Working Pro-Bono

Denis Danatzko · January 26th, 2008, 09:30 AM

How are you getting "free" publicity? Word of mouth only? Brochures/flyers/bus. card distribution/other? Credit in some publication?

The most recent "freebie" I did was a promo piece that was supposed to be a trade, i.e. I'd record, edit, add some stills supplied by the client, and prep it for the web via Flash. In return, I'd include a 3-5 sec lead-in with my business name & logo. It was a pretty simple piece, not intricate at all.

All went well, and client was very happy, to the point that I DID get paid for it, even though that wasn't part of the deal, (though pay was considerably less than someone more-established would likely have charged).

What more could I have asked for? I'm looking to learn how others handle such "opportunities.

Lloyd Claycomb · January 31st, 2008, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate Benson

Should I get a stronger contract with him? I've never gone this long without any form of serious payment and he's running up a hefty tab.

Any suggestions would help tremendously.

If you even want to continue on, I would CERTAINLY get a MUCH stronger contract that specifies all the terms and conditions, an a schedule of values, payment schedule, and all the other things (i.e. MONEY!) you care about.

Bill Ravens · January 31st, 2008, 07:25 PM

Denis...

I see that you're in NYC. I used to live there. Trust me, the reality in a place like Santa Fe is quite different from NYC. This is a small town. Work doesn't come any other way but word of mouth. And, skill level is only a prerequisite. Who are you as a person? Are you trustworthy? Do you deliver? Are you easy to get along with? These are all issues that everyone knows, and it helps a great deal to have a proven track record. "Oh, yeah, I worked with him on -----. And he was great!!" Goes a lot farther than any other marketing tool you're used to in NYC.

Rick L. Allen · February 11th, 2008, 07:59 PM

"When you work for free that's what your work is worth - nothing."

Unless you are independently wealthy and can afford to continue to work for free you are being taken advantage of. I do the occassional pro bono video for the local arts council but it's very clear upfront what I'll provide and what they will do for me in return. That way no one gets their feelings hurt.

Benjamin Hill · February 11th, 2008, 09:55 PM

Yowsers, can't believe I missed this thread. Experience has taught me to be "careful" even with NFPs and companies like this.

Nate, it sounds like that director is heavily dependent on you- which you means have SOME leverage. You can stop work until he pays you something, or everything, although it sounds like he's gotten used to free video services and probably won't like the change. But my question is, how can you survive doing 40 hours a week for no pay?

The longer you go on working for free, the harder it will be to rectify the situation with him.

Before I got wise about billing matters, I let one client run up a similar tab and when I finally invoiced it took three and half months to pay- not cool! But hey, no one to blame but myself. Some of us have to learn the hard way.

Keep us posted on how this works out.

January 26th, 2008, 09:30 AM	#16
Denis Danatzko Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: NYC Metro area Posts: 579	I'm curious about how you work the free publicity. How are you getting "free" publicity? Word of mouth only? Brochures/flyers/bus. card distribution/other? Credit in some publication? The most recent "freebie" I did was a promo piece that was supposed to be a trade, i.e. I'd record, edit, add some stills supplied by the client, and prep it for the web via Flash. In return, I'd include a 3-5 sec lead-in with my business name & logo. It was a pretty simple piece, not intricate at all. All went well, and client was very happy, to the point that I DID get paid for it, even though that wasn't part of the deal, (though pay was considerably less than someone more-established would likely have charged). What more could I have asked for? I'm looking to learn how others handle such "opportunities. __________________ Denis ------------ Our actions are based on our own experience and knowledge. Thus, no one is ever totally right, nor totally wrong. We simply act from what we "know" to be true, based on that experience and knowledge. Beyond that, we pose questions to others.

February 11th, 2008, 09:55 PM	#20
Benjamin Hill Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Iowa City, Iowa Posts: 670	Yowsers, can't believe I missed this thread. Experience has taught me to be "careful" even with NFPs and companies like this. Nate, it sounds like that director is heavily dependent on you- which you means have SOME leverage. You can stop work until he pays you something, or everything, although it sounds like he's gotten used to free video services and probably won't like the change. But my question is, how can you survive doing 40 hours a week for no pay? The longer you go on working for free, the harder it will be to rectify the situation with him. Before I got wise about billing matters, I let one client run up a similar tab and when I finally invoiced it took three and half months to pay- not cool! But hey, no one to blame but myself. Some of us have to learn the hard way. Keep us posted on how this works out. __________________ youtube.com/benhillmedia linkedin.com/in/benhillmedia

January 31st, 2008, 07:25 PM	#18
Bill Ravens Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: santa fe, nm Posts: 3,264 Images: 10	Denis... I see that you're in NYC. I used to live there. Trust me, the reality in a place like Santa Fe is quite different from NYC. This is a small town. Work doesn't come any other way but word of mouth. And, skill level is only a prerequisite. Who are you as a person? Are you trustworthy? Do you deliver? Are you easy to get along with? These are all issues that everyone knows, and it helps a great deal to have a proven track record. "Oh, yeah, I worked with him on -----. And he was great!!" Goes a lot farther than any other marketing tool you're used to in NYC.

February 11th, 2008, 07:59 PM	#19
Rick L. Allen Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fayetteville, NC Posts: 536	"When you work for free that's what your work is worth - nothing." Unless you are independently wealthy and can afford to continue to work for free you are being taken advantage of. I do the occassional pro bono video for the local arts council but it's very clear upfront what I'll provide and what they will do for me in return. That way no one gets their feelings hurt.