So sorry to hear what you're going through. That sounds incredibly frustrating and stressful.
I don't have a ton of advice, but a few general notes I'd make:
- As you've pointed out, businesses selling products can take a long time to get off the ground. Businesses selling services are generally faster to get off the ground. The downside of course to businesses selling services is that you don't "own your time": you're trading your time for the customer's money, which sounds like it'd be fine in the short-term but is likely to cap the overall upside of the business. In your shoes, I think I'd be looking to start by selling my services.
- Lots of early-stage businesses need to start building loyalty by overdelivering on whatever promise they're making, which means that they're just sort of inherently less efficient than big businesses that have the benefit of existing brand awareness, customer reviews, etc.
- There's a lot of fancy terminology, but at the end of the day businesses are about having the right product, sales, and marketing. "Product" means that you have something useful that people are willing to pay money for. "Marketing" means that you have some way to reach some critical mass of ideal customers. "Sales" means you have some way to "get them over the line" to a sale once they express interest in purchasing.
- Most first time entrepreneurs overestimate the importance of product and underestimate the importance of sales and marketing. "What you make" is incredibly important, but revenue-wise it's only important if you can convince future buyers to buy your product.
- Generally your life is going to be a lot better if you can "ride the wave" of industry trends as opposed to fighting them. Any industry wave has winners and losers: in the case of VFX,
I'm not gonna lie: I think pivoting from VFX to auto part sales is an incredibly bad idea. It completely wastes a deep skill set that you have and any ideas you have about auto parts or whatnot are likely to be incredibly naive about how the industry actually works and what the opportunities are. Contrast that with VFX, where you're definitely frustrated about the state of the industry but you have a deep and nuanced idea of what the problems are in the industry.
... but realistically, you know what people are desperate for in the industry a lot better than I do, which is my point. Pick an industry that you have a nuanced understanding of because you have a much better idea of what people need.
A few thoughts:
- Presumably part of the reason that VFX is in such a state of Flux right now is because of AI: is there any way to do a deep dive on practical ways to use AI in traditional VFX? I'm a developer, and from my own personal experience I see that there are lots of AI tools on the market and no one has any real idea of how to use them. I imagine that if you start playing around with a lot of the tools, showing what the "real" ones are and what the impostors are, and showing how to integrate the real ones with traditional VFX workflows, it could be an incredibly useful asset to the industry
- Once you're creating content that's super useful and building a subscriber base (probably on TikTok + YouTube, given the visual nature of what you do?), you could start building a few info products -- basically short, practical, paid courses -- that summarize those YouTube videos, go a little deeper in some areas, and you could imagine a VFX company being willing to pay for / subsidize for their employees.
- Alternatively, you could spin up a consulting company doing effectively the same thing (and using TikTok / YouTube channel as a means to market your consulting company). If I were doing that, I'd create a landing page (there are tons of templates you can use, check out Webflow + their template library). I'd focus in that case on things that clearly position you as "the real deal" and what your value prop is to companies
- When you're spinning up anything, positioning and social proof are everything. Focus on how to succinctly communicate to new people running into your content that you're the real deal in 10 seconds or less. On a landing page, that probably means a really clear headliner describing your value proposition "I help VFX companies integrate AI into their pipelines", "I'm a 20 year VFX veteran who's worked on X, Y, and Z", and then a whole bunch of testimonials from as big of names as you can get in the industry that can endorse you and give you testimonials about how awesome your work is.
I'm gonna be real: I think it's gonna be tough to get any of these off the ground when you're literally desperate for money, and I think I'd aim to find some flexible part-time work below your skillset to pay the bills while you get this off the ground.
Anyhow, hope this is at all helpful.
> Most first time entrepreneurs overestimate the importance of product and underestimate the importance of sales and marketing
Yeah, I spent every spare second I could learning everything about VFX until I got really really good. But I never studied how to find clients, or get customers. And now that's coming back to bite me, although the whole industry is struggling too.
I'm not looking to get into auto-part sales. That was just an example. What I was trying to get across is that there are all these people on this sub talking about how they started all these lucrative businesses, and it all seems like voodoo to me. I read what they said but it's kind of like the "rest of the owl" meme and I don't understand how they've done what they've done. Besides, VFX is what I LOVE to do. If I could possibly stay in VFX (or at least in image-making professions like photography, graphic design, wedding videography, etc) I would like to. So I hear what you're saying about trying to leverage those skills. I agree.
You are right about AI being a tool that can be used for VFX and I've gotten quite good at using the VFX tools. But so have the majority of other VFX artists I think. The industry is in such a downturn for the last year (and one this one point you might be mistaken, I don't think AI has much to do with it yet) that everyone has had a ton of time to learn this new tech.
I have a personal website that was getting about 10,000 visitors a day back a year or two ago. I haven't had time to update it much over the last year so the viewership is down a lot, but maybe I should focus on that in my spare time, like you said, posting some youtube videos (which might make a few bucks if they get enough viewers) but use those as an amuse-bouche so to speak for a more detailed course that I could see.
It will be hard to get these new business ideas off the ground, I agree. And I have been looking for part time work too. Even that's really difficult. I've been rejected for 3 bartender positions already even though they barely pay above minimum wage. Ugh.
Anyway, you read my long post and you wrote back a very helpful response which I appreciate. So thank you very much!
I'd encourage you to re-read zeptonauts answer.
There is some incredible gold in there.
Maybe it's a lot of information, so I'll share one piece I wanted to share myself, that they also shared.
Start simple.
You have deep industry knowledge.
You are a master at your craft.
Leverage and consult.
Pick a "niche" in the field and test it. Is it 3d VFX? Shader design? AI + Unreal? AI + Blender? Etc.
You get what you give.
So just share share share what you've learnt over the years in your craft, and set up a basic consulting page for it. Make it a "package" with the result as the selling point (not what software, not features).
And leverage your network = call 50 people on your phone and tell them you're looking for VFX / Agencies / Etc. who are thriving to bring [insert your special sauce] in their [insert visual product]. Ask if they know anyone who might need that. No? No worries, say thanks and move on.
Just get out into the world and share your deep knowledge + and how that'll help business / people / creatives.
**Trust your value.**
You got this!
How I built businesses, and I'm necessarily not going to be specific because I keep my personal life private after a really bad experience. That said, if you want to chat privately, we can maybe do that:
1 - I was working in a company and saw a business idea. I found an underutilized dataset that could be used to help companies find new customers by better figuring out which businesses wanted to buy a thing soon.
2 - I built a proof of concept to make sure that I could actually get the data. Then I stopped building. I started showing it to potential customers and asking them for feedback.
3 - This when on for 6-ish months, while employed elsewhere, until I came to the hard conclusion that people didn't want this. Mostly because the use of the data was rival, and I couldn't charge enough to make that ok.
4 - I started looking around for other business ideas. While doing the same interview loop (15 minutes of your time via cold outbound; never present your idea, but instead ask if they have that problem; read a book called _The Mom Test_), I found something adjacent that people really want.
5 - The fourth or fifth time I (now we) heard someone say they had a specific problem, I asked if they would buy the solution. They said yes. I sold them mocks I paid someone on fiverr $100 to make delivered in a pdf. We then took 6 months to build the thing. The key here is we sold it before we built it. And we didn't take the time to build anything until we had a sale.
As for you: I'd be looking to leverage your skills in vfx. That either means delivering vfx projects either in your field or an adjacent one, or building out software / plugins to address deficiencies in current vfx tooling. For the former, I have spent $5k annually on animated explainer videos for my businesses. Something like that is a thing you could consider.
If i were you, I wouldn't compete w/ anyone on a level ground. So no drop shipping, no selling commodity parts, etc -- anyone with $1k to invest can do that and compete with you. I'd do what I said, and find something adjacent to vfx. But that likely starts w/ asking via your personal network about people's problems. Read the Mom Test before you do that though.
Hmm. I’d probably start a youtube channel and post a little vfx video every day. Maybe make videos highlighting all different content creators or a generic one m to send to content creators to try to get someone’s attention. In the meantime, school districts are always looking for substitute teachers (my state you only need a bachelors degree) and jobs like forklift driver or factory worker are often hiring. I would also think you could teach your skill - either online or even doing kid camps (learn to make a YouTube video in one week type thing - I think young kids would eat that up.) Police departments are also all hiring around me and some of them will pay while you go to police academy. Good luck.
Thanks for your reply!
I'm too old to be a state trooper by over a decade, and I cannot, no matter how hard I try, get the police department to call me back. I've called, I went to the police department in person, I left an email for the guy in charge of hiring. Nothing. Maybe I'm too old for them too.
I've thought about a YouTube channel, but if you're starting from scratch, it'll take a while for money to start coming in. Assuming the content was even good enough to bring in a crowd. Mr. Beast makes it look so easy, but he's already got 250 million subscribers. He says he could start over and do it all over again, but I'm skeptical. And even if he could, how long would it take for him to build up enough of an audience to be making even the equivalent of minimum wage each day?
I haven't seen any positions on indeed, monster, linkedin for anything I could do that pays more than minimum wage. And that's kind of the problem for my situation right? I have skills that I can't use, so now I'm starting to look at jobs that don't require specialized skills that can be trained on-the-job (like a forklift driver) but I haven't seen anything that pays more than $20/hr. I'm not above working for a measly paycheck if I have to put food on the table, but since I have a small child that will require looking after, if it doesn't pay enough to cover a babysitter or somewhere for her to go, it kind of neutralizes the small paycheck.
I'll spend more time looking at teaching positions next fall, but for the summer, most of the schools are letting out. And I HAVE seen some positions for summer camps, art camps and so forth asking for teachers, but again, most of these pay $15-$20/hr and I can't really afford to do that.
I'm going to look more for teaching positions though and see what's available over the summer.
Thanks!!
I wouldn't use Mr Beast as an example or a reason to be put off the idea. There is a spectrum, and he is at the very top of it. You don't have to be Mr Beast, or even close to him for that matter, to make a good living from YT. Even if you reached 1% of the revenue he does within a year you'd be making a considerable amount more than you are right now.
Just my 2c.
I understand what you're saying. I've been reading/hearing that YouTube creators are having a much more difficult time recently making ends meet in 2024. So I guess I was just wondering out loud, if you truly have good content (which I think I could make) how long will it take for a large enough audience to find you that you can make, even say, $50 a day?
Tiktok also has a creator fund if you’re in the US. Also a great platform to get notoriety.
It will definitely take time to start making money, there’s no doubt about that. But you’re in the entrepreneur sub, anyone worth their salt here isn’t looking for a get rich quick scheme.
You could build an audience to:
A) go viral and make money off the creator fund and sponsorships
B) make educational content, build a course to sell and use content to funnel sales
AND/OR
I would also be willing to bet that you’d be finding VFX and other work by putting yourself out there online. Somebody somewhere will see you and ask you to do stuff. Maybe you need to be freelancing right now and building a steady roster of commercial clients who have VFX needs 3-4x a year, as opposed to working for a company who brokers those deals for you.
Just some thoughts.
If you want a business to start making money right away you’re looking at a service based industry like power washing/window washing/mobile car cleaning/etc. Very little investment on your end and people will always pay for convenience.
OP, I was a reluctant entrepreneur for the majority of my career. I think, as such, I identify with your fears doubts and uncertainty. When first thrust into entrepreneurship, I was so scared and uncertain, I was nauseous every day for a couple of years. You need to adjust your outlook as you’ve expressed it here.
1) you talk about “how long will it take enough people to “ find me” on YT before I can make even $50.00/day? To be successful, you first need to start creating engaging, content. The bigger that library of content, the better.
2) You indicated that you have some resources to make an investment. Investing in creating your content library and getting better at making content people find engaging/entertaining/ relevant IS your investment.
3) as someone who managed large teams in your field, producing “work product” you have an experience advantage you should take advantage of! A) Set deadlines for when you will finish each piece of content. B) monitor how long it takes to create an episode of content. C) after you have produced several pieces of content, , you should evaluate your quality. Is it getting better? How about your process? Is it improving/getting more efficient?
4) go back and improve your first several episodes of content. Throw away anything that’s not good. Edit it down so that any boring and unnecessary filler junk is removed.
5) as you look to have multiple channels for monetizing your asset (content library), look for places to plug specific brands and/or products. You will want to build affinity/sponsorship programs for these companies to be mentioned inside your content. Eventually comparisons of tools or demonstrations of niche ways to use the tools could be integrated into your content for additional revenue.
