic element

[@taytaythehufflepuff8532]

@@Couldnotfinduser And Xisuma! (He’s basically running a podcast at this point and no one can convince me otherwise-)

[@coconutboy4181]

Well I guess I won’t do homework anymore until I get paid

[@Hubbabubba465]

lol

[@OverWims]

you get paid with education

[@nuklearboysymbiote]

@@OverWims um in many places you have to pay FOR education

[@OG_CK2018]

This comment is the dumbest thing i have read today

[@ilostdapick]

@@OG_CK2018 it's a joke...

[@OmegaDoesThings]

What Mumbo is describing is utility function. Everyone's got some set of important stuff, and attribute weights/values to each of those things, so you can still potentially gain something despite expenditure or lack of money. Always makes me pleased to hear someone talking about the subject.

[@notmedontkno]

My youngest is listening to you explain this and saying "Because he's a good person". Mumbo, you're truly an awesome role model for smol artists. Thank you

[@TurboLife]

The big reveal at 7:11 is the best! Mumbo is wearing short pants! He had me fooled the entire time with that collared shirt and talking head framing! Well done sir... Well done!

[@JennySYS]

i feel like this video is the motivation i needed to start filmmaking again. i reached a burnout a long time ago but i wanna bring myself back up there before i start studying film in college.

[@industrialvectors]

The truth you might not want to hear. Don't go to college before you've had a full time work position. Work at least a year or two, earning to support yourself. Most importantly with training for work that is not usually stable. Look at education opportunities abroad as well, many places have good quality affordable education unlike anglo-saxon countries. If you manage to earn enough to fund your hobby, you will be able to work on passion or training projects and decide if you like it. Don't hesitate to change jobs to try different industries. That's one of the advantages of being young. Showing motivation and flexibility you can get much better first jobs than after you are in long term relationship, with kids, pets or even worse, debts.

[@mikhailgusev2394]

My formula of "never work for free" is quite like yours. Big money on a long-time projects can't compensate a lack of experience that you can get in less paid but more interesting and complicated projects. And sometimes am looking for short work with high-tier technology stack even if i would not be paid for it because of a great experience boost.

[@ReclusiveEagle]

Also PS never let someone else control YOUR project. Ask a friend to model for me so I can practice portraits (first time) she dictated everything so I couldn't get any practice I wanted, then demanded 50+ photos + all the raw images and said I needed permission to post the images of her. After 3 days of editing I said "fk this" told it to her face. She "apologized" for using me then asked a few days later how far I was so she could post "content" for her 12k followers after she removed 5 of the images she posted.... Then, then! I stopped speaking to her after 2 weeks we had a fight, she blocked me and then demanded that I remove the 2 photos I have written permission to post (even though I don't need it since I am not selling them). Basically attempting to control what I did produce. I told her "My work is not your portfolio" removed her tags but kept the pictures up. So in summery she used me as her "photographer" creating free content for an audience I would never get, don't know and who don't even have the ability to hire a photographer. She then removed all the content because she has "confidence issues" yet posts everyday and then attempted to control what I had already posted. So yeah fun time.

[@guyinasuit8078]

If your friend is trynna dictate your own hard work, she isn't your friend she's a tyrant

[@DoctorWhom]

"Influencers" are an extraordinary group of people that are quite successful in convincing us all to avoid them.

[@guyinasuit8078]

@@DoctorWhom sadly they even fail at that, cus people are just dumb and stuff

[@lucasjnogueira]

5:10 "The experience earned and the lessons learned outway the outlay"

[@MonocleMC]

Creating content for example, I love it. However I do not earn enough to make a living off it, but I am passionate about it. So I work hard, even if it's mostly for free. Passion is more important than money. Well said Mumbo, great advice!

[@RobertIancu]

That outro though 😂

[@Respectable_Username]

This also applies when working for friends/giving them a hand. The payment might not be monetary and might just be they shout you a drink/meal later (depending on the scale of work you do), but they need to recognise that your time is worth _something_ so that you're not taken advantage of.

[@tobyborrett547]

I just wish someone would just offer me a job

[@dwirandypradhika6752]

Like mumbo said, gain the experience first. Build a portfolio, show off your work on social media, once you're experienced enough, your work WILL attract potential clients.

