Finding Work

[mrhogg]

Hey all,

I was hoping to get some advice from you. I seem to be able to get individual puppet-making gigs easily enough (though not of the price and frequency to sustain myself, yet, unfortunately), but I'm having a **** of a time getting anything video-related. I got the commercial thing last year, but aside from that the closest I've really got since is some interest. Now, I've gotten an amount of interest, which is cool, and probably a good sign in and of itself, but I'd love to get more commercial work.

There are two problems, there, I suppose. One is: finding where to advertise my services as a puppet-builder and performer. I know there are people here who do work for shows and such; how did you get that work? How do you continue to get that work? Are you more often than not approaching clients, or are they approaching you?

The second question is: how do you advertise your services? I've got a couple shows I do, and I continue to build puppets, so there's a portfolio growing, there, but I feel like I could/should be doing more. The Colbert Puppet Challenge is intended to get me some exposure, of course, and will hopefully succeed (when I finish the thing), but what are the things that other people are doing to advertise themselves?

Hints, Tips, Suggestions and the rest would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Brian

 

[mrhogg]

Another question:

I've considered trying to work out some live shows, along with doing some puppet-building/puppeteering classes, and selling things on eBay and Etsy. I wonder, though, if doing something such as that would set the wrong tone. I want to be able to do this full-time, but what I really want is to make puppet shows (online, tv, movies). I don't simply want to execute them for other people, though I'm of course cool with that, but I want to be doing the whole thing -- the idea, the creative, the execution. Would doing live shows and doing puppet-building classes and selling tiny puppets be diluting the brand I'm trying to create?

Also, I just now think I ought to create an ad package, with a printed pamphlet + dvd (video portfolio), and send it to ad agencies everywhere, to get the name out there. It's a simple enough thing, I realize, but do you think it'd work?

I'm in a funk, you see, and am worrying that my various ideas are all taking me down the wrong track.

 

[Kevin the Frog]

Brian:

I think you are off to a super start and have done a ton of work, so it's great you feel you could/should be doing more. Trying to improve your views on youtube may be helpful. As far as places to advertise, or how to get more work, not sure I can offer any suggestions.

If you're looking to make more money, I don't think doing local puppet shows / workshops will harm your "brand." You could start a separate website just for live shows if it is a big concern.

Sending stuff to ad agencies is a great idea I think. Keep up the hard work, the big payoff has to come some time for you!

 

[Buck-Beaver]

From conversations I've had over the years with different people, puppeteers who work live and tour seem to do better financially than the people who stick exclusively to film & TV work. Film & TV generally pays more per gig, but the higher up in the business you go there are fewer gigs and pretty fierce competition. Live work is often lower-paying, but generally more reliable and plentiful.

If film and TV is really your goal, targeting ad agencies may not be the best approach. They already work with established production companies and usually those production companies do the hiring on behalf of the agency (this can vary, but it's usually the way things work). The people you want to know are producers, directors and production coordinators/managers.

What about networking with production companies? Production companies in Toronto often do videos for Canadian bands on low/no budgets to break in new directors before they will trust them with a commercial assignment. You could try approaching production companies and offering your services for any music video work they have and volunteer.

I know volunteering can suck, but it is a great way to make contacts. My brother's girlfriend is a hair and make-up artist and tried this approach to break in to film and TV. She put in a lot of hours at first on a couple low-budget gigs for little or no money, but she's racked up several credits in the past year and is now turning away offers to work on some high profile movies because she's becoming so in demand. Of course, hair and make jobs are much more plentiful than puppetry ones, but the basic idea is sound.

I think the best road to success is to do something unique and carve out your own niche, which is what you're already doing with dotBoom and your other projects. You do a really good job of cultivating an audience for puppetry where one didn't previously exist...something a lot of puppeteers have a lot of difficulty doing.

If you keep trying different marketing things, I'd bet that more than any particular marketing approach, the key is just time, patience and dedication.

 

[staceyrebecca]

My husband used to work at an ad agency (he was an ad creative). They would get mailers from artists, he said as the only copywriter he'd see about 3 of these per week from varying artists. This was a very small agency in Phoenix, so nothing like Leo Burnett. Not cheesy, but not big. I'm sure Leo Burnett gets hundreds a week.

They look at your little mailer (usually a post-card) & if they like it, they stick it in a ginormous file and will look at that file when they're ready to execute something & aren't sure exactly who/what to use for it.

you might not hear anything for years & years, however he said the idea of puppets might actually spark ideas for people.

So...Puppet Revolution. Let's make it happen!

 

[staceyrebecca]

Oh, and I wanted to speak to the Etsy/Ebay/Live Shows thing

Here's my philosophy with it all: If it makes you smile & happy, then do it. If you're sad or disappointed about the idea, then you probably shouldn't.

The wrong track is the one that makes you sad and regretful. No one here can tell you how doing those things will make you feel.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I usually get three or four emails a month via PuppetVision from directors, producers or companies who want to hire puppet builders (one of the most recent ones was for a music video in L.A. for the Myriads) for everything from student films to projects for MTV and Discovery Channel so there's obviously a market, but I am not sure how you market to it effectively because it's such a diverse and eclectic group.

How did you land the Capital One gig Brian?

Here's my philosophy with it all: If it makes you smile & happy, then do it. If you're sad or disappointed about the idea, then you probably shouldn't. The wrong track is the one that makes you sad and regretful. No one here can tell you how doing those things will make you feel.

This is so true.

 

[ravagefrackle]

just my two cents

I pretty much agree with all that buck said

i have been at this al ot longer than you, and it is not in anyway an easy way to make a living, espeically in the tri-state area i am in.

, i work several part time jobs that suck, i do lots of builds for much less than i should be just to make ends meet,when i get to perform and build for a commerical its fun, but rarely is it a big budget production , and more often than not you will find that production companies will do any everything they can to pay you less than you are worth, and as for performing for major TV adds, you may encounter the dreaded "ARE YOU UNION" question, union gigs pay great, but you need to be a member, guess how hard it is to get a Sag card as a Puppeteer, i lost out on several commercial gigs as a performer last year , gigs i really needed, and that i was more than qualified for, but was not all to get because of union rules.

welcome to the club of talanted but un-employed puppet designers, and puppeteers

 

[staceyrebecca]

aww that sounded so sad and defeated, ravage!

 

[Laszlo]

Good thread. Well, all I can say here is: If you want to make money, being an artist is the wrong way.