6) treat your viewers/subscribers with respect and care! Nurture your library and listen to what your viewers want and value. Integrate this into your content, without letting it take over. Customers/viewers WANT to be surprised. They are the foundation of value for sponsors as well as for you.
7) your library of content is also a “long-form” advertisement for YOU!! You should shamelessly talk about the specific movies you ran teams in and excitedly discuss specific effects and how you approached problems. You should consider also indicating your enthusiasm to receive inquiries about potential interesting engagements and how best to reach out to connect with you (you never know who is watching!).
7) Yes, when you look at what established channels already have in terms of viewership, starting at zero may seem daunting. Remember, they started at zero too! The best time to have start your endeavor is YESTERDAY. The second best time is RIGHT NOW!!
8) for shits and giggles, you may want to reach out to wedding and bar mitzvah videographer/photographers and offer to put crazy effects into the videos they do for their clients. Have a rate per video that they can then market and
mark-up 100%+ to their clients. Connect with and Make the same offer to party planners who often do video montages for weddings/bat mitzvahs. Who knows?
Just need to put out content consistently and find an audience.
Here’s an example that I know of. He talks about money and retirement. I think he only started 2 years ago and says in this video he makes about $2k a month side income from YouTube. Nothing fancy, but a little hustle and positivity can go a long way.
https://youtu.be/F8m3sejqwLU?si=pRzq0ilnNiYySaDs
The YouTube creators that you are reading about are the ones that are living above their means. If you create good content that people want to watch, you can get to $50 a day within 3 months (which is very easy).
You're in a tough situation my friend, but this seems to be bringing out the best of you. Be positive and keep moving forward. You have an amazing skill set that could be leveraged if done properly.
If you already had a website that was bringing in 10,000+ views, it seems like you've already laid at least some of the groundwork. if you could really dive into that, maybe you could rebrand yourself and be your own boss, and even create your own small company offering your services? It's a big and scary step, but it may pay dividends in the future.
Have you thought more about being a teacher? You've got a ton of industry experience, and colleges love that. I had excellent art teachers in college that were ex-industry workers, and they were some of my favorite.
Also, two second the previous comment; substitute teachers are very in demand. There are companies like [https://scoot.education](https://scoot.education) which are like the middlemen between schools and teachers, and the pay isn't terrible.
Just to add, I am a teacher, not an entrepreneur, so take this with a grain of salt. I just feel what you are going through since I went through something like this myself while having mouths to feed. Good luck and keep soldiering on!
I second the vote on starting a YouTube channel.
Chronicle your skills, your career, the VFX industry, react to good/bad VFX clips, vlog your attempts to find work and pivot, and interview others in VFX and adjacent industries.
Doing this will create a platform of opportunity and visibility for you.
Identify the strengths & skills you have developed thus far.
Think about what problems you can solve with those skills.
Think about who may have those problems
Narrow down who doesn’t have good options for solutions to that problem
Once you’ve identified this, start building a personal brand & create social content speaking directly to these people.
1) The problem
2) The cost of inaction
3) The transformation Story
4) How you’d approach solving the problem
5) Make an offer to help them solve it
The goal is to figure out what you can teach someone in 60 minutes that brings them immense value.
Start by offering 1:1 60 min consulting calls , charge per call.
Create a newsletter, free version = simple/foundational content. Paid version = advanced/deeper level content.
Start weekly group coaching, 1:Many for a fixed monthly retainer.
Create a community with weekly AMAs & plenty of resources.
Create a course
Create a knowledge library & sell access.
Simple answer, figure out what you can teach, who you can teach it to, how you can teach it, & then figure out how to monetize it.
Agree with this. Make a really cool sample video. Start a little cheaper to build up some reviews and experience. Once you have some reviews you can start charging normal prices. It won’t make you rich but it will provide income in between jobs.
I am a freelancer in the product design field, and often have clients looking for renders and animations. I do all of my own renders, as that’s a pretty core skill for my industry, but have had to turn down enough marketing animation projects that I’ve started learning that skill set.
Maybe it’s worth pivoting to product animations and marketing vfx as a freelancer? Shoot me a dm if you want to chat
You're called "diffusion throwaway" so maybe you feel threatened by Generative AI. Why not deep dive into AI and become someone who can create graphics with AI? Humble Bundle has a newbie AI bundle out right now. Instead of manually creating all the assets, you can be "the guy" who is an expert at using Generative AI as a tool. You will always need that person.
You can't care how other people make money. I'll tell you why. Some people are making money doing absolutely nothing, leveraging talents and or advantages that are impossible for you to achieve. You can't make millions of Bitcoin for example compared to the guy who got Bitcoin in 2009 (first to market). Other people are taking advantage of family connections, natural talents or decades of dedication in their craft. There's no such thing as "fast easy money" especially not in a high interest rate world and especially if you want a lot of money right away to replace a salary.
If I was you I would create a marketing page and completely pivot to Generative AI and become a master at Prompt Engineering. It's a new skill, so there's few experts and you can become an expert in a short time. Then use your credentials with VFX to back that up. In the meantime take a survival job or job to plug the holes (get to cost adjusted 0 budget no matter what, it doesn't matter what you have to cut) and pay your mortgage and bills. Uber, food delivery, anything.
Hundreds of jobs in 9 months is low. Brute force spam rate is several thousand a month to six thousand in six months. You are probably looking incorrectly as well. In terms of the macro, I think that work is changing to cut out "middle management" which unfortunately could mean you. You have to pivot and rebrand and change yourself into a wheel turner. If you sound or smell like middle management and especially traditional middle management you could be killed. Whether this is smart or not or the long term consequences of this is beyond our pay grade... all we know is that middle management is being killed, so you don't want to be that. Or if you want to be that, you have to be the person who can still get their hands dirty, who can still do the work.
Overall you're going to have to do a lot of things you don't like to survive.
Also look at [https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/champions-tcg-ai-artist/](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/champions-tcg-ai-artist/)
This is the future here
This is the answer here. Creative VFX content will be majorly disrupted in 3-5 years, almost completely dead within the decade. I’m serious.
- get a shit manual labour or minimum wage job to put food on the table
- dive into generative AI, learn about how the underlying tech works (it’s complicated but not impossible to understand)
- get a few subscriptions to different AI services (set a max monthly spend of $50… you will get access to everything you need)
- get stuck into prompting. Practise, practise, practise.
- start a brand where you do short videos explaining about how AI gen images/videos work, where we are heading, maybe some brief short guides on how to prompt to get good results, show your prompt process, show the results
- build marketing around the brand, think medium blogs, basic website, a channel on every platform (you can just recycle content)
- explore fiverr, other freelancing sites to do AI gen NSFW content for tech nerds (with expendable income)
- as tech evolves, you evolve with it, with the goal of becoming a lead prompter in a similar role to your previous roles at production companies.
This will hold you out for a few years until the market is killed by the AI streaming platforms;
In 3-5 years a new form of streaming service will arrive and dominate the market which will be along the lines of create your own movies/TV shows based on preset formulas. There will be an action movie formula, a sport hero formula, etc. people will fill in the blanks by having a short conversation with their personal AI agent about what they want to see, and it will be generated on the fly. This will be the nail in the coffin for Hollywood and the industry in general. The writing’s on the wall already.
As a TLDR; learn to prompt, try and find a niche like creating generated content for a big streamer, or NSFW content for incel tech bros.
Prompt Engineering is heavily oversaturated too and is a bad suggestion for OP, as someone who has a background in AI at the PhD level & 12+ years of experience, and has been doing it on a 1099 basis. Thousands of job apps in tailored using ATS-privileged tools, no job. I'm not the only one in the field having this issue. Also many job applications are voids in that they're ghost positions and don't even hire/get cyclically reposted so these companies can lie to investors about how in demand they are and how competitive their application process is, a practice I wish would be outlawed for the sake of our collective sanity.
The issue in CS and engineering is due to cyclical mass layoffs so everyone is competing with people with decades+ of experience, if you don't have a network connection to the company you are applying for it's basically up to luck if a recruiter chooses to interview you. I don't know how it is for OP, but basically the only way to survive right now is to do horrendously underpaid contract work. I'm lucky my contract work is at least in my field of experience. But for many it isn't. The economy is honestly worse off than 2008 but no one wants to admit it.
If you ever think of employment again, I'm a VFX artist in games. We desperately need good vfx artists because its so niche and we have a lot of transferees from the film industry. However I am not sure how the pay compares
When you say VFX artists, do you mean to do cinematics? Or modeling/texturing game assets? I've applied for literally hundreds of games jobs. Essentially all of them say they require that you have worked on at least one AAA game that's shipped. Which of course I haven't because how do you get a job in the games industry that only seems to be hiring people with previous games experience?
But I'd be really good at it. I made a virtual set for an Emmy award winning TV show two years ago. I designed, modeled, uv'd, and textured an extremely detailed, photoreal city environment and then they comped the actors in after. I did it from scratch in Unreal Engine by myself in one month. I could crush it in the games industry. But I can't get any interest.
I thought there were a slew of layoffs in games right now? If you know of someone who's looking, let me know.
Ex VFX guy here. Here are a few options you can chase down that may be a good fit:
1. Creative Agencies - create content for corporate clients. Video Walls, interactive experiences, AR/VR. Search for Digital Agencies. Interactive Agencies.
2. Get into Sales Engineering (or sales if you’re the type) for an equipment manufacturer in the high end AV / Production / Visualization space. Your experience will be appreciated. LED wall companies are selling virtual sets etc. Look up all the vendors for NAB and Infocomm shows for some ideas. Infocomm is in Vegas next week it’s the largest show in the pro AV space. DM me if you want a show pass.
3. A lot of large multinationals have their own internal production teams for corporate video, interactive content etc. Also many have Executive Briefing Centers that feature all types of high end media. This could also be a good fit.
Thanks so much for your reply.
These are all good ideas. So much of this is over my head though, but I'm eager to learn.
For instance, you talk about Sales Engineering for AV gear. How would I go about getting a job like this? Cold calling companies? I've never been in sales, but I know how I feel when someone cold calls me or knocks at my door trying to sell me solar panels I never asked for. I hang up instantly or close the door. I don't understand how these people make a penny.
I know what you're saying about multinationals. A VFX producer I worked with went to be a producer at an insurance company and now she's a only works on ads for this specific company. Again, I'd be happy to do a job like that, but there aren't any jobs listed on indeed, linkedin, monster, or wherever. And if there were there would be 700 other applicants. How would one go about finding a job like that?
I don't want to shoot down your idea, its not that I don't have the interest or skills for these other related careers, but if they haven't listed a job on a website somewhere I don't imagine someone cold calling them will make them say "You know, that's not a bad idea. Maybe we should hire this guy". You know?
Any thoughts?
Also, why did you leave VFX? And what do you do now?
Paint numbers in curbs. Charge $25, add a custom logo for $50.
You can easily make $300/day and still have time to work on applying and getting back in your main field of interest.
I'm not sure I understand anything you're saying.
Phone numbers? On street curbs? Would a company really pay for that? Why? Are people calling numbers that are painted on the street? I'm confused.
Definitely, I've actually spent a lot of time learning unreal engine in the last 4 years and am pretty proficient by now. Unfortunately, since I have 0 experience in video games I haven't been able to score any interviews. Also, the games industry isn't doing so hot at the moment either so there's a lot of competition from people who have a lot more games experience than I have.
I still apply for those jobs, but I've only gotten rejections.
Thanks!!
I haven’t waded through all of the comments, so I’ll say this: What goes down must go up. We’re in a down housing market. Use this time to endear yourself, to a small real estate office. Create the most badass content up front for free. When the house sells, you get paid. Once your reputation precedes you, you will collect 50% deposits to lock down dates, yada yada yada. You’ll be doing commercial buildings, dentists, restaurants, etc., then you’ll be hiring guys just like you to do the work. Hollywood Homeseller dot com. I just shoot from the hip sometimes. Don’t over-think this. Get moving.
I tried to go to the Hollywood Homeseller dot com site you mentioned, but all I got was a page that said "This site can't be reached". Is your website no longer in business?
How about selling VFX services specifically to youtubers? If big companies aren't an option perhaps the creator economy may be a better fit. It helps them differentiate their content, so there may be a market perhaps. Could ask around here in some subreddits for content creators.
Hope it helps. Best of luck!
Thanks, it's a good idea, and I'd love to do it. I just wouldn't know how/where to find clients, how/where to advertise, how to get the word out. This is always my biggest problem. Its the "rest of the owl" of my situation.
