Animation Business Basics and Freelance Tips

Animation Business
Basics
or
Notes from The Freelance Life

© J Caswell all rights reserved

It’s not that hard
but it’s constant.


Business Structure
Taxes
Contracts
Finding Work
Rembrandt

It’s Show BUSINESS
not
Show ART


The Freelance Life © J Caswell 2011

read/think
about
business

Think of yourself as a business person
not just as an artist.

PROFESSIONAL


BUSINESS STRUCTURE

Sole Proprietor

Partnership

Incorporation


BUSINESS STRUCTURE

Sole Proprietor


BUSINESS STRUCTURE
Partnership


BUSINESS STRUCTURE
Incorporation


BUSINESS STRUCTURE

**DISCLAIMER**
Sole Proprietor


BUSINESS STRUCTURE

Sole Proprietor

Register a name
Current Account
HST #


TAXES

TAXES
Pre Pay
or save to pay at least
15%


TAXES
CRA
Audit


TAXES
Paperwork
read tax prep articles

listen to the budgets

get an accountant


Paperwork


TAXES
Deductions
or Write offs
self-employment expenses
must be documented


TAXES
Deductions
or Write offs
Not Free Money

You have spend it
to write a portion off of next year’s taxes
Why I bought a PS3 on December 31

Business Expenses
100%
Supplies
Website creation
Business stationary
Computer software
Convention expenses (2 per year)
Travel for work

Capital Assets CCA
30% per year
(Hardware, monitors, Cintiqs, tablets,
scanners, printers, cars, etc.)

Home Based Business Expenses
%
Rent.
Mortgage.
Mortgage interest.
Home/Apartment Insurance
-Power/Hydro Bills.
Gas Bills.
Property Tax Assessment.
Water/Sewer Bills.


loss
against
income


CONTRACTS
aka:
Deal memo
Purchase Order/PO
Production Agreement
etc.


The Going Rate:

20 bucks
an hour
beneﬁts after 6 months.


CONTRACTS
For production companies,
little negotiation in price.

Where did you pay last year’s taxes?


CONTRACTS
Uneducated clients

Your job to educate them
through your deal memo.


CONTRACTS
Know thy time

How long will it take to do the work?
What’s their deadline?
Is it enough?


CONTRACTS
Know thy time

Build in deadlines into a schedule.
Link payments to these stages.


CONTRACTS
Know thy rights

Where are they using the work?
Is there any use beyond your work?


CONTRACTS
Know thy rights

Deﬁne this in your deal memo.
Further use should mean more money.


CONTRACTS
You have to be able to walk away
if you feel you’re being used.


CONTRACTS
Look at examples from
graphic design or illustration business sites
and adapt them.


CONTRACTS
INVOICE
After you ﬁnish the job,
invoice for it.


Finding Work

CONNECTIONS
Animation is a team sport


Finding Work

Learn from
Your peers


Finding Work
Don’t look for a JOB

Find Clients

Finding Work
Forget the blog
Build a website


Finding Work
Find your niche
then market the hell out of it


“Luck affects everything. Let
your hook always be cast.
In the stream where you
least expect it,
there will be ﬁsh.”
Ovid


GOOD work vs. good work


How to get a job at Pixar?


Have them call you.


Read Emerson’s
“Self Reliance”


“The reward of a thing well done,
is to have done it.”

“Skill to do comes of doing.”


Faith will be rewarded

perseverance


BLISS
follow it


“Often, when you want to be understand
something, you have to take it apart or
apply another kind of language to it.
Drawing is another kind of language.”
Richard Serra


Like any kind of language,
you have to practice it or you’ll lose it.


Animation Business Basics and Freelance Tips

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