[@wariare12world95]

@mohammad khan lamo😂😂

[@wariare12world95]

@@dwirandypradhika6752 TBH this is the problem with people these days...they just expect to get hired for nothing, in my country some protest were made recently for the lack of employment, and as much as I support them, I also think that they should do more than ask someone to hire him... but thankfully the government responded with thousands of jobs mostly in the military and air and sea forces!

[@rzesiette594]

@@wariare12world95 And raised taxes? If not that's cool what they did, but yeah a lot of protest seem to be made by people who aren't willing to adapt.

[@wariare12world95]

@@rzesiette594 yeah recently taxes just became like the main income of the government lol, but people weren't protesting for taxes, they are cool with it as long as they have a job so they can get money to pay them...

[@mikeywinstone8525]

I'm doing a volunteering job right now and I'm really enjoying it. I cant work right now and its going to be really useful to have the experience

[@rzesiette594]

You still can put it in CV if it's your first job, so it just shows you care about work you do :D

[@epicthief]

Volunteering doesn't pay the bills but it makes you feel good, always get paid for your labor. Still waiting for the collaboration with the Corridor Crew

[@felixberglund9218]

I love how down to earth you are here! Casual, easy to understand and getting the point out there. Couldn't agree more. Thanks Mumbo!

[@ExDud]

Oli you’ve helped me so much in pursuing my passion! I’ve been following you for years and you’ve really gotten me into filming! Thank you so much!

[@Andy196YT]

Thank you Mumbo, I agree with your perspective and a balance is probably the best. I've been in a bit of a crack so this is a big relief to hear.

[@kcawood89]

I appreciate this video so much Mumbo. Thank you for a great perspective!

[@nanamacapagal8342]

I'm just starting out on audio engineering, this is good advice

[@riptidezim6151]

Beutifully said! Your points are quite accurate and relevant today.

[@zechariahunderwood5851]

Thank you Mumbo! I am not a film maker but I have many friends that are, and I'm happy to share this encouragement with them!

[@joshthewritersmith]

Excellent video. I think you're perspective is spot-on for experience and value.

[@advanceringnewholder]

I do tech support for free. Often for my family, sometimes for my work. I did that because it feels like a challenge to me and the experience gained, problem solving that, I believe, will proved to be useful in the future.

[@michaelalgarra3864]

mumbo i enjoy your content on several levels. its nice to see people following their niche

[@jeeeeeeees]

i loved this video. It makes a lot of sense in a lot of areas of work / hobbies / friends / co workers / relationships etc.

[@meghanmcmillian8638]

Great video! Thanks, Mumbo :)

[@dominoot2652]

Never clicked on this because I was pretty skeptical of your title. I saw your recent video which I agreed with a lot and decided I'd give this a chance. Shoutout to having good takes. Seriously. This is wisdom.

[@BigRook101]

This is a great helpful video when it comes to in general artist and amazing inspiration! Mr.Mumbo, you should really do tutoring for young photographers so on :D

[@tobyborrett547]

I was grinding osu! but mumbo second channel video will be a welcome break

[@widgetfilms]

As a recent purchaser of an a6600 I must say I feel a bit attacked XD. But in all seriousness, thank you for more expert advice mumbo. You've inspired many of us to explore film as a medium and a career.

[@aramatkinson]

That ending cracked me up so bad! haha. Such valid points in here, couldn't agree more. Also loving the new set up!

[@aazriik8057]

WE NEED MORE OF THIS TYPE OF CONTENT! YOURE THE BEST MUMBO

[@nomlinouas5318]

Amazing vid mumbo

[@paulhancock3791]

Funny timing on this vid, as I was recently approached for a quote on shooting a wedding. I balanced everything up and went in with a price which was probably a quarter what it would normally be because off the factors you mentioned: Scale of project, location etc. was really looking forward to doing it. and then it turned out that actually the client actually wanted it for free in exchange for 'exposure' and so I came to the exact same conclusion you did. needless to say, I turned it down.

[@matviybodnarchuk]

Thank you for making this video. Very inspiring

[@OfTwoLands]

Spot on, mate !!

[@kenet7877]

This is an insightful video! And I think this can also apply to other fields too.