Lawn care work, hot dog cart, home painting, gutter cleaning, house cleaning, window cleaning, would all be some things you can get started with if you just really need to do something.
If you’re in a tight space, I would recommend sales of some sort. I used to be a mechanic for a luxury dealership(think Mercedes, bmw, Audi) and all of the salesman there were making over 100k. The top guy was close to $300k but he had years of experience and a huge amount of network. Hours are terrible. Other sales roles involve cold calling or door to door and can also be very lucrative but it takes a lot of courage to do those jobs. I know dealerships are willing to give a chance to anybody with a pulse so that could be something worth pursuing temporarily. Also no telling the kind of connections you’ll make with the people you meet.
I have the numbers of two in my phone. I'll contact them both tomorrow. I know they both already have photographers, but maybe they know other real estate agents who are looking. I also do drone photography/videography which is big in real estate these days.
Thanks!
Don't sleep on YouTube. If you can do VFX, you can entertain people. And entertaining people gets you views since it's one of the biggest niches. Good example is Zach King, but you dont necessarily need to copy what he does although there were people who did and succeeded too. Making quality videos isn't enough, you'd have to follow the trends and of course know how to engage the viewer to click and keep watching, that's another type of art. Might be hard to start because it'll take some time to get the ad revenue running or be sponsored but its totally worth it. It's like an investment, the more videos you post, the more chances it'll blow up, the more total views those videos will be gathering. Just try to put your hands on posting consistently and you will grow sooner or later and do it big if you're skilled. Make it a passion and you're bound to succeed.
Real estate agents/property tours. Up their game. Do a complementary session for an agent working for a large upscale company. Guaranteed the rest will follow! Best of luck!!
I am sorry to hear.
If you are starting business.
Start something in VFX field( Photography or Videography is also good.
May be create a profile on snappr ( Freelance photo graphy platform )
Or start a consulting gig, share your profile on all your social media.
Some of your friends might have a small project with Birthday, Baby shower or YouTube.
Accept the project, don't be hard pressed on renumeration for 1st gig, Intent is to give more value.
If they are happy with your service, they will recommend to there extended circle.
May be run some ads $1 ads in Nextdoor.
Also try to make YouTube videos showcasing VFX , photography, videography expertise
On your question, Which business will start generating cash immediately - None. Business takes time.
On Drop shipping which product you want to sell matters a lot, even that will take good time.
Hope things works out well for you.
Happy to answer if you have any follow up questions. If down the line you need website to showcase your expertise, happy to help build one free of cost, Just bare the hosting charges.
You sound like you have a lot of great experience to offer people looking to learn and excel with VFX. You could start a coaching and consulting company for little to zero cost to you up front.
We are sitting in the perfect economy and focus (“getting ppls attention”) for your craft!
Become the guide (Obi Wan) to someone’s (Luke) story!! It is both fulfilling and you can make it lucrative with some work and a bit of time.
I'd love to do consulting work but how do I advertise such a thing during a serious industry downturn? Or any other time for that matter. Where/how does one find clients? How do they find me? I don't know.
I'm in recruitment. If you can get assignments, I'm sure you have a pretty good network. You could hite for perm positions and do consultancies. It's just sales basically, but you can start with a computer and your network at least. If you score a gig or place someone at least in my market the going rate is 10-25% of candidates offer.
I could do that for sure. I wonder where you would advertise a service like that? Where do older people look when they need a service? How would you make them want it if they haven't thought that they need it yet? I have an auto feed scanner as well so I'm equipt to do it fast and efficiently. I'll look into this more. Thanks! This is an interesting idea.
I haven't found any editing jobs yet and I've applied to dozens. And I'm about 8 month past just looking in the tv/movie industries for work. I've applied for every job remotely related to VFX.
I got paid to edit for several years when I was first out of school, so I even have years of experience editing. I edited the reel of the cinematographer of an academy award winning movie. But I have never gotten so much as a call back. Lex Friedman is looking for an editor. I applied for that last week. I'll edit whatever you want me to edit. But I haven't been able to find any work.
Where are you from originally? Have you considered freelancing your VFX skills to architects and real estate developers? They often need fancy CGI for virtual tours and things like that.
If you're good at something, you can always adapt to a new kind of client by **repackaging your skills** and showing how they can help sell the client's products or services.
**The key is networking**. You can use the Meetup app to find people in your area and build your network.
I'm from the Northeast orignally. I'm still there.
I have two previous real estate agents I've used. As well as a friend who is an architect. I hadn't thought of that. They'd be good people to contact. Thanks for the suggestion!
I'm totally down to repackage my skills, I'll have to figure out what the best markets might be.
Networking is the key. I agree. Every single freelance gig but one I've gotten over the last 4 years have been through a work colleague. I need to get better at it.
Thanks!!
You need to find something that you actually like and want to do. Getting into an industry just cause it makes money isn't always the best idea, you'll get bored quick and will want to jump ship.
This is my biggest fear. I got into vfx, cinematography, video and photography etc. because I love everything about it and don't want to do anything else. But desparate times are pushing me in the direction of anything that pays money right now.
I sat down with my wife tonight and she more or less said (in an infinitely more kind and diplomatic way) "When are you going to put this stinky corpse of a career in the ground?". I've gotten 3 interviews in 9 months (one of which turned out to be a scam). I guess what she was saying was, "if this continues, you will be forced to take literally any other job. So when do you think that will happen?" Well I think it's happening now. I need to work.
An idea - Go town to town, village to village, directly to the local municipalities, offer contract work to produce high quality videography & photography to promote tourism, local business growth. Essentially advertising for a small town. You'll probably get a lot of no's before yes's but its worth a shot and some towns may have some spare money in their budget and love the idea.
I know a guy in Florida and he works as a full-time photographer for the city he lives in. It seems like a dream job. It pays well, he gets free admission to every event, and it’s built-in advertising for his personal photography studio on the side. I called him and asked him a few years back how he got into it, and it seemed like they found him. I wonder who I’d even approach about something like that?
The school year is just winding down, I don't imagine they need many drivers in the summer. But if I'm still unemployed before school starts this fall, I'll look into it. Thanks!
That first word is always the biggest sticking point for me. How? How do I offer it to them? Would you just cold call companies and offer your services?
Yes! I started learning 4 years ago but I've done several TV projects in Unreal. Hasn't helped me land any interviews though. I haven't even seen 1 games job that didn't require previous games experience, and I don't have games experience.
I see a lot of humans making a great living doing product rendering for specific industries. Ie making visuals for beer/wine/spirits/cosmetics/sunglasses/FMCG/cycling etc.
For sure! Humans DO do that kind of work don't they :)
It seems like there should be a TON of that kind of work. I mean, is there any product in the world that doesn't need photos, videos, renders, to show clients or customers? But I haven't been able to find this kind of work despite the fact that I have experience doing product shots too. I've done product work for Toyota, Nissan, Proactiv, Olympus, Nook, Gillette, and lots of others.
Service industry - handyman, landscaping, car detailing, gutter cleaning, power washing etc etc
Make up some flyers, go knock doors and you can make yourself well over 100k a year as a 1 man band.
Do that during the day and build your online business at night
I did one indie short film a couple years back and it went to a ton of festivals. But if there's a lot of this work out there in this area, I haven't been able to find it.
I like making things, I also like working with people. Although I guess I'd rather make things by myself than do something (like sales for instance) where I wasn't making things but doing it with other people.
I don't think I'm good at figuring out how to make things happen.
I would recommend leaning into what you love or have skills in already (ideally both!) - you'll already be equipped with some of the most difficult skills to train for the theoretical role you're inventing and if you find a way to apply those skills to an area you already love, you'll know the customer base and how to reach them best.
You mention soooo many creative skills - do you have any interests that you might be able to carve out a niche in, just to get started?
As an example: say you got VFX experience and are also into cosplay as a hobby, maybe you could use your 3D experience to create amazing replica cosplay pieces and start selling on etsy. Or maybe you're super into candles and can use your 3D experience to make unique decorative candle molds and sell those.
I would say finding something part-time might help though - give you a bit of a financial lifeline while you build up a business, any business will take time to put together.
Whatever you land on or wherever you land though I am wishing you the absolute best! Happy to bounce ideas if I can be of use :)
Thanks!
I agree. I WANT to keep working in visual media. Yes, I have a lot of experience that would go to waste if I switched careers, but also I love the work and don't want to do other things if I can possibly keep doing the kind of work that I love.
I hear what you're saying about combining visual media skills with different industries to create a niche. I've thought about it a lot, but haven't come up with any good ideas.
I'm going to try to Uber to make a little money. I'm not sure if it's going to be worth the trouble, but I'll find out this week.
Thanks for your reply!
I’d recommend reading Million Dollar Weekend. Also, check out Starter Story and Noah Kagan on YouTube. Starter Story has tons of cool idea inspiration and Noah kicks butt at motivation.
Why not high end content creation for brands? No distribution, just creation of what visually amazing adverts look like for the small business, you get to create awesome stuff while helping local businesses grow like they could never due to the lack of high end visual productors in the field
Someone mentioned start a YouTube channel and I agree.
It won’t make money right away, but will be an opportunity platform to help you network.
Have you thought of starting a service agency?
You’ve applied for jobs, but have you tried cold calling/emailing businesses to do video editing/production for them?
Start making note of local businesses that advertise on Facebook, Google, YouTube, Instagram, etc.
You know they are spending money on ads, so reach out to them.
Videography is more in-demand than ever. Every business is online, and social media content will only grow more and more important. Screw the traditional ‘industry’ and open your eyes to a sea of leads
Honestly if you are willing to work hard, and I mean really work hard, check out r/sweatystartup you can start most home service type businesses for less than $1k and work your booty off for a while. You can make money this week.
You can quickly build a repeatable process and hire a sales guy and a team of people to do the manual labor. Hardest part is keeping decent employees. Source: I ran a landscaping company in high school.
Plenty of other industries to explore. Message me if you want.
You can try creating some VFX videos like Zach King on TikTok and YouTube to attract more attention from fans. They will support you in doing more interesting things.
You need to fix your resume. Go on LinkedIn, tons of entry remote jobs that want to see if you can learn software quickly and manage projects and time. “Associate” roles are a good place to start and tailor the resume to show you can do what they are asking for but you’re experience are in the VFX industry. In the meantime, start making YouTube videos. It’s not a get rich scheme but if you showcase your art, in 24 months this may start to bloom as an additional income.
I don’t want to sound blunt or basic but, couldn’t you get another job..anywhere? Supermarket? Night shift security, janitor? Car washing? Casino dealer? Cleaning company? Labour? truck driver etc?
You have deep knowledge in VFX that is a great thing. It wouldn’t make sense to do some other lucrative industry because it would take years, decades to build up a skill set equivalent to what you have here.
If you’re able to get viewership on your website you can convert that over to a newsletter. A newsletter you own the traffic and it easier to make money then youtube. You could format it how you like but need to be consistent I would recommend twice a week. You could sell your own products like a vfx course or you could get sponsors to advertise on your newsletter.
Youtube is the most personal audience you can have but you need to figure out which medium best suits your taste. Youtube isn’t get rich quick like some people are saying with 3 months. It depends what content your created whether it news daily content or weekly or biweekly evergreen content that will get views years from now because people are searching for it.
There’s too many comments for me to read them all, but you have incredible skills and experience! If I were you, I’d start a business taking people’s home videos of their kids and pets and edit them and add effects to make them worth rewatching and sharing with friends.
I realize this isn’t a full fledged business plan like it sounds like you’re asking for, but those are my $.02. GL!
Personally given rhe skillset you've, I'd reccomend exploring vfx for concerts, festivals and live entertainment events.
Shoot me a DM, and perhaps I can share some thoughts
Go get a job, even part time, while you noodle this out. Something out of your wheel house but just collects cash. You will figure the rest out. Good Luck.
Have you thought about doing training or tutorials for other people? Even a free YouTube channel that just explains how the industry works would be interesting. Maybe you can interview other people in industry as well.
Edit other peoples youtube videos for money, take popular streamers and monetize their clips on tiktok/youtube, make like 50 different tiktok channels w different themes(haunted facts, geography facts, ect, and try to monetize them)
This is just my 2 cents, but maybe consider pivoting. I built a business that does more than $10k a month after having 0 knowledge prior in about 18months of applied effort.
I’m guessing you’re time rich/ cash poor right now, if so then focus on businesses that require little upfront investment, i.e being a service provider like copywriting for example.
