Should I Work For Free? (Part I)

I often get asked if I think people starting out in the biz should work for free. Similarly, should you work for less money than is standard just to gain the experience and contacts? This is one lesson I learned the hard way, but I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything. I may have gotten screwed over a few times, but in return I gained something important-- knowledge. And that knowledge is what I will be sharing with you today, so that you don't have to suffer through those same "invaluable" experiences I said I wouldn't trade.

I am going to state my point right here in bold so you don't miss it. Only work for free/cheap on projects that are worth it to YOU for the amount of time you put in. If you work for free or cheap, make certain you're getting something back for your time. Is it contacts? What contacts? Is it experience? What's the experience? Is it something you can add to your reel? Will you really get a copy? An impressive addition or reference for your resume? Is it really that important? Could be. Ask yourself these questions before you blindly accept the job. You will know if it's an opportunity you shouldn't pass up, and in that case I say go for it! But if you find yourself trying to justify the job and asking your mom what you should do, you'd probably do better scenting your resume as it will be a far better use of your time. (Note: Please don't scent your resume, but giving it a nice update it is never a waste of an afternoon.)

If someone spends more than one breath of air trying to convince you how awesome your life will be if you work for them for free, they are taking advantage of you. In your first year here I practically guarantee someone will call you in for an 'interview' after responding to an incredibly vague craigslist ad they posted and say, "We have a lot of other candidates, but basically this is an independent film with an extremely low budget and it would be an invaluable project for you to work on. There is a celebrity in it, and everyone else is also donating their time. You will make amazing contacts, and if things work out we'd love to hire you on our next paying gig. We're suuuper enthusiastic about sending it to Sundance! Congratuiations, you got the job!" (Note: You got the job just by showing up.) I had someone say almost those exact words to me, only they hit their home run with, "Your resume says you have editing experience! We have [famous editor] as our editor. Work for us and we'll tooootally get you in on the editing process. Maybe you could even cut a scene! It will be an invaluable experience for you!" If they had a 2 year contract, I would have signed it.

Well, I ended up being a Wardrobe PA, working three consecutive 16 hour unpaid night shifts, which, since it was obviously non-union they assumed everyone was okay with. Wait a minute, did I say I was a Wardrobe PA? Yes. Do I have any interest or experience in wardrobe or fashion what so ever? I thought overalls were cool until 2002, so that's a big no. (They're coming back though!!) Did I get to spend hours upon hours being ridiculed for not knowing how to properly steam invisible wrinkles out of the actors' clothing between scenes? Oh you betcha. And how, you may ask, was my experience with [famous editor]? Nonexistent! But, they did manage to sweet talk me into building a website for them a few weeks later, also for free. (Palm to forehead.)

I worked my butt off at a job I didn't want, I handed out resumes and business cards at the end of the shoot, and I even attended a super uncomfortable wrap party at which I was extremely insulted by the director's husband, and I did it all with a smile on my face in the name of building contacts and gaining experience. Here's a tip-- you want to gain contacts, yes, but you want to gain the RIGHT contacts. You want experience, yes, but you want the RIGHT experience. Being a Wardrobe PA only led to a serious compulsion to have wrinkle-free clothing, and unleashed a latent desire to purchase oversized sunglasses. Networking with a bunch of other people who are willing to work for free led to... nothing, because if they're working for free then they don't exactly have the paying-gig hookup themselves either, right?

Instead of blindly walking into unpaid independent passions-of-the-heart brought to you by craigslist, try asking some successful person you know if they need an intern in a specific field you are interested in. Ask someone else you know if you can come to set for a day and lend a helping hand. Be proactive when doling out your free work. That way people see you as someone who works hard and is motivated, instead of the loser they can take advantage of and call when they're over budget. But most of all, make sure the work you do for free or cheap is worth it to YOU.

I have had some great experiences working on unpaid/underpaid projects, but those are stories for another day, (See: "Should I Work For Free? Part II"). Until then, tell me-- where do you think the line is drawn when people ask you to work for free?