[@wentdesigning]

Very well said! I'm a HUGE proponent of knowing your worth and truly feel that it's the first step to living your best life, but there are always exceptions to the rule, and allowing for/recognizing those is such a powerful place to be. Your last sentence really hit for me "Know your worth, never ever work for free, but sometimes that isn’t quite as black and white as it may initially seem." 100% great advice anyone (especially in creative fields) can get or follow. Thanks for all you do Mumbo and all the wisdom and inspiration you impart for others.

[@tyceschmidt5156]

Hello mumbo, you are my favorite KZbinr!!!

[@AlltIngo]

Woah! This video has given me so much inspiration for what my life could become!

[@Adam_K_]

Mumbo that outro was phenomenal

[@Zilegil]

Yes man. As a musician, I can say you hit the nail right there

[@shingly_warrior]

Me who's been doing chores for 7 years: Goodness, what an idea! Why did I never think of that?

[@zelaznydesigns874]

As a graphic designer, this also applies. I feel like It’s a running joke across all creative fields to get paid in “exposure”

[@reznovvazileski3193]

Mumbo: "Exposure is a myth" Radiologist around the world: "Say no more!" *throws off lead protection gear*

[@lakshyajain8240]

ahahahahaahhahahahahahahaah

[@nathanjohnpalaogaming4872]

Oh my god

[@aro4457]

Imagine being one of the smartest person in med school, getting an incredible step 1 and step 2 scores, just to throw off protective gear because of a KZbinr lol

[@reznovvazileski3193]

@@aro4457 To be fair, isn't being an expert doing things poorly because an incompetent rich guy told you to do it that way just having a job? :P

[@JJSnel-uh3by]

I aldo think that passion project really help to also put on something like a portfolio. Obviously this is a good thing, seeing how you like your shots to look is your style. Company's could be looking for your style of shooting and not something you have been payed for because the client wanted something different.

[@JoeGreeneFilmsOslo]

Getting better at those outros, I see!

[@sambutearth5850]

great vid mumbo

[@NastanSvensk]

You're very inspirational! Currently I, as a teenager, are mostly making "passion projects" and short films which i dont even upload or use in any way, but ir's just so much fun i do it anyway! I've previously had some (both intentional and unintentional) photography jobs for cash, and am now moving into the video space, where i think i was always destined to be. Im also making a little bit of money with it. It's not much, maybe 40 pounds an hour for 2 or 3 hours once or twice a month, but I'm hoping to grow my portfolio as i grow, with actual passion projects! You have always been a huge inspiration. Thank you!

[@pundo6880]

I never even want to film anything ever. However.. listening to you and watching your videos are just so interesting i cant turn away. You do such an amazing job mumbo ♡

[@Worth_Noodles]

Love this!

[@ZuiVeemo]

Writing has been my passion project for 5 years now, but after one firm reached out to me to do a review for one of their apps, I have been encouraged to continue writing, but at the same time, unsure about the immediate steps. Things like actually getting my own domain, redesigning my website, and setting up analytics stuff. I’m not sure if I am confident in taking this step in actively funding my project and developing it even further

[@09ninja_gaming48]

Love Your Vids On Both Channels And Also First 100 Comments

[@affetheman]

Great clip! I learned a lot, even though I’m just an amateur photographer!

[@wobarry]

i was thinking about this recently, thank you

[@josefinavalerio9554]

Thanks mumbo sir sending this to my mom and teach

[@darksentinel082]

It’s kind of hard to apply some of what you say to mediums like music, however it’s still good advice and good to keep in mind.

[@kruceo]

Very well put

[@ASonicSloth]

Loved the ending haha

[@imblack011]

This is so true. You can't just get in an aircraft with no pilot's license and expect to be paid for flying the aircraft. You won't even be able to start the engines or communicate with atc properly. For anything, you have to gain experience first and then start doing paid jobs. For example, I'm a photographer but I've never done a single paid photoshoot. Why? It's because i still lack experience. While i am decent at working with natural light, i still have no idea how to work in a studio environment.

[@laartje24]

Don't sell yourself too short though. Dont fall into the trap of being so perfectionistic that you never think your work is good enough to be something. I have fallen into that trap myself. If someone asks you to do your work based on other work of yours, you are probably good enough to do it.

[@davidblanc458]

very interesting, thanks for the advice, hope u doing well!