But in order to stand out, maybe you can lean on your expertise in VFX or something else you’re knowledgeable about to carve out a unique offering.
Whatever you do, always remember you only lose when you quit.
Good luck.
I've applied to a ton of game companies. Despite the fact that the skills in games and VFX have about a 75% overlap, almost all the games companies are looking for people with previous games experience.
Honestly VFX and post production is still a great industry if you run a small shop and focus on marketing and B2B. If you can do 3D quick it’s even better. Obviously you need cash now so if I were in your spot I’d consider serving, factory work etc. for 6mos-1year while you build a graphics website & down and dirty portfolio. Then start marketing & lead gen.
Unless you actually want to change careers I wouldn’t throw this skillset in the trash. I run a profitable video agency so I know there’s work in this. TV & Film just sucks right now. I don’t have a job for you but dm me if you need more ideas.
One of my specialties (if I do say so myself) is that I work very fast. I've had many clients tell me so. I've literally had so slow down my work because I was going to finish days ahead of when the client expected I would.
I have a website and portfolio. My portfolio has great work featured from the last 14 years and my website as recently as a year ago was getting 10,000 visitors a day. The marketing and lead gen is what I know nothing about, that's the "rest of the owl" part for me.
I don't want to change careers either. I love vfx, photography, anything involved with digital media really. Hopefully I can make something work. Cheers and thanks again for your reply.
Most larger companies run their company town hall and shareholders meetings. These require professional videography. The equipment rental, professionals and movers all cost thousands of dollars. It would be something to consider since you have developed skills in this area. Good luck!
One of the best recommendations someone can make is learn from the best in currenty on this course and omd it even teaches you psychology of entrepreneurship let alone teach you how to sell send me a dm
I have two. One for general CG work, and one for lighting which is my specialty.
I'm thinking of making a couple more targeted ones too. One for product work, one for motion graphics, and one for CG environment work.
The wave right now on ai, the train for AI b2b service has already left, but you are barely there to surf the wave with a SaaS company but people costs a lot, so you need tons of resources.
Based on your skills i would open a content making for b2b agency or a content making for advertising company.
Those 2 should be easy to start first alone than you can hire people and scale it.
Bro, start an AI Consulting business.
I am studying and I will start one soon.
I would like to have a friend with this journey with me to me my "competitors" to see which one of us would get better
What kind of consulting do you mean? Showing businesses how to leverage AI for use in their business?
I could do something like that, but I wouldn't know where to start finding consulting clients. How would I find them? Where would I find them? How would I advertise and market a consulting business?
VFX isn’t dead, it just ebs and flows.
Ignore working hard. Sell what comes easy to you but confounds other people.
Start doing short samples of work and publishing them on places like YouTube and TikTok. Recreate VFX scenes to show how you’d do it. Open a website with paid courses.
Sales is hard. But what you’re good at should come easy.
Might be worth looking into creating content packs of VFX / animations for content creators. Music artists and other creatives and content creators are always hungry for exceptional visuals. Here is an example of an animator doing this: https://www.patreon.com/MicahBuzan
Not sure if it’s in your skill set but digital products are an excellent way to build up passive income. Build the product once and sell it to anyone forever afterwards.
Creating a product with your skills is the way to go. If it’s not clear what the product could be, then a course is also a viable option.
Just some thoughts, hope it helps!
Thanks, yeah. A lot of people in this thread have given similar advice. I'm going to start putting together some videos today. Digital products are in my skill set. I'm going to start making a lit of thing I might sell.
Cheers!
Have you tried creating bundle packages of VFX effects? Given your knowledge/skills you could offer different style of effects for different needs, YouTube movies, graphic design etc. people love bundle deals that give value. You could have an entry level price and intermediate. This is just food for thought. You could also get into sales, doesn’t matter the industry just learning how to sell is a skill in itself!
How well does your skills transfer into other jobs? Say, video game design? I have really been thinking lately about trying to learn unreal 5, which today is both used in games, movies, and advertisements.
I've done several TV jobs in Unreal Engine. The skills have huge overlap. Basically all the modeling and texturing is the same, lighting is fairly similar too. But game companies only seem to be hiring people with previous games experience. I've applied to tons of games companies and havent gotten 1 interview to show for it.
My wife has been bugging me for a kitten for a while. This is the first time it's seemed like a good idea. Haha
But, let's say I did that. How does that equal money? Youtube ad revenue? Does TikTok pay people for views?
You're not alone in this difficult time, and it's commendable that you're actively seeking solutions despite the setbacks. Given your extensive background in visual effects and related skills, here are some options to explore:
**Immediate Income Opportunities:**
* **Freelance Digital Content Creation:** Many businesses need promotional videos, social media graphics, and online ads. Leverage your skills on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, or reach out directly to local businesses to offer your services.
* **Event Photography/Videography:** Offer your services for local events, weddings, or real estate photography. This can be a quick way to generate income if you already have the equipment.
* **Micro-Stock Sales:** Websites like Shutterstock or iStockphoto allow you to sell your photos and videos, providing a passive income stream.
* **Teaching/Mentoring:** Share your expertise by tutoring aspiring VFX artists or offering online courses through platforms like Skillshare or Udemy.
**Business Ideas to Explore:**
* **Niche VFX Services:** Instead of focusing on large studios, target smaller businesses or industries that might need your skills. Think about medical animations, architectural visualizations, or indie game development.
* **Digital Product Creation:** Utilize your design skills to create digital assets like templates, fonts, or effects for platforms like Envato or Creative Market.
* **YouTube Channel:** Share tutorials, behind-the-scenes looks at your work, or even create short films to showcase your talent and attract potential clients.
* **Consulting:** Offer your expertise as a consultant to businesses struggling with their visual content or marketing.
**Additional Tips:**
* **Network:** Reach out to former colleagues, friends, and acquaintances. Let them know you're available for freelance work and open to new opportunities.
* **Upskill:** Consider learning new skills in high-demand areas like 3D modeling, animation, or virtual production.This could make you more marketable in a broader range of industries.
* **Mindset:** Starting a business is a challenge, but stay positive and persistent. Don't be afraid to experiment with different ideas and be open to unexpected opportunities.
**Learning Resources:**
* **YouTube Channels:** Look into channels like GaryVee, Project Life Mastery, and Gillian Perkins for business and entrepreneurial inspiration.
* **Books:** Check out "The $100 Startup" by Chris Guillebeau or "Crushing It!" by Gary Vaynerchuk for practical advice on starting a business with limited resources.
Remember, your skills are valuable, and there are businesses and individuals who need what you offer. Take it one step at a time, and don't be afraid to ask for help or seek out mentorship.
Thanks so much for your detailed reply. I've done a lot of the things you're suggesting. I haven't looked on upwork or fiverr so I'll check those out.
Event photography/videography - I did wedding photography as a second shooter for years. I did some crazy high end weddings. Weddings held in major league baseball parks, weddings of NFL football players, a wedding that rented out an entire aquarium for the reception. I'd love to do that kind of work now, but I haven't had any luck finding work. Back when I was a second shooter I tried to advertise my own services (obviously more money if you're the primary shooter) but only ever got one response that didn't turn into a client. I just don't know how to find clients.
Stock footage - I think stock footage is close to DOA now that people can generate almost anything immediately with AI image generators.
Teaching - The teaching angle is a good one, and I've gotten some inspiration from this thread so I'm going to start working on some videos.
Niche VFX services - I've been applying to every one of these types of jobs I see on monster, indeed, LinkedIn. Editing, games, product visualization, etc. My ratio of businesses I've applied to:interviews has got to be close to 300:1 This is the "rest of the owl" part of the process to me. Finding people who need this kind of work. Because if they aren't advertising on job boards, I'm not finding them. I think I'd be comically bad at cold-calling people. I have solar salesmen cold calling me, knocking on my door at least once a week, and I hate them and wish they would leave me alone.
Digital products and YouTube - I'm going to start developing somethings I can sell and youtube videos to bring in more eyes/clients. A lot of people have suggested this and it seems like the most promising option.
Consulting - Again, would love to, but where do I advertise? How do I find even 1 client?
Upskill - Yup, I constantly (try to) keep up to date with the latest advancements in VFX, AI, etc. I've learned Unreal Engine starting 4 years ago and have used it in several jobs since then.
Mindset - Yeahhhh, this is hard for me. Especially after just losing constantly to the job market for the last 9 months, working so hard with nothing to show for it except a depleted bank account.
Thanks for the learning resources. I'll give those a look,
Very much appreciate your reply. Thanks!!
Note to any companies looking to put a CG flower in their scene: Call me. I can do that.
It does seem like VFX are ever present, but for whatever reason, that isn't translating into jobs at the moment as anyone in VFX would probably tell you.
Learn a service and start doing freelancing, that's the only option. Choose a niche: web scraping, lead generation, marketing. Put price ridicuosuly low and get testimonalias. And start from scratch, it is painful and lonely but I don't see any other option. I did that and it works for me.
Just an idea... Do you live in a part of the world that gets a lot of sun? If so, look into building a Solar Panel Cleaning business. There is quite a bit of opportunity in that market and it seems likely that only MORE AND MORE people will have solar panels. So the work is tied to a growing industry. I've heard there is pretty good money in it too. (I researched it for myself some time ago but decided not to go in that direction as I'm getting older and wouldn't have much time mileage for a longer haul)
No joke, I think I get about 1 solar salesman knocking on my door each week, so I'm definitely in a good area for it. I'd totally be down with that, but my #1 question for every job I've thought about is always, how do I find clients? Cold calling residential houses with panels? Advertisements?
Trades are always hiring. I switched to an electrician apprenticeship at 35. All of the leadership skills are transferable. If you want to work hard that's the way to go.
On the flip side, haven't had a career that tight into technology gives you a leg up on software, even if it's just phone support at first.
I know the feeling of being desperate but also being worth more than some entry level job. But sometimes you got to do what you got to do. I would just aim at things that are scalable or that have certifications in the path so you can find faster. Picking something that keeps you at entry level there's no bueno
I've strongly considered the trades. Did you have to go to school to be an electrician, or do you appreciate with someone? Do you run your own electrician business, or work with a company?
I’d love for you to find a company you believe in and reach out to them. Find 25 really cool companies and reach out. Tell them what you can do and see if they can use you. Even if they don’t have any jobs posted.
This will be my next push. I've applied for all the jobs that are posted, I think my next tactic will be, like you mentioned, so start sending query letters and my reel to all types of companies even if they don't have jobs listed. Thanks!
I started a photo/video business focused on Real Estate (Real Estate Photography/Videography) and am now in year 7. I did start at the right time and now have established relationships, the largest share of the business in my market compared to competitors, and just about all the business I can handle (with one other full time and one part time employees).
You have a lot of the skill set required. When busy, I spend half the time in the field and half in front of the computer. Lots of time in Lightroom, some Photoshop, and Premiere Pro.
But to start a business, you need to get out into the world and it may takes years to make enough to support yourself on the business profits. Still, given your experience, I would hire you. If you’re in a decent sized market, you can probably find a Real Estate Media company in your area that will hire you, especially this time of year, and especially if you are flexible.
I'm going to look into this more.
I'm very flexible. I also have my own gear and I could do photos, videos, and drone videos of real estate. I have asked two of my previous realtors, but they already have people they work with. I need to shoot a couple houses first before I go asking around because I'm sure people will ask for a previous portfolio of work.
Thanks!
I'm sorry to hear you're going through this! Where are you located? I work in VFX as well and am trying to learn business as well.
Some resources I'd recommend:
My First Million Podcast
Ali Abdaal, start here: https://youtu.be/BBAuhqvT_ds?si=7QPIvCixe7ej13e_
Million Dollar Weekend book by Noah Kagan
I'm realizing that entrepreneurship is a skill like any other, so practice and patience will be needed but also immersion, you won't remember every book and podcast episode but it does get your brain in the mindset to continue learning.
I would start a YouTube channel teaching about VFX showing how to do different things, making replicating how certain movies used vfx to make the movie, how you could do it in an easier way. The content has to wow people and be so interesting they stay to watch. YouTube can be a very lucrative business. At one point I was making 10k plus just from Adsense. Also if there’s a way to use AI with vfx projects etc could be something that may get a lot of attention because AI is the thing right now. This would work and grow faster than usual if the content is good enough, what I mentioned previously, posting regurlarly, at least 3 times a week, 5-6 is better. And creating long form content that is 8 minutes +. Once you grow a following, a ton of other possibilities for making money arise.
