Understand freelance working in the creative media sector

1. Casey Owen Neistat is an American YouTube
personality, filmmaker, vlogger, and co-founder of the
social media company Beme.

2. Equipment

3. Casey has a wide variety of camera’s and equipment which he is constantly
expanding and trying out the newest technology. Casey has pioneered his own unique
DSLR setup that combines an incredible camera, a high-quality microphone that offers
hyperdirectional performance and a GorillaPod that provides a convenient selfie stick
type of functionality.
Some of his current set up:

4. Panasonic DC-GH5KBODY Lumix
4K Mirrorless ILC Camera
Casey has recently switched to Panasonic for the simple fact it has a front
facing screen. According to him, he can’t vlog without it. He thinks they
designed this camera with YouTuber’s in mind. Which he discusses in his
tech talk in this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkfNLhgV6O8
He compares his latest camera before the
Panasonic ( Sony A6500 ) which he does say he
prefers the Sony due to better image, size, low light
image etc. But the Panasonic is currently his
favourite because of the front facing screen.
It also has great 4K and a touch screen screen
and holds two SD cards, with great battery.

5. Casey has also used many other camera’s and is always trying out the latest
products so that his videos are always up to the highest quality to satisfy his
audience of 7 million people around the globe. As Casey does a lot of travelling his
camera’s range from DSLR’s and point and shoots, but also uses a lot of drone
footage in his films.
Here are some of the camera’s that Casey has used over the years:
Sony A7S II
He uses this for his studio shots
which is usually left on a tripod. It’s a
little too huge to vlog with he thinks.
Canon EOS 80D DSLR
He loved this camera for the flip
screen and the ability to touch to
focus, but he decided to switch
back to the 70D.

6. Casey uses a Canon EF-S 10-22mm
lens that is wide, looks great and
allows a vlogger or filmmaker to pack
plenty of detail into a shot. This is
important for Casey as he likes to get
as much in shot as possible.
This Canon EF-S 10-18mm is
apparently his day-to-day wide lens.
The one on the right is apparently the
more expensive one. This is a good
lens because it shoots wide and can
get a lot of scenery in the shot which
Casey does a lot of.

7. Casey also uses GoPro’s in his films to be able to get footage whilst under water or
doing things where he doesn't’t want his camera at risk. He’s recently been testing all
four of the GoPro’s below to see which one’s his favourite. He’s likely going with the
Hero 5 Black given the ease of use with the touchscreen.
GoPro Hero5 black GoPro Hero5 session
GoPro Hero4 black GoPro Hero session

8. As I said early Casey uses a variety of point and shoots, Casey suggests modestly
priced point and shoots as a great place to start. Remember, the story matters, not
the gear. Here are some of the point and shoots that come highly recommended by
Casey.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V
This is his current favourite point and shoot
which is 4K. He’s very excited about this
little guy. Hopefully the focus is better than
the older version. He has it attached to his
hip at all times.
Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II
Along with the release of the 80D, Canon also
came out with a new point and shoot in the
Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II. The 20.1
Megapixel CMOS sensor with Canon’s new
DIGIC 7 Image Processor helps deliver
exceptional image quality even in low light.

9. Canon PowerShot S120
For a vlogger or filmmaker who is just starting out,
Casey highly recommends the Canon PowerShot
S120. That was Casey’s go-to point when he
started getting into vlogging, and he used it
frequently as a daily shooter since it is robust,
durable and provides high-quality video without
being exorbitantly expensive. He also made this
video about this camera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddL-ycOksHM
Canon PowerShot G7 X
Casey also recommends the Canon
PowerShot G7 X. It shoots amazing video
that exceeds the S120 and has an incredible
fold-up screen that video creators love, but
Casey warns his viewers that it is a more
fragile camera than the S120.