[@daklr2501]

as someone who read a little into Diogenian classical Cynicism and liked the sound of it, I like the idea of embracing struggle to learn to appreciate life more, however I also want to be able to support family and/or live viably, so I guess I end up somewhere in the middle on this subject too!

[@fryttek8679]

I dont think Ill become a film maker but I love listening to you here and on your main channel You are my greatest english teacher ♥️

[@kylebrake1806]

I love your videos!

[@Jet-Pack]

Perfect outro!

[@ezE-oi8dp]

Very well said Mumbai, I will defensively apply to every thing I do

[@DicoTheRedstoner]

I totally agree!

[@Tarriestodin]

Hello i love your Video Good Job and also thanks Mayn.

[@gradedfilmsuk]

We completely agree!

[@ajberbs6826]

Dang, this is a great video👍

[@deividasb]

This is some pretty good advice. I've worked a bunch myself for free- not for exposure but to make contacts and to gain new experience. I've worked as a cinematographer and videographer but professionally I'm a 2nd AC/ AC and at the beginning worked for free. But it balanced out in the end as im now an experienced 2nd AC, but the bad thing is with Covid there are hardly any AC jobs at the moment (here in London and the UK at least) which means my experience is stagnant for the time being. But for me, being an AC is only a stepping stone to become a professional DOP on feature films.

[@catsdgs]

I definitely like the good ol' Blue microphone more than the Shure.

[@xanderasnot]

Very good advice!

[@diggy8191]

Thanks Mumbo, I'll send this to my teacher next time they ask me to turn in my home*work*, as I am experienced in making it! /s

[@JayCubTruth]

Well said!

[@02_920]

this, is truly great. well said also quick question, anyone know why he hid his subscription count?

[@Yorick257]

Wait, what, interesting, I didn't even know it's possible... Now I also wanna know

[@Badleo818]

Because once you hit several million subscribers once theirs no point in keeping track?

[@rzesiette594]

Maybe he also does it more for as a passion, because it's not his main channel and he doesn't care about subscribers, but just sending the message to people. Or maybe it's also some youtube error.

[@zimo_luftgarten7570]

The same applies to Photography, I agree with the things you said. :)

[@bernadettavarley]

1:31 That's a beautiful shot of that forest.

[@jezm-l3941]

I did some work for a band on a tour of England. Worked for free as I was just starting out. They said they would cover travel costs and give me credit on any photos they used. Travelled around for a few months. Got to do the finale in the O2 Arena but got nothing out of the them ever and the credit I got on the album photos and publicity media was “Thanks to Jez for the photos”. Teaches you a serious life lesson. Don’t get taken for a mug! But on the plus side. I did bloody enjoy it!

[@fishsoup2846]

I genuinely forgot I was watching a KZbin video rather than a Netflix documentary, good job Mumbo!

[@nerveshock1081]

Thank you mumbo

[@antemorph66]

I worked for a friend who owned a filming business. He made money filming ads for local businesses. It's pretty good money, but he also got to work on great projects. We interviewed an Oz historian in an Oz museum and it was super cool to make a documentary. Got to mix and edit the audio myself

[@lihung364]

Mumbo Jumbo giving you life talk feels weird, But still very glad I watched it.

[@nickadams99]

Big tip for upcoming filmmakers: start putting out videos on tiktok, just short 15 - 30 second cinematic videos can get you a tOn of exposure and you can gain a following quickly, tons of businesses are on tiktok and will hire you based on your profile which acts as a portfolio, good luck everyone!

[@thenightninja13]

Big Oof... lol This is too real.

[@leden9588]

Great outro! It's not only for film makers. Take his advice no matter what you do.

[@Sven_Hein]

Thank you for the 18:9 format, finally a video that fills my entire screen.

[@williamhutton1752]

this probably is a dumb question, but isn't 18:9 just 2:1?

[@Sven_Hein]

@@williamhutton1752 yes but it is often called 18:9 as it is closest to 16:9 (1.78:1)

[@djdrack4681]

One of my top pieces of advice: "You can lose a fortune, and then build up another fortune; You're always losing time, AND you NEVER can gain that back". I'll always charge for my work, unless its the closest of family: but my family is very much a clan and we work on a mutual-assistance policy (The IT person repairs PCs, the guy with the tire changer will put tires on rims for free, the guy with the welder will weld the repairs on your trailer, etc).

[@animeviewer2]

omg i love the ending