This week we welcome Thomas Ackels from Offbeat Films, a full-service video production company in Seattle, Washington specializing in the authentic human voice.
Timestamps
- 00:00 – Intro
- 04:15 – Getting paid for your passion projects
- 06:43 – Offbeat Film’s background and adapting to post-pandemic life
- 10:11 – Growth when you’re a freelancer vs. business owner
- 12:23 – Learning skill sets that can’t be taught in school
- 14:20 – Taking on freelance work while balancing company responsibilities
- 24:02 – Benefits of working directly with client or with production company
- 26:05 – Strength of relationships whether it’s with clients or between crew
- 29:35 – Outgrowing your clients
- 30:48 – Finding fulfilment with your projects
- 35:45 – Adding new members to your team
- 39:31 – Challenges of operating the business
- 44:97 – Knowing how to bill for pre-production
- 52:30 – Giving your honest price
- 58:17 – Losing pitches and re-evaluating for the future
- 1:01:17 – The guys weigh in on mindset going into budgets
- 1:05:01 – Putting in safeguards to protect your business’s cash flow
- 1:06:10 – Breaking down the payment structure
- 1:15:03 – Using the term ‘Videographer’
- 1:19:35 – The value of having good professional audio in all your projects
- 1:21:51 – Outro