10. As well as all the camera’s that Casey is constantly upgrading he also believes that
all camera’s should be used with a microphone and gorilla pod/tripod.
Rode VideoMic Pro
Casey adds a quality microphone into his DSLR setup, and he
chose the Rode VideoMic Pro. Casey chose this microphone
because it is highly hyperdirectional, meaning that the
microphone does a great job of capturing vlogging audio
directly in front of the camera
while peripheral noise gets drowned out. For Casey’s
vlogs, this microphone is a natural fit.
Joby GorillaPod Focus with Ballhead X bundle
Finally, Casey completes his setup with an innovative
selfie stick of sorts that is designed to support his
innovative DSLR setup. Casey utilizes the Joby GorillaPod
Focus with Ballhead X bundle, which unlike a selfie stick,
provides the bulk needed to comfortably support Casey’s
DSLR setup. Not only are the pods great for vlogging, they
are also versatile enough to handle plenty of other
innovative setup options for creative filmmakers.

11. Adding a new dimension to his vlogs from greater heights, these drones give
viewers a new perspective on the world in which Casey resides.
DJI Phantom 4
There’s no question that the DJI Phantom 4 is the best
consumer drone on the market. It’s front facing sensors
stop it from running into walls and heck, it’ll even follow you
around if you want it to! We’ve been loving the diversity and
scenic shots that this drone has brought to Casey’s vlogs.
GoPro Karma drome
This is Karma. It’s a drone made by GoPro
and we don’t know too much about it yet,
other than it folds up as well. Has an amazing
gimbal that you can take out of the drone to
use on a hand-held stabiliser and it is also
equally awesome as the above drone.

12. All of the camera’s, GoPro’s, microphones, drones and lenses that are used by Casey
are all used to create the best quality footage for people to watch. However, Casey
does believe that it’s not the equipment you use it’s the way you use it and the
footage you can create. He packs as much into a film as possible to ensure he
doesn't’t loose the audiences attention.
Watch the video above.

13. Work
Space

14. Casey has a studio at 368 Broadway which he spends a lot of his time at, he also has
the Beme workplace. However the studio is used more for his camera work and things
for his YouTube channel however when working in Beme it is working on things for his
company and app.
Here is a studio tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb60rrtTddQ&t=299s
He mentions that all of his film’s are produced in his studio and all of his
animations are shot in the studio. “The basic premise of this studio is anything I
may need ever to make one of my movies I should have within this studio whether
that be camera gear or a chainsaw but everything in here is designed by me or
built out by me”.
He has a workshop of tools which he says is used
to maintain his studio so whenever he needs to
build something he starts right here. He has things
in level of how frequent he uses them so the things
in arms reach he uses more often than the things
at the top that you may need a ladder to reach.

15. He has a section for all of his paint which is all organized in a way that he
understands so he doesn’t get confused when looking for colours.
Underneath the paint he has all of his electrical wireless set up that is all named and
all of his wires are organized so he can easily follow a wire if need be.
“I get asked why am I so OCD about this space but it’s because a minute used
looking for something is a minute used not doing something productive”.
The main of his studio he uses is his overhead
shooting rig, which he built and designed
himself. It is able to move about so he can
have it at the right angle for what he is
shooting and it is able to shoot pretty much
anything.
He uses it for shooting simple things as shown
on the video on the right. Which was an
explanation of how he is balancing his
life with YouTube and family etc.

16. Having a workspace when being a freelancer is important as it gives you an
environment to work away from other things that may distract you. In Casey’s case
he has every single thing he needs in one small compacted space so he can
produce and edit from one space without having his wife or chid being a distraction
from his work.
Casey also has a workspace in the Beme studio’s, where he works with the rest of
the team to plan and soon to produce material to put out to their audience. Having
a workspace for the company is helpful so that everyone is together so can have
group meetings to discuss things and come to decisions. If they wasn’t all in one
space trying to get everyone in one place at one time is quite time consuming.
The photo on the right is a clip shot at the
brand new Beme studio’s where they are
soon to be making content.

17. FinanceFinance

18. When being a creator on YouTube to make money you can enable
monetization on your videos. This means that ad’s will appear before and
during your video but you will receive a small amount of money for doing
so. This money goes into a Google AdSense account which you can then
put into your bank and start an income, once you earn a certain amount.
However, you can’t monetize your video if you have used copyright songs
or footage etc. As the money will then go to the copyright owner instead of
you.
As Casey is such a big YouTuber with a large channel he will also have management
and he will be able to earn money in other ways. Casey will do paid promotion, this is
where he is sent a product and is paid to talk about it in his videos in hope that the
company will receive more business from doing so. Casey also makes money from
going to do talks and other business like stuff across the globe. He will have all
expenses paid for and will be able to travel first class across the world.