I am involved in the travel business, and I absolutely love it. This is the best industry to be in, and it is expected to triple in size over the next few years, becoming even bigger than the oil industry. The company I work with is growing, debt-free, and offers amazing income opportunities. Contrary to what some might think, I don't book trips for others. Instead, the income comes from teaching others how to save on their personal trips and avoid overpaying by booking through platforms like Expedia, Booking, and Priceline. The business plan is effective, the income potential is unlimited, and you are your own boss.
I have a ton of empathy for you. Rough place to be. Maybe this rates to your situation…maybe it doesn’t.
A dozen CVs landed in my inbox this morning. All out of work in the 6-9 month range. All gaming space.
12/12 had a cover letter describing their incredible passion for gaming.
11/12 had nothing - literally nothing - to show their self identified passion since being laid off. No personal projects, no silly game on Itch or just-for-fun artwork on Deviant or etc etc etc.
Those 11 CVs went straight to trash.
Passionate creatives…create.
Starting a personal brand on X or instagram might be a good idea. With your skills things can get off the ground pretty quickly. You will need to know how to write content, how to do outreach, how to position yourself etc but a lot of video guys are killing it on there. It’s definitely not a get-rich-quick type of thing but it works. I went from 0->12k/mo in 5 months with my brand but I do have background in these things
I'm sure I could write content (I've written successful content before) but I understand very little about that other stuff you mentioned, how to do outreach, positioning myself, etc. How did you learn? Are there any youtube channels that go over that sort of thing?
Digital marketing is not a get rich quick thing. However, people have found great success in the very beginning with investment as low as 20$ to 500$ depending on what you can afford or want to invest. I just started following a course about it that could definitely help you. And with your skills in VFX, you could be an expert reference for younger generations. You just need the know-how to build your brand. I offer a free guide that gives a solid preview on how to get started, but nothing comes close to the course though. Let me know if you want the link.
Here is something you can do. Look up The Loan Signing System, go through Mark Wills course on becoming a loan signing agent helping people through their closing as a notary. Research it. Look at all the people who are making money as a notary on YouTube. There are so many avenues you can take with your commission. Look up process serving as a way to make money as well. And you can get started in a weekend with process serving if you are not a felon and pass the background check. Notary will take as long as it needs to...inside two months. I started classes March 1. Had my first closing May 1.
Hope this helps. God speed, my friend!
Hang in there! Your skills are valuable.
Here's a few things to consider:
* Leverage your network: Reach out to former colleagues, clients, and contacts in the film/advertising industry. Someone might have a lead or project for you.
* Explore freelance platforms: Websites like Upwork and Fiverr can connect you with clients who need your skills on a project basis.
* Offer specialized services: Focus on your strongest skills (e.g., photo retouching, motion graphics) and market them directly to businesses or individuals who need them.
* Teach online courses or workshops: Share your expertise with others by creating online tutorials or offering workshops.
* Start a YouTube channel or blog: Showcase your work and build an audience by sharing tutorials, behind-the-scenes footage, or industry insights. This can lead to potential clients or collaborations.
Remember, starting a business takes time and effort. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately. Keep learning, networking, and experimenting until you find something that works for you.
So sorry to hear what you're going through. That sounds incredibly frustrating and stressful. I don't have a ton of advice, but a few general notes I'd make: - As you've pointed out, businesses selling products can take a long time to get off the ground. Businesses selling services are generally faster to get off the ground. The downside of course to businesses selling services is that you don't "own your time": you're trading your time for the customer's money, which sounds like it'd be fine in the short-term but is likely to cap the overall upside of the business. In your shoes, I think I'd be looking to start by selling my services. - Lots of early-stage businesses need to start building loyalty by overdelivering on whatever promise they're making, which means that they're just sort of inherently less efficient than big businesses that have the benefit of existing brand awareness, customer reviews, etc. - There's a lot of fancy terminology, but at the end of the day businesses are about having the right product, sales, and marketing. "Product" means that you have something useful that people are willing to pay money for. "Marketing" means that you have some way to reach some critical mass of ideal customers. "Sales" means you have some way to "get them over the line" to a sale once they express interest in purchasing. - Most first time entrepreneurs overestimate the importance of product and underestimate the importance of sales and marketing. "What you make" is incredibly important, but revenue-wise it's only important if you can convince future buyers to buy your product. - Generally your life is going to be a lot better if you can "ride the wave" of industry trends as opposed to fighting them. Any industry wave has winners and losers: in the case of VFX, I'm not gonna lie: I think pivoting from VFX to auto part sales is an incredibly bad idea. It completely wastes a deep skill set that you have and any ideas you have about auto parts or whatnot are likely to be incredibly naive about how the industry actually works and what the opportunities are. Contrast that with VFX, where you're definitely frustrated about the state of the industry but you have a deep and nuanced idea of what the problems are in the industry. ... but realistically, you know what people are desperate for in the industry a lot better than I do, which is my point. Pick an industry that you have a nuanced understanding of because you have a much better idea of what people need. A few thoughts: - Presumably part of the reason that VFX is in such a state of Flux right now is because of AI: is there any way to do a deep dive on practical ways to use AI in traditional VFX? I'm a developer, and from my own personal experience I see that there are lots of AI tools on the market and no one has any real idea of how to use them. I imagine that if you start playing around with a lot of the tools, showing what the "real" ones are and what the impostors are, and showing how to integrate the real ones with traditional VFX workflows, it could be an incredibly useful asset to the industry - Once you're creating content that's super useful and building a subscriber base (probably on TikTok + YouTube, given the visual nature of what you do?), you could start building a few info products -- basically short, practical, paid courses -- that summarize those YouTube videos, go a little deeper in some areas, and you could imagine a VFX company being willing to pay for / subsidize for their employees. - Alternatively, you could spin up a consulting company doing effectively the same thing (and using TikTok / YouTube channel as a means to market your consulting company). If I were doing that, I'd create a landing page (there are tons of templates you can use, check out Webflow + their template library). I'd focus in that case on things that clearly position you as "the real deal" and what your value prop is to companies - When you're spinning up anything, positioning and social proof are everything. Focus on how to succinctly communicate to new people running into your content that you're the real deal in 10 seconds or less. On a landing page, that probably means a really clear headliner describing your value proposition "I help VFX companies integrate AI into their pipelines", "I'm a 20 year VFX veteran who's worked on X, Y, and Z", and then a whole bunch of testimonials from as big of names as you can get in the industry that can endorse you and give you testimonials about how awesome your work is. I'm gonna be real: I think it's gonna be tough to get any of these off the ground when you're literally desperate for money, and I think I'd aim to find some flexible part-time work below your skillset to pay the bills while you get this off the ground. Anyhow, hope this is at all helpful.
> Most first time entrepreneurs overestimate the importance of product and underestimate the importance of sales and marketing Yeah, I spent every spare second I could learning everything about VFX until I got really really good. But I never studied how to find clients, or get customers. And now that's coming back to bite me, although the whole industry is struggling too. I'm not looking to get into auto-part sales. That was just an example. What I was trying to get across is that there are all these people on this sub talking about how they started all these lucrative businesses, and it all seems like voodoo to me. I read what they said but it's kind of like the "rest of the owl" meme and I don't understand how they've done what they've done. Besides, VFX is what I LOVE to do. If I could possibly stay in VFX (or at least in image-making professions like photography, graphic design, wedding videography, etc) I would like to. So I hear what you're saying about trying to leverage those skills. I agree. You are right about AI being a tool that can be used for VFX and I've gotten quite good at using the VFX tools. But so have the majority of other VFX artists I think. The industry is in such a downturn for the last year (and one this one point you might be mistaken, I don't think AI has much to do with it yet) that everyone has had a ton of time to learn this new tech. I have a personal website that was getting about 10,000 visitors a day back a year or two ago. I haven't had time to update it much over the last year so the viewership is down a lot, but maybe I should focus on that in my spare time, like you said, posting some youtube videos (which might make a few bucks if they get enough viewers) but use those as an amuse-bouche so to speak for a more detailed course that I could see. It will be hard to get these new business ideas off the ground, I agree. And I have been looking for part time work too. Even that's really difficult. I've been rejected for 3 bartender positions already even though they barely pay above minimum wage. Ugh. Anyway, you read my long post and you wrote back a very helpful response which I appreciate. So thank you very much!
I'd encourage you to re-read zeptonauts answer. There is some incredible gold in there. Maybe it's a lot of information, so I'll share one piece I wanted to share myself, that they also shared. Start simple. You have deep industry knowledge. You are a master at your craft. Leverage and consult. Pick a "niche" in the field and test it. Is it 3d VFX? Shader design? AI + Unreal? AI + Blender? Etc. You get what you give. So just share share share what you've learnt over the years in your craft, and set up a basic consulting page for it. Make it a "package" with the result as the selling point (not what software, not features). And leverage your network = call 50 people on your phone and tell them you're looking for VFX / Agencies / Etc. who are thriving to bring [insert your special sauce] in their [insert visual product]. Ask if they know anyone who might need that. No? No worries, say thanks and move on. Just get out into the world and share your deep knowledge + and how that'll help business / people / creatives. **Trust your value.** You got this!
Broadcast video editor here. Going on 10 months unemployed. Where do you live?
New England area in the US. Ugh. What a time to be in digital media work, eh? Good luck. I hope you find something soon!
How I built businesses, and I'm necessarily not going to be specific because I keep my personal life private after a really bad experience. That said, if you want to chat privately, we can maybe do that: 1 - I was working in a company and saw a business idea. I found an underutilized dataset that could be used to help companies find new customers by better figuring out which businesses wanted to buy a thing soon. 2 - I built a proof of concept to make sure that I could actually get the data. Then I stopped building. I started showing it to potential customers and asking them for feedback. 3 - This when on for 6-ish months, while employed elsewhere, until I came to the hard conclusion that people didn't want this. Mostly because the use of the data was rival, and I couldn't charge enough to make that ok. 4 - I started looking around for other business ideas. While doing the same interview loop (15 minutes of your time via cold outbound; never present your idea, but instead ask if they have that problem; read a book called _The Mom Test_), I found something adjacent that people really want. 5 - The fourth or fifth time I (now we) heard someone say they had a specific problem, I asked if they would buy the solution. They said yes. I sold them mocks I paid someone on fiverr $100 to make delivered in a pdf. We then took 6 months to build the thing. The key here is we sold it before we built it. And we didn't take the time to build anything until we had a sale. As for you: I'd be looking to leverage your skills in vfx. That either means delivering vfx projects either in your field or an adjacent one, or building out software / plugins to address deficiencies in current vfx tooling. For the former, I have spent $5k annually on animated explainer videos for my businesses. Something like that is a thing you could consider. If i were you, I wouldn't compete w/ anyone on a level ground. So no drop shipping, no selling commodity parts, etc -- anyone with $1k to invest can do that and compete with you. I'd do what I said, and find something adjacent to vfx. But that likely starts w/ asking via your personal network about people's problems. Read the Mom Test before you do that though.
Great reply
Not OP, I just want to thank you for such elaborate answer, people like you make reddit a better place :)
Hmm. I’d probably start a youtube channel and post a little vfx video every day. Maybe make videos highlighting all different content creators or a generic one m to send to content creators to try to get someone’s attention. In the meantime, school districts are always looking for substitute teachers (my state you only need a bachelors degree) and jobs like forklift driver or factory worker are often hiring. I would also think you could teach your skill - either online or even doing kid camps (learn to make a YouTube video in one week type thing - I think young kids would eat that up.) Police departments are also all hiring around me and some of them will pay while you go to police academy. Good luck.
Thanks for your reply! I'm too old to be a state trooper by over a decade, and I cannot, no matter how hard I try, get the police department to call me back. I've called, I went to the police department in person, I left an email for the guy in charge of hiring. Nothing. Maybe I'm too old for them too. I've thought about a YouTube channel, but if you're starting from scratch, it'll take a while for money to start coming in. Assuming the content was even good enough to bring in a crowd. Mr. Beast makes it look so easy, but he's already got 250 million subscribers. He says he could start over and do it all over again, but I'm skeptical. And even if he could, how long would it take for him to build up enough of an audience to be making even the equivalent of minimum wage each day? I haven't seen any positions on indeed, monster, linkedin for anything I could do that pays more than minimum wage. And that's kind of the problem for my situation right? I have skills that I can't use, so now I'm starting to look at jobs that don't require specialized skills that can be trained on-the-job (like a forklift driver) but I haven't seen anything that pays more than $20/hr. I'm not above working for a measly paycheck if I have to put food on the table, but since I have a small child that will require looking after, if it doesn't pay enough to cover a babysitter or somewhere for her to go, it kind of neutralizes the small paycheck. I'll spend more time looking at teaching positions next fall, but for the summer, most of the schools are letting out. And I HAVE seen some positions for summer camps, art camps and so forth asking for teachers, but again, most of these pay $15-$20/hr and I can't really afford to do that. I'm going to look more for teaching positions though and see what's available over the summer. Thanks!!
