[DISC] Are you a freelancer?

[Ray Beez]

I'm curious to see, out of the group that hangs out here, how many of you are self-employed? And if you are, how much of your work involves Flash, and/or is game related?

[Squize]

Yep I'm one

Been doing it since the end of September, and be really fortunate with work so far, not had to pimp myself too much at all.

I only do games, that's all I really can do. In saying that I've got a html based site to do but that's for one of my girlfriends work colleagues. It's not a direction I want to go in, but compared to a game it's a very quick ( And hopefully painless ) turn around, and after doing 40+ games in the past couple of years it's a nice change for a week or so.

Squize.

[everfornever]

Self employed.

www.Truimagz.com and www.resourceforge.com

Website company, e-commerce, and have my own hosting servers, as well as my own t1 that i supply internet for a small town off our local water tower via antena.

I mainly do websites, about 1/2 html and half flash. Never been paid to do a game yet.

Just started doing my own servers, and just finished my own admin, and ecommerce. I dont do anything else for money, just websites. Its nice sometimes, but other times I wish I worked like my friends do, just go to work x hours a day, and forget about work the rest of my life, as it is now, my life is my work, 24 hours a day, I have no life, I always work. But I enjoy my work, and would likely be doing it for fun if it was not my work.

I also take out-sourced in house jobs, quite offtenly I find companies that have the need of my services but cannot afford to pay someone year round to be in office, so they outsource it.

I also do computer repair, and set up internet service and sell computer parts.

Do not have an office yet, I work out of the local coffee house , and my home, I had an office but a company named microtech distribution is now the owner of it, this is were I have my servers and computer parts, and do alot of repairs, but I cannot afford to have my own repair shop, nor office.

Maybie one day I'll start doing printing work (ie, bilboards) and have thought of actually buying a few bilboards myself. But untill I actually do find enough business for my own printshop/signs and banners, I dont think I'll have an office to myself.

This all prolly sounds better than it is, but I drive a 96 dodge avenger, and live in a small place that I rent, and do not have alot of money.

Edit: I also do a radoi show now and then with mike proto form microtech on krms 1150, called ask the expert in lake ozark mo.

[chriserrorplain]

creative director of my own studio, errorware on brick lane in London.

Have at one point had seven people working for us, which is very exciting, but there have been lots of leaner times too. We've been going a year now, and have yet to starve and can still afford at least the occasionaly night on the lash around Hoxton, so can't all be bad really.

Work-wise it varies, some weeks we seem to just be making animations (After Effects and lots of maya stuff), then some weeks we seem to beceme a web design and then every so often everyone seems to be asking us for flash games.


chris

[lesli_felix]

Yep, I'm contracting on site around london, occasionally doing games, but most of my work is microsites, virals, banners etc. all flash.

[mrpauly99]

thinking about making the move from perm to freelance right now. hows it working out for u guys? streets of london paved with gold these days??

[lesli_felix]

The money's not exactly good these days, I've had to lay off two of my maids and sell one of my yachts.

Times are hard, you'd do well to stay away.

[mentuat]

aye, I've had to shut down part of the east wing - but we generally keep to the billiards room and hunt pheasant in the upper field anyway.

on the plus side I did manage to pick up a yacht for peanuts...

[walsher]

Well I'm curretnly perment at a app. based company working with flash. Every now and then I get freelance work with a buddy of mine. I did an intern job for an actual game company for a few months. It was pretty cool makin a model for the game and seeing your name in the credits.

[renderhjs]

university student only, not planning on going into freelance someday soon (rather avoid it actually). I prefer a more constant income without worrying about fetching new jobs.
I do think that after my graduation there should be better job choises to pick from as there are now.

In the past (2years ago) I worked for several agancies doing almost only webdesign stuff (navigation, panorama, interactive movies,..) but with some exceptions hardly any game stuff.
Besides I dont think that flash games sell that well compared to other flash elements. What I usually get aked to was/is to create unique interface & control mechanics for navigation or presentation purposes- to some extend they are toys as well as you can play with them but certainly not in a way of what people post here.

[Squize]

"Besides I dont think that flash games sell that well compared to other flash elements"

Depends on who you work for, quite a few agencies are very game orientated. When I was at preloaded I think I had to do 1 screensaver, 1 html microsite and a handful of "toys" ( For want of a better term ) in all the time I was there, the rest of the time I was just coding games.

"We've been going a year now"

Wow, that's flown! Although I imagine it's been in slow motion for you mate.

Squize.

[scheletro]

I used to work at home, now I have my own studio and I just make games and some web pages, and my brother do 3D animation

You can see here

http://www.ryp.com.mx

I sell games for candy and toys company´s portals, and when the work is less than I need I make web pages

[EvilKris]

Nice thread Ray.
I don't do anything pc related (I'm an English teacher) for money. I love the job but it's my dream to make games perhaps not for a full-time living but as an on-the-side cashpot.
Therefore, may I also ask that this thread not only be a "Are you a freelancer?" thread, but also a "How did you pick up work freelancing?" one.

[Djugan]

I'm a teacher too, Evil. I teach business/computer classes at the high school level. I do some freelance work, but very little since my skills are still lacking. I have my own website and make games more for my love of the genre rather than as a way to make money.

[Squize]

"How did you pick up work freelancing?"

Sexual favours. I'm typing this sitting on a rubber ring ( Yeah, business has been good ).

Squize.

[cadin]

I do freelance motion graphics (After Effects) to pay the bills. The Pencil Farm is starting to pay off though, with some potential new contracts and licensing. (Cross your fingers.)

[walsher]

"How did you pick up work freelancing?"

Sexual favours. I'm typing this sitting on a rubber ring ( Yeah, business has been good ).

Squize.

Hmmm, that method didn't seem to work for me.

For me it was mainly family and there bosses looking for easy production.

[Achyut]

I am a freelance Flash movies and games developer.
If you can spare some time visit my homepage
http://geocities.com/achyutveluvali/

[luxregina]

I'm a Senior designer/ AD in a web company - do mainly Flash sites, and very occasionally games... I do plan to watch very closely the pro game market to see if there would be a place for me, as a freelancer, or as a more game oriented in-house designer though : so you guys freelancing-out-there life-story interest me !

[tomsamson]

i´m busy keeping sn runnin