19. Here are Casey’s estimated earnings.

20. Time

21. When being a freelancer time is important as you need to be at the right place at the
right time and meet deadlines on time. Casey uploads a video to YouTube everyday,
it’s not that important if he doesn’t meet the deadline to upload one but he sets himself
the task to upload at around the same time everyday. Casey also attends a lot of
meetings so it is important for him to attend these on time so he doesn’t miss anything
that may be information he needs to hear. He also goes to speak at a lot of events for
companies like Samsung so being late for things like this may lower his reputation.
Casey recently was working with Samsung to make an TV advert with other creator
within a matter of days, so Casey was given only a few days to shoot and edit this
advert, but he would have had to meet the deadline because letting a company as big
as Samsung down could take future opportunities away from him.
Here are videos of his filming process:

22. Reliability

23. As Casey works for big companies and is always doing something he needs to be
reliable. Samsung have to know that by giving him 5 of their latest phones to go out
and film something for them that he’s going to bring the products back in good shape
with good content.
Companies that are willing to fly him across the globe to talk to students need him to
be reliable as they need to know he’s going to attend and teach these students in the
correct way and not say something he shouldn’t.
Casey also needs to put in extra effort to show that he’s good enough to do the job
he’s being told to do and that he will do it to a good standard. This also links to
commitment as he needs to be committed enough to jump on a plane and leave his
family for a few days to go out and do these things for other people.

24. Communication skills

25. Casey goes and talks to big audiences almost every single month, which means he
needs to have good communication skills. He needs to be good at listening to what
others have to say, and take peoples points on board. He needs to have good body
language and look happy so that it seems like he wants to be there presenting. A
relaxed, open stance and a friendly tone will make him appear approachable, and
will encourage others to speak openly to him. Good communication means saying
just enough - don't say too little or talk too much. Try to convey your message in as
few words as possible, say what you want clearly and directly. He needs to be
confident and friendly as he seems too shy and doesn’t want to talk nobody is going
to want to sit and listen to what he has to say.

26. Dress code

27. Dress code for Casey doesn’t always
matter as we can see on the right hand
side. This is Casey on a normal day and
would probably of just of been shooting
around New York City. He’s just wearing
casual clothing than any normal citizen
would wear as he doesn’t need to look
smart or impress anyone.
However, Casey on the left hand side is Casey in a suit on
a red carpet at the Streamy Awards. In this case it is
important for Casey to look presentable as it’s a formal
event where everyone would look nicer than a standard
day. Casey may have stood on a stage and presented to a
large audience of important people and companies so,
setting a good example by dressing appropriate is a good
first impression.

28. Diet and exercise

29. As well as always working and filming Casey does plenty
of exercise. Everyday (or nearly) he goes on a run to
make sure he stays healthy. He is also always dieting and
eating healthy food when and where he can. Casey avoids
using public transport and will walk, bike or use his boost
board to get around, unless he’s going a longer distance.
Casey has also ran quite a few marathons and is
constantly keeping himself fit, even when on holiday.
“I run 50-70 miles a week and lift for five or six days. It’s
my time.”

31. Time management is really important to
Casey as seen in this video, Fat and Lazy
https://youtu.be/ZexvTZ1sV8U . He doesn’t
understand how people have so much time
and nothing to occupy it. “You could build a
city in all the free time that you sit around
being bored”.
Casey plans his days everyday so he fits
time in for sleep, exercise, family and work
and leaves no time to be doing nothing,
being bored. Casey packs a lot of things to
do in each day so he needs to have good time management
to succeed in completing everything. Not having enough time to complete everything
can lead to a lot of stress which is also not good for any freelancer. The keys to good
stress management are building emotional strength, being in control of your situation,
having a good social network and adopting a positive outlook, which is exactly what
Casey does.