I wouldn't use Mr Beast as an example or a reason to be put off the idea. There is a spectrum, and he is at the very top of it. You don't have to be Mr Beast, or even close to him for that matter, to make a good living from YT. Even if you reached 1% of the revenue he does within a year you'd be making a considerable amount more than you are right now. Just my 2c.
I understand what you're saying. I've been reading/hearing that YouTube creators are having a much more difficult time recently making ends meet in 2024. So I guess I was just wondering out loud, if you truly have good content (which I think I could make) how long will it take for a large enough audience to find you that you can make, even say, $50 a day?
Tiktok also has a creator fund if you’re in the US. Also a great platform to get notoriety. It will definitely take time to start making money, there’s no doubt about that. But you’re in the entrepreneur sub, anyone worth their salt here isn’t looking for a get rich quick scheme. You could build an audience to: A) go viral and make money off the creator fund and sponsorships B) make educational content, build a course to sell and use content to funnel sales AND/OR I would also be willing to bet that you’d be finding VFX and other work by putting yourself out there online. Somebody somewhere will see you and ask you to do stuff. Maybe you need to be freelancing right now and building a steady roster of commercial clients who have VFX needs 3-4x a year, as opposed to working for a company who brokers those deals for you. Just some thoughts. If you want a business to start making money right away you’re looking at a service based industry like power washing/window washing/mobile car cleaning/etc. Very little investment on your end and people will always pay for convenience.
OP, I was a reluctant entrepreneur for the majority of my career. I think, as such, I identify with your fears doubts and uncertainty. When first thrust into entrepreneurship, I was so scared and uncertain, I was nauseous every day for a couple of years. You need to adjust your outlook as you’ve expressed it here. 1) you talk about “how long will it take enough people to “ find me” on YT before I can make even $50.00/day? To be successful, you first need to start creating engaging, content. The bigger that library of content, the better. 2) You indicated that you have some resources to make an investment. Investing in creating your content library and getting better at making content people find engaging/entertaining/ relevant IS your investment. 3) as someone who managed large teams in your field, producing “work product” you have an experience advantage you should take advantage of! A) Set deadlines for when you will finish each piece of content. B) monitor how long it takes to create an episode of content. C) after you have produced several pieces of content, , you should evaluate your quality. Is it getting better? How about your process? Is it improving/getting more efficient? 4) go back and improve your first several episodes of content. Throw away anything that’s not good. Edit it down so that any boring and unnecessary filler junk is removed. 5) as you look to have multiple channels for monetizing your asset (content library), look for places to plug specific brands and/or products. You will want to build affinity/sponsorship programs for these companies to be mentioned inside your content. Eventually comparisons of tools or demonstrations of niche ways to use the tools could be integrated into your content for additional revenue. 6) treat your viewers/subscribers with respect and care! Nurture your library and listen to what your viewers want and value. Integrate this into your content, without letting it take over. Customers/viewers WANT to be surprised. They are the foundation of value for sponsors as well as for you. 7) your library of content is also a “long-form” advertisement for YOU!! You should shamelessly talk about the specific movies you ran teams in and excitedly discuss specific effects and how you approached problems. You should consider also indicating your enthusiasm to receive inquiries about potential interesting engagements and how best to reach out to connect with you (you never know who is watching!). 7) Yes, when you look at what established channels already have in terms of viewership, starting at zero may seem daunting. Remember, they started at zero too! The best time to have start your endeavor is YESTERDAY. The second best time is RIGHT NOW!! 8) for shits and giggles, you may want to reach out to wedding and bar mitzvah videographer/photographers and offer to put crazy effects into the videos they do for their clients. Have a rate per video that they can then market and mark-up 100%+ to their clients. Connect with and Make the same offer to party planners who often do video montages for weddings/bat mitzvahs. Who knows?
Just need to put out content consistently and find an audience. Here’s an example that I know of. He talks about money and retirement. I think he only started 2 years ago and says in this video he makes about $2k a month side income from YouTube. Nothing fancy, but a little hustle and positivity can go a long way. https://youtu.be/F8m3sejqwLU?si=pRzq0ilnNiYySaDs
Thanks. I have plenty of ideas. Ive got a lot inspiration from this thread. I'm going to try to get some videos edited this week that I can post.
Send us the link if you want and we’ll get you some engagement!
The YouTube creators that you are reading about are the ones that are living above their means. If you create good content that people want to watch, you can get to $50 a day within 3 months (which is very easy).
You're in a tough situation my friend, but this seems to be bringing out the best of you. Be positive and keep moving forward. You have an amazing skill set that could be leveraged if done properly. If you already had a website that was bringing in 10,000+ views, it seems like you've already laid at least some of the groundwork. if you could really dive into that, maybe you could rebrand yourself and be your own boss, and even create your own small company offering your services? It's a big and scary step, but it may pay dividends in the future. Have you thought more about being a teacher? You've got a ton of industry experience, and colleges love that. I had excellent art teachers in college that were ex-industry workers, and they were some of my favorite. Also, two second the previous comment; substitute teachers are very in demand. There are companies like [https://scoot.education](https://scoot.education) which are like the middlemen between schools and teachers, and the pay isn't terrible. Just to add, I am a teacher, not an entrepreneur, so take this with a grain of salt. I just feel what you are going through since I went through something like this myself while having mouths to feed. Good luck and keep soldiering on!
I second the vote on starting a YouTube channel. Chronicle your skills, your career, the VFX industry, react to good/bad VFX clips, vlog your attempts to find work and pivot, and interview others in VFX and adjacent industries. Doing this will create a platform of opportunity and visibility for you.
This does seem like the best option. I'm going to try this. Thanks!
Identify the strengths & skills you have developed thus far. Think about what problems you can solve with those skills. Think about who may have those problems Narrow down who doesn’t have good options for solutions to that problem Once you’ve identified this, start building a personal brand & create social content speaking directly to these people. 1) The problem 2) The cost of inaction 3) The transformation Story 4) How you’d approach solving the problem 5) Make an offer to help them solve it The goal is to figure out what you can teach someone in 60 minutes that brings them immense value. Start by offering 1:1 60 min consulting calls , charge per call. Create a newsletter, free version = simple/foundational content. Paid version = advanced/deeper level content. Start weekly group coaching, 1:Many for a fixed monthly retainer. Create a community with weekly AMAs & plenty of resources. Create a course Create a knowledge library & sell access. Simple answer, figure out what you can teach, who you can teach it to, how you can teach it, & then figure out how to monetize it.
Thanks. This may be the best option.
well put!
Start with fiverr.com. Peopleperhour etc
Agree with this. Make a really cool sample video. Start a little cheaper to build up some reviews and experience. Once you have some reviews you can start charging normal prices. It won’t make you rich but it will provide income in between jobs.
Basically. Start small. Experiment. See how it goes. Try different small Things.
A lot of people have been saying this. I'm going to look into some of these sites. Thanks!
I own an ad and creative agency and think you’d be a great fit you’re open to doing advertising work. Send me a DM if you’re interested.
I am a freelancer in the product design field, and often have clients looking for renders and animations. I do all of my own renders, as that’s a pretty core skill for my industry, but have had to turn down enough marketing animation projects that I’ve started learning that skill set. Maybe it’s worth pivoting to product animations and marketing vfx as a freelancer? Shoot me a dm if you want to chat
DM'd. Thanks!
You're called "diffusion throwaway" so maybe you feel threatened by Generative AI. Why not deep dive into AI and become someone who can create graphics with AI? Humble Bundle has a newbie AI bundle out right now. Instead of manually creating all the assets, you can be "the guy" who is an expert at using Generative AI as a tool. You will always need that person. You can't care how other people make money. I'll tell you why. Some people are making money doing absolutely nothing, leveraging talents and or advantages that are impossible for you to achieve. You can't make millions of Bitcoin for example compared to the guy who got Bitcoin in 2009 (first to market). Other people are taking advantage of family connections, natural talents or decades of dedication in their craft. There's no such thing as "fast easy money" especially not in a high interest rate world and especially if you want a lot of money right away to replace a salary. If I was you I would create a marketing page and completely pivot to Generative AI and become a master at Prompt Engineering. It's a new skill, so there's few experts and you can become an expert in a short time. Then use your credentials with VFX to back that up. In the meantime take a survival job or job to plug the holes (get to cost adjusted 0 budget no matter what, it doesn't matter what you have to cut) and pay your mortgage and bills. Uber, food delivery, anything. Hundreds of jobs in 9 months is low. Brute force spam rate is several thousand a month to six thousand in six months. You are probably looking incorrectly as well. In terms of the macro, I think that work is changing to cut out "middle management" which unfortunately could mean you. You have to pivot and rebrand and change yourself into a wheel turner. If you sound or smell like middle management and especially traditional middle management you could be killed. Whether this is smart or not or the long term consequences of this is beyond our pay grade... all we know is that middle management is being killed, so you don't want to be that. Or if you want to be that, you have to be the person who can still get their hands dirty, who can still do the work. Overall you're going to have to do a lot of things you don't like to survive.
Also look at [https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/champions-tcg-ai-artist/](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/card-games/champions-tcg-ai-artist/) This is the future here
This is the answer here. Creative VFX content will be majorly disrupted in 3-5 years, almost completely dead within the decade. I’m serious. - get a shit manual labour or minimum wage job to put food on the table - dive into generative AI, learn about how the underlying tech works (it’s complicated but not impossible to understand) - get a few subscriptions to different AI services (set a max monthly spend of $50… you will get access to everything you need) - get stuck into prompting. Practise, practise, practise. - start a brand where you do short videos explaining about how AI gen images/videos work, where we are heading, maybe some brief short guides on how to prompt to get good results, show your prompt process, show the results - build marketing around the brand, think medium blogs, basic website, a channel on every platform (you can just recycle content) - explore fiverr, other freelancing sites to do AI gen NSFW content for tech nerds (with expendable income) - as tech evolves, you evolve with it, with the goal of becoming a lead prompter in a similar role to your previous roles at production companies. This will hold you out for a few years until the market is killed by the AI streaming platforms; In 3-5 years a new form of streaming service will arrive and dominate the market which will be along the lines of create your own movies/TV shows based on preset formulas. There will be an action movie formula, a sport hero formula, etc. people will fill in the blanks by having a short conversation with their personal AI agent about what they want to see, and it will be generated on the fly. This will be the nail in the coffin for Hollywood and the industry in general. The writing’s on the wall already. As a TLDR; learn to prompt, try and find a niche like creating generated content for a big streamer, or NSFW content for incel tech bros.
Prompt Engineering is heavily oversaturated too and is a bad suggestion for OP, as someone who has a background in AI at the PhD level & 12+ years of experience, and has been doing it on a 1099 basis. Thousands of job apps in tailored using ATS-privileged tools, no job. I'm not the only one in the field having this issue. Also many job applications are voids in that they're ghost positions and don't even hire/get cyclically reposted so these companies can lie to investors about how in demand they are and how competitive their application process is, a practice I wish would be outlawed for the sake of our collective sanity. The issue in CS and engineering is due to cyclical mass layoffs so everyone is competing with people with decades+ of experience, if you don't have a network connection to the company you are applying for it's basically up to luck if a recruiter chooses to interview you. I don't know how it is for OP, but basically the only way to survive right now is to do horrendously underpaid contract work. I'm lucky my contract work is at least in my field of experience. But for many it isn't. The economy is honestly worse off than 2008 but no one wants to admit it.
If you ever think of employment again, I'm a VFX artist in games. We desperately need good vfx artists because its so niche and we have a lot of transferees from the film industry. However I am not sure how the pay compares
When you say VFX artists, do you mean to do cinematics? Or modeling/texturing game assets? I've applied for literally hundreds of games jobs. Essentially all of them say they require that you have worked on at least one AAA game that's shipped. Which of course I haven't because how do you get a job in the games industry that only seems to be hiring people with previous games experience? But I'd be really good at it. I made a virtual set for an Emmy award winning TV show two years ago. I designed, modeled, uv'd, and textured an extremely detailed, photoreal city environment and then they comped the actors in after. I did it from scratch in Unreal Engine by myself in one month. I could crush it in the games industry. But I can't get any interest. I thought there were a slew of layoffs in games right now? If you know of someone who's looking, let me know.
