Dan Dale-Tucker
Guide To Freelance
Freelance Opportunities:
Here are some freelance opportunities that I have looked at in the Media sector and I have explained a little bit about them.
Web Design is creating and producing a website which can then be used by the public on the internet using a web browser to find out information etc. Web designers take lots of things into account when making a website things like: Layout, Colour, Graphics Fonts and even Content.
3D Modelling is the developing of graphics and images that have three dimensions. This can be done using different techniques such as sculpting, block modelling and as well as having different way to model there are also different themes such as realistic, low-poly, sketch and toon and much more.
A 3D Animator is someone who can take a file that maybe a 3D modeler has created and animate which could be making it walk, run, hop or even just as simple as making it blink. 3D Animators and Designers work well together because without an animator the 3D Model would never come to life.
A Graphic Designer is someone who creates visual concepts using computer software like Photoshop or even by hand. This is done to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, or captivate consumers. Lots of different techniques are used to create a final piece and time.
A Photographer is someone who goes out and takes photos for people, of people and of environments. There are lots of different types of photography such as a wedding photographer, landscape, tilt shift and there are lots of different effects that are/can be used when taking the picture and then lots more when you have taken the shots and then edit them.
Games Designers are very important when creating a game as they are given the duties to do things like designing characters, levels, puzzles, art and animation. They can also sometimes write code using various computer programming languages. This makes a game designer an important part of the team when it comes to creating a video game.
Software Developers are people who make software for the world to use. Their work includes researching, designing and even testing software to make sure it is good enough for the market. Software are things like Photoshop, Cinema 4D, Word and even Unity. Some companies get the public to pay for their software and some such as Unity don’t and release it free of charge with maybe some fees for upgrades and releasing a game.
Types of jobs in my Chosen Specialism:
I my chosen specialism there are lots of different jobs that I could under take such as character design, environment design, architecture, advertisement and even motion graphics.
Character design can be used in video games, films and adverts. This means that there are a wide variety of routes that you could take if you wanted to. Character design is the visual representation of a character concept or idea. The initial creation of a character is design by a concept artist who draws/illustrates the character which is then used by a 3D Modeler to actually create the character.
Environment Design is the creation of something like a level for a video game, this is where the character is able to walk around and possibly interact with it. The environment design can sometimes be the most important part of a game as it is what the user interacts with and can if done well can be very effective. In game design there can be many levels, which means lots of environments, or there could just be one level, either way they take time to create.
3D Architecture are images that are generated by a computer using 3D software like Blender or Cinema 4D etc. These are used to create buildings and monuments, they are easier to visualize and gives the client to change the look, rooms or style. Like Character design the initial design is drawn up on paper to get a ruff idea before creating the piece on the computer.
3D modeling is used in advertisement to give the audience a visual representation of something like a product; also it can be used as text for motion graphics. Examples of this are in the film Zombieland, at the beginning of the film text appears and gives the impression that the text is in the environment of the film. In the advert for E4 they use 3D models to make the advert more remember able and interesting.
Resources in Specialism:
Hardware that I will be using for 3D modeling will be PC’s/iMacs for the creation of the actual model and pencils/pens and paper for the initial ideas or even a graphics tablet I f there is one available.
Some of the software that I will need to use in 3D Modelling is Cinema 4D/Maya/Blender this will be need so I can create and design the models and add colours and textures to them.
I will use websites for resources such as fonts and textures, I will only use them if they are free to use or if I pay for them. A website that I may use for getting fonts will be; http://www.dafont.com/
I may also use Websites for developing my skills, websites such as https://www.youtube.com/ http://www.digitaltutors.com/subject/3d-modeling-tutorials may come in handy to enhance my modeling skills and find new techniques. For some tutorials such as ones on Digital Tutors I may have to pay a subscription to watch.
Contracts:
Contracts are legal agreements between two parties, for example this could be between a company and you. They are the best way to protect you as a freelancer. Contracts lie out the details of what the contractor wants and the requirements from both parties and ensure that you get paid for your work on time and in full. They also prevent either party from trying to back out of their agreement.
If you hire a freelancer, consultant or contractor it means that:
· They are self-employed or are part of other companies
· They often look after their own tax and National Insurance contributions (NICs)
· They might not be entitled to the same rights as workers, e.g. minimum wage
· You’re still responsible for their health and safety
Tax and Legal Obligations:
Everyone who has a job has to pay tax and the amount you earn depends on how much tax you have to pay. People who earn £0-£31,865 have to pay a 20% tax rate £31,866-£150,000 have to pay 40% and people who earn over £150,000 have to pay 45%. There are ways to reduce you’re taxed but they are through allowances and benefits.
VAT is an amount of money added to a product and depending on the product depends on how much VAT is added. VAT is charged on things like: Business sales, commission, items sold to staff, hiring or loaning goods to someone etc.
You can usually reclaim the VAT on paid goods and services purchased for use in your business. If a purchase is also for personal or private use, you can only reclaim the business proportion of the VAT. You must keep records to support your claim and show how you arrived at the business proportion of your purchase and have valid VAT invoices.
You’re responsible for:
· Keeping records of your business’s sales and expenses.
· Sending a Self Assessment tax return every year.
· Paying Income Tax on your profits and Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance - use HMRC’s calculator to help you budget for this.
· Your business debts.
· Bills for anything you buy for your business.
· Registering for VAT if your turnover reaches the VAT threshold.
· Registering with the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) if you’re a contractor or sub-contractor in the construction industry.
Health and Safety:
The Health and Safety regulations for working in my chosen specialism are quite simple and just commonsense.
Staring at a screen all day can damage your eyes and also give you headaches and migraines. To stop this you should take 15+ minute breaks to rest your eyes each hour and drink plenty of water and stay hydrated if hot.
You should tuck wires out of the way or if you have to put black tape over the top if they are going through the middle of the floor. This stops people from tripping over them and injuring themselves and maybe even others.
Sitting down for too long can also affect your body and not always in a good way. You should sit with a good posture and not hunched over also like staring at the screen all day you should take regular breaks to stretch your legs etc.
You should also watch out door the computers themselves and make sure that they don’t get too hot. This can happen when it’s a hot day and there no cool air in the room or it can be when the computer has been left on for a long time and is doing something like rendering which can be CPU intensive causing it to heat up.
Sources of Information:
https://www.treefrog.ca/what-is-web-design
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-3d-modeling.htm
http://www.own-it.org/uploads/files/284/original/Own-it_Character_Design_Factsheet.pdf