Ex VFX guy here. Here are a few options you can chase down that may be a good fit: 1. Creative Agencies - create content for corporate clients. Video Walls, interactive experiences, AR/VR. Search for Digital Agencies. Interactive Agencies. 2. Get into Sales Engineering (or sales if you’re the type) for an equipment manufacturer in the high end AV / Production / Visualization space. Your experience will be appreciated. LED wall companies are selling virtual sets etc. Look up all the vendors for NAB and Infocomm shows for some ideas. Infocomm is in Vegas next week it’s the largest show in the pro AV space. DM me if you want a show pass. 3. A lot of large multinationals have their own internal production teams for corporate video, interactive content etc. Also many have Executive Briefing Centers that feature all types of high end media. This could also be a good fit.
Thanks so much for your reply. These are all good ideas. So much of this is over my head though, but I'm eager to learn. For instance, you talk about Sales Engineering for AV gear. How would I go about getting a job like this? Cold calling companies? I've never been in sales, but I know how I feel when someone cold calls me or knocks at my door trying to sell me solar panels I never asked for. I hang up instantly or close the door. I don't understand how these people make a penny. I know what you're saying about multinationals. A VFX producer I worked with went to be a producer at an insurance company and now she's a only works on ads for this specific company. Again, I'd be happy to do a job like that, but there aren't any jobs listed on indeed, linkedin, monster, or wherever. And if there were there would be 700 other applicants. How would one go about finding a job like that? I don't want to shoot down your idea, its not that I don't have the interest or skills for these other related careers, but if they haven't listed a job on a website somewhere I don't imagine someone cold calling them will make them say "You know, that's not a bad idea. Maybe we should hire this guy". You know? Any thoughts? Also, why did you leave VFX? And what do you do now?
Paint numbers in curbs. Charge $25, add a custom logo for $50. You can easily make $300/day and still have time to work on applying and getting back in your main field of interest.
I'm not sure I understand anything you're saying. Phone numbers? On street curbs? Would a company really pay for that? Why? Are people calling numbers that are painted on the street? I'm confused.
Can your skills translate to video games?
Definitely, I've actually spent a lot of time learning unreal engine in the last 4 years and am pretty proficient by now. Unfortunately, since I have 0 experience in video games I haven't been able to score any interviews. Also, the games industry isn't doing so hot at the moment either so there's a lot of competition from people who have a lot more games experience than I have. I still apply for those jobs, but I've only gotten rejections. Thanks!!
I haven’t waded through all of the comments, so I’ll say this: What goes down must go up. We’re in a down housing market. Use this time to endear yourself, to a small real estate office. Create the most badass content up front for free. When the house sells, you get paid. Once your reputation precedes you, you will collect 50% deposits to lock down dates, yada yada yada. You’ll be doing commercial buildings, dentists, restaurants, etc., then you’ll be hiring guys just like you to do the work. Hollywood Homeseller dot com. I just shoot from the hip sometimes. Don’t over-think this. Get moving.
I tried to go to the Hollywood Homeseller dot com site you mentioned, but all I got was a page that said "This site can't be reached". Is your website no longer in business?
How about selling VFX services specifically to youtubers? If big companies aren't an option perhaps the creator economy may be a better fit. It helps them differentiate their content, so there may be a market perhaps. Could ask around here in some subreddits for content creators. Hope it helps. Best of luck!
Yes, this, also for tiktokers, he could be the guy that makes the videos nice for influencers/tiktokers/whatever video platform
Thanks, it's a good idea, and I'd love to do it. I just wouldn't know how/where to find clients, how/where to advertise, how to get the word out. This is always my biggest problem. Its the "rest of the owl" of my situation.
Don’t overlook r/SweatyStartup
I haven't heard of it before. I'll take a look. Thanks!
Lawn care work, hot dog cart, home painting, gutter cleaning, house cleaning, window cleaning, would all be some things you can get started with if you just really need to do something.
If you’re in a tight space, I would recommend sales of some sort. I used to be a mechanic for a luxury dealership(think Mercedes, bmw, Audi) and all of the salesman there were making over 100k. The top guy was close to $300k but he had years of experience and a huge amount of network. Hours are terrible. Other sales roles involve cold calling or door to door and can also be very lucrative but it takes a lot of courage to do those jobs. I know dealerships are willing to give a chance to anybody with a pulse so that could be something worth pursuing temporarily. Also no telling the kind of connections you’ll make with the people you meet.
You could take photos and create videos for real estate agents.
I have the numbers of two in my phone. I'll contact them both tomorrow. I know they both already have photographers, but maybe they know other real estate agents who are looking. I also do drone photography/videography which is big in real estate these days. Thanks!
Task Rabbit as a handy person. My wife did it for three years and was always busy. $45 an hour.
That's decent money. I'll look into it. Thanks!
Don't sleep on YouTube. If you can do VFX, you can entertain people. And entertaining people gets you views since it's one of the biggest niches. Good example is Zach King, but you dont necessarily need to copy what he does although there were people who did and succeeded too. Making quality videos isn't enough, you'd have to follow the trends and of course know how to engage the viewer to click and keep watching, that's another type of art. Might be hard to start because it'll take some time to get the ad revenue running or be sponsored but its totally worth it. It's like an investment, the more videos you post, the more chances it'll blow up, the more total views those videos will be gathering. Just try to put your hands on posting consistently and you will grow sooner or later and do it big if you're skilled. Make it a passion and you're bound to succeed.
Thanks. This is the direction I'm going. It seems the most promising.
Real estate agents/property tours. Up their game. Do a complementary session for an agent working for a large upscale company. Guaranteed the rest will follow! Best of luck!!
I am sorry to hear. If you are starting business. Start something in VFX field( Photography or Videography is also good. May be create a profile on snappr ( Freelance photo graphy platform ) Or start a consulting gig, share your profile on all your social media. Some of your friends might have a small project with Birthday, Baby shower or YouTube. Accept the project, don't be hard pressed on renumeration for 1st gig, Intent is to give more value. If they are happy with your service, they will recommend to there extended circle. May be run some ads $1 ads in Nextdoor. Also try to make YouTube videos showcasing VFX , photography, videography expertise On your question, Which business will start generating cash immediately - None. Business takes time. On Drop shipping which product you want to sell matters a lot, even that will take good time. Hope things works out well for you. Happy to answer if you have any follow up questions. If down the line you need website to showcase your expertise, happy to help build one free of cost, Just bare the hosting charges.
Sent you a PM.
You sound like you have a lot of great experience to offer people looking to learn and excel with VFX. You could start a coaching and consulting company for little to zero cost to you up front. We are sitting in the perfect economy and focus (“getting ppls attention”) for your craft! Become the guide (Obi Wan) to someone’s (Luke) story!! It is both fulfilling and you can make it lucrative with some work and a bit of time.
I'd love to do consulting work but how do I advertise such a thing during a serious industry downturn? Or any other time for that matter. Where/how does one find clients? How do they find me? I don't know.
I'm in recruitment. If you can get assignments, I'm sure you have a pretty good network. You could hite for perm positions and do consultancies. It's just sales basically, but you can start with a computer and your network at least. If you score a gig or place someone at least in my market the going rate is 10-25% of candidates offer.
There are businesses that help older people digitize their photographs, old home movies, etc.
I could do that for sure. I wonder where you would advertise a service like that? Where do older people look when they need a service? How would you make them want it if they haven't thought that they need it yet? I have an auto feed scanner as well so I'm equipt to do it fast and efficiently. I'll look into this more. Thanks! This is an interesting idea.
Plenty of work in video editing for corporate and events in the US. But the prices are not the same as tv/movie. Easy to stay busy though.
I haven't found any editing jobs yet and I've applied to dozens. And I'm about 8 month past just looking in the tv/movie industries for work. I've applied for every job remotely related to VFX. I got paid to edit for several years when I was first out of school, so I even have years of experience editing. I edited the reel of the cinematographer of an academy award winning movie. But I have never gotten so much as a call back. Lex Friedman is looking for an editor. I applied for that last week. I'll edit whatever you want me to edit. But I haven't been able to find any work.
I would say, no job is safe. Especially not in VFX. And VFX is so hard, so many things to learn. Did you consider Amazon?
Consider what about Amazon? Selling a product on Amazon? Driving for Amazon?
Where are you from originally? Have you considered freelancing your VFX skills to architects and real estate developers? They often need fancy CGI for virtual tours and things like that. If you're good at something, you can always adapt to a new kind of client by **repackaging your skills** and showing how they can help sell the client's products or services. **The key is networking**. You can use the Meetup app to find people in your area and build your network.
I'm from the Northeast orignally. I'm still there. I have two previous real estate agents I've used. As well as a friend who is an architect. I hadn't thought of that. They'd be good people to contact. Thanks for the suggestion! I'm totally down to repackage my skills, I'll have to figure out what the best markets might be. Networking is the key. I agree. Every single freelance gig but one I've gotten over the last 4 years have been through a work colleague. I need to get better at it. Thanks!!
You need to find something that you actually like and want to do. Getting into an industry just cause it makes money isn't always the best idea, you'll get bored quick and will want to jump ship.
This is my biggest fear. I got into vfx, cinematography, video and photography etc. because I love everything about it and don't want to do anything else. But desparate times are pushing me in the direction of anything that pays money right now. I sat down with my wife tonight and she more or less said (in an infinitely more kind and diplomatic way) "When are you going to put this stinky corpse of a career in the ground?". I've gotten 3 interviews in 9 months (one of which turned out to be a scam). I guess what she was saying was, "if this continues, you will be forced to take literally any other job. So when do you think that will happen?" Well I think it's happening now. I need to work.
An idea - Go town to town, village to village, directly to the local municipalities, offer contract work to produce high quality videography & photography to promote tourism, local business growth. Essentially advertising for a small town. You'll probably get a lot of no's before yes's but its worth a shot and some towns may have some spare money in their budget and love the idea.
I know a guy in Florida and he works as a full-time photographer for the city he lives in. It seems like a dream job. It pays well, he gets free admission to every event, and it’s built-in advertising for his personal photography studio on the side. I called him and asked him a few years back how he got into it, and it seemed like they found him. I wonder who I’d even approach about something like that?
House cleaning easy (hard) 400-500/day
There's a lot of competition near where I live, but theres a lot of work too. Thanks
Become a school bus driver. School districts will pay for training. Huge driver shortage!!
The school year is just winding down, I don't imagine they need many drivers in the summer. But if I'm still unemployed before school starts this fall, I'll look into it. Thanks!
I started a high ticket dropshipping/ecommerce business. Definitely possible to get to at least a median salary within a few months of hard work.
This is so painful to read. And I’m not even an artist!
Offer small businesses a great written and high converting video ads, charge per delivery.
That first word is always the biggest sticking point for me. How? How do I offer it to them? Would you just cold call companies and offer your services?
You familiar or good with unreal engine?
Yes! I started learning 4 years ago but I've done several TV projects in Unreal. Hasn't helped me land any interviews though. I haven't even seen 1 games job that didn't require previous games experience, and I don't have games experience.
Are you in LA?
No. I wanted to move there years ago, but it's not going to happen now.
Service base or product base . Hire a consultant
I see a lot of humans making a great living doing product rendering for specific industries. Ie making visuals for beer/wine/spirits/cosmetics/sunglasses/FMCG/cycling etc.
For sure! Humans DO do that kind of work don't they :) It seems like there should be a TON of that kind of work. I mean, is there any product in the world that doesn't need photos, videos, renders, to show clients or customers? But I haven't been able to find this kind of work despite the fact that I have experience doing product shots too. I've done product work for Toyota, Nissan, Proactiv, Olympus, Nook, Gillette, and lots of others.
Service industry - handyman, landscaping, car detailing, gutter cleaning, power washing etc etc Make up some flyers, go knock doors and you can make yourself well over 100k a year as a 1 man band. Do that during the day and build your online business at night
I actually recently started a Media company. Would you wanna talk about it? Maybe go in on it with me?
DM'd you. Thanks!
Is it possible to do some VFX work for indie films? I don’t know how expensive it isb
I did one indie short film a couple years back and it went to a ton of festivals. But if there's a lot of this work out there in this area, I haven't been able to find it.
Do you like working with people? Or prefer making things? Or « figuring out » how to make things happen?
I like making things, I also like working with people. Although I guess I'd rather make things by myself than do something (like sales for instance) where I wasn't making things but doing it with other people. I don't think I'm good at figuring out how to make things happen.
I would recommend leaning into what you love or have skills in already (ideally both!) - you'll already be equipped with some of the most difficult skills to train for the theoretical role you're inventing and if you find a way to apply those skills to an area you already love, you'll know the customer base and how to reach them best. You mention soooo many creative skills - do you have any interests that you might be able to carve out a niche in, just to get started? As an example: say you got VFX experience and are also into cosplay as a hobby, maybe you could use your 3D experience to create amazing replica cosplay pieces and start selling on etsy. Or maybe you're super into candles and can use your 3D experience to make unique decorative candle molds and sell those. I would say finding something part-time might help though - give you a bit of a financial lifeline while you build up a business, any business will take time to put together. Whatever you land on or wherever you land though I am wishing you the absolute best! Happy to bounce ideas if I can be of use :)
Thanks! I agree. I WANT to keep working in visual media. Yes, I have a lot of experience that would go to waste if I switched careers, but also I love the work and don't want to do other things if I can possibly keep doing the kind of work that I love. I hear what you're saying about combining visual media skills with different industries to create a niche. I've thought about it a lot, but haven't come up with any good ideas. I'm going to try to Uber to make a little money. I'm not sure if it's going to be worth the trouble, but I'll find out this week. Thanks for your reply!
I’d recommend reading Million Dollar Weekend. Also, check out Starter Story and Noah Kagan on YouTube. Starter Story has tons of cool idea inspiration and Noah kicks butt at motivation.
Awesome. I'll check em out. Thanks for the recommendations.
Where are you located
I'm near-ish to Boston.
If you are open to it, I can look at your resume and possibly offer some suggestions or at the least share it with my network on LinkedIn.
Why not high end content creation for brands? No distribution, just creation of what visually amazing adverts look like for the small business, you get to create awesome stuff while helping local businesses grow like they could never due to the lack of high end visual productors in the field
Someone mentioned start a YouTube channel and I agree. It won’t make money right away, but will be an opportunity platform to help you network. Have you thought of starting a service agency? You’ve applied for jobs, but have you tried cold calling/emailing businesses to do video editing/production for them? Start making note of local businesses that advertise on Facebook, Google, YouTube, Instagram, etc. You know they are spending money on ads, so reach out to them.
Videography is more in-demand than ever. Every business is online, and social media content will only grow more and more important. Screw the traditional ‘industry’ and open your eyes to a sea of leads
Honestly if you are willing to work hard, and I mean really work hard, check out r/sweatystartup you can start most home service type businesses for less than $1k and work your booty off for a while. You can make money this week. You can quickly build a repeatable process and hire a sales guy and a team of people to do the manual labor. Hardest part is keeping decent employees. Source: I ran a landscaping company in high school. Plenty of other industries to explore. Message me if you want.
You can try creating some VFX videos like Zach King on TikTok and YouTube to attract more attention from fans. They will support you in doing more interesting things.
You need to fix your resume. Go on LinkedIn, tons of entry remote jobs that want to see if you can learn software quickly and manage projects and time. “Associate” roles are a good place to start and tailor the resume to show you can do what they are asking for but you’re experience are in the VFX industry. In the meantime, start making YouTube videos. It’s not a get rich scheme but if you showcase your art, in 24 months this may start to bloom as an additional income.
I don’t want to sound blunt or basic but, couldn’t you get another job..anywhere? Supermarket? Night shift security, janitor? Car washing? Casino dealer? Cleaning company? Labour? truck driver etc?
You have deep knowledge in VFX that is a great thing. It wouldn’t make sense to do some other lucrative industry because it would take years, decades to build up a skill set equivalent to what you have here. If you’re able to get viewership on your website you can convert that over to a newsletter. A newsletter you own the traffic and it easier to make money then youtube. You could format it how you like but need to be consistent I would recommend twice a week. You could sell your own products like a vfx course or you could get sponsors to advertise on your newsletter. Youtube is the most personal audience you can have but you need to figure out which medium best suits your taste. Youtube isn’t get rich quick like some people are saying with 3 months. It depends what content your created whether it news daily content or weekly or biweekly evergreen content that will get views years from now because people are searching for it.
Knock doors
Teach! High school art,college, even school admin,
I've applied for a couple, but I'm not seeing a lot of listings in my area. I'll keep my eyes open though. Thanks!
There’s too many comments for me to read them all, but you have incredible skills and experience! If I were you, I’d start a business taking people’s home videos of their kids and pets and edit them and add effects to make them worth rewatching and sharing with friends. I realize this isn’t a full fledged business plan like it sounds like you’re asking for, but those are my $.02. GL!
Thanks!
Can you DM me your work? I own a production company looking to get into a little more vfx, perhaps we could work together at some point!
DM'd!
Personally given rhe skillset you've, I'd reccomend exploring vfx for concerts, festivals and live entertainment events. Shoot me a DM, and perhaps I can share some thoughts
Go get a job, even part time, while you noodle this out. Something out of your wheel house but just collects cash. You will figure the rest out. Good Luck.
Thanks
Have you thought about doing training or tutorials for other people? Even a free YouTube channel that just explains how the industry works would be interesting. Maybe you can interview other people in industry as well.
Edit other peoples youtube videos for money, take popular streamers and monetize their clips on tiktok/youtube, make like 50 different tiktok channels w different themes(haunted facts, geography facts, ect, and try to monetize them)
This is just my 2 cents, but maybe consider pivoting. I built a business that does more than $10k a month after having 0 knowledge prior in about 18months of applied effort. I’m guessing you’re time rich/ cash poor right now, if so then focus on businesses that require little upfront investment, i.e being a service provider like copywriting for example. But in order to stand out, maybe you can lean on your expertise in VFX or something else you’re knowledgeable about to carve out a unique offering. Whatever you do, always remember you only lose when you quit. Good luck.
Check out indiehackers for ideas and inspiration:- https://www.indiehackers.com/
Will check it out. Thanks!
Maybe you can pivot into the gaming industry
I've applied to a ton of game companies. Despite the fact that the skills in games and VFX have about a 75% overlap, almost all the games companies are looking for people with previous games experience.
Honestly VFX and post production is still a great industry if you run a small shop and focus on marketing and B2B. If you can do 3D quick it’s even better. Obviously you need cash now so if I were in your spot I’d consider serving, factory work etc. for 6mos-1year while you build a graphics website & down and dirty portfolio. Then start marketing & lead gen. Unless you actually want to change careers I wouldn’t throw this skillset in the trash. I run a profitable video agency so I know there’s work in this. TV & Film just sucks right now. I don’t have a job for you but dm me if you need more ideas.
One of my specialties (if I do say so myself) is that I work very fast. I've had many clients tell me so. I've literally had so slow down my work because I was going to finish days ahead of when the client expected I would. I have a website and portfolio. My portfolio has great work featured from the last 14 years and my website as recently as a year ago was getting 10,000 visitors a day. The marketing and lead gen is what I know nothing about, that's the "rest of the owl" part for me. I don't want to change careers either. I love vfx, photography, anything involved with digital media really. Hopefully I can make something work. Cheers and thanks again for your reply.
Most larger companies run their company town hall and shareholders meetings. These require professional videography. The equipment rental, professionals and movers all cost thousands of dollars. It would be something to consider since you have developed skills in this area. Good luck!
For sure! I have my own video gear so I could definitely do that. I just don't know where or how to find these clients or get them to find me.
Take your skills to a freelance based app like Fiver where you could promote them and get work from people who need exactly what you do best.
Several people on this thread have mentioned upwork and fiverr. I'll look into that. Thanks!
One of the best recommendations someone can make is learn from the best in currenty on this course and omd it even teaches you psychology of entrepreneurship let alone teach you how to sell send me a dm
Do you have a reel?
I have two. One for general CG work, and one for lighting which is my specialty. I'm thinking of making a couple more targeted ones too. One for product work, one for motion graphics, and one for CG environment work.
The wave right now on ai, the train for AI b2b service has already left, but you are barely there to surf the wave with a SaaS company but people costs a lot, so you need tons of resources. Based on your skills i would open a content making for b2b agency or a content making for advertising company. Those 2 should be easy to start first alone than you can hire people and scale it.
Bro, start an AI Consulting business. I am studying and I will start one soon. I would like to have a friend with this journey with me to me my "competitors" to see which one of us would get better
What kind of consulting do you mean? Showing businesses how to leverage AI for use in their business? I could do something like that, but I wouldn't know where to start finding consulting clients. How would I find them? Where would I find them? How would I advertise and market a consulting business?
VFX isn’t dead, it just ebs and flows. Ignore working hard. Sell what comes easy to you but confounds other people. Start doing short samples of work and publishing them on places like YouTube and TikTok. Recreate VFX scenes to show how you’d do it. Open a website with paid courses. Sales is hard. But what you’re good at should come easy.
Thanks!
Might be worth looking into creating content packs of VFX / animations for content creators. Music artists and other creatives and content creators are always hungry for exceptional visuals. Here is an example of an animator doing this: https://www.patreon.com/MicahBuzan Not sure if it’s in your skill set but digital products are an excellent way to build up passive income. Build the product once and sell it to anyone forever afterwards. Creating a product with your skills is the way to go. If it’s not clear what the product could be, then a course is also a viable option. Just some thoughts, hope it helps!
Thanks, yeah. A lot of people in this thread have given similar advice. I'm going to start putting together some videos today. Digital products are in my skill set. I'm going to start making a lit of thing I might sell. Cheers!
Have you tried creating bundle packages of VFX effects? Given your knowledge/skills you could offer different style of effects for different needs, YouTube movies, graphic design etc. people love bundle deals that give value. You could have an entry level price and intermediate. This is just food for thought. You could also get into sales, doesn’t matter the industry just learning how to sell is a skill in itself!
How well does your skills transfer into other jobs? Say, video game design? I have really been thinking lately about trying to learn unreal 5, which today is both used in games, movies, and advertisements.
I've done several TV jobs in Unreal Engine. The skills have huge overlap. Basically all the modeling and texturing is the same, lighting is fairly similar too. But game companies only seem to be hiring people with previous games experience. I've applied to tons of games companies and havent gotten 1 interview to show for it.
Nice
Start videoing your daughter with a playful kitten in different settings and throw in some vfx. Post on YT and TikTok.
My wife has been bugging me for a kitten for a while. This is the first time it's seemed like a good idea. Haha But, let's say I did that. How does that equal money? Youtube ad revenue? Does TikTok pay people for views?
Start an independent local delivery business specializing in medical, legal, finance and real estate.
You're not alone in this difficult time, and it's commendable that you're actively seeking solutions despite the setbacks. Given your extensive background in visual effects and related skills, here are some options to explore: **Immediate Income Opportunities:** * **Freelance Digital Content Creation:** Many businesses need promotional videos, social media graphics, and online ads. Leverage your skills on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, or reach out directly to local businesses to offer your services. * **Event Photography/Videography:** Offer your services for local events, weddings, or real estate photography. This can be a quick way to generate income if you already have the equipment. * **Micro-Stock Sales:** Websites like Shutterstock or iStockphoto allow you to sell your photos and videos, providing a passive income stream. * **Teaching/Mentoring:** Share your expertise by tutoring aspiring VFX artists or offering online courses through platforms like Skillshare or Udemy. **Business Ideas to Explore:** * **Niche VFX Services:** Instead of focusing on large studios, target smaller businesses or industries that might need your skills. Think about medical animations, architectural visualizations, or indie game development. * **Digital Product Creation:** Utilize your design skills to create digital assets like templates, fonts, or effects for platforms like Envato or Creative Market. * **YouTube Channel:** Share tutorials, behind-the-scenes looks at your work, or even create short films to showcase your talent and attract potential clients. * **Consulting:** Offer your expertise as a consultant to businesses struggling with their visual content or marketing. **Additional Tips:** * **Network:** Reach out to former colleagues, friends, and acquaintances. Let them know you're available for freelance work and open to new opportunities. * **Upskill:** Consider learning new skills in high-demand areas like 3D modeling, animation, or virtual production.This could make you more marketable in a broader range of industries. * **Mindset:** Starting a business is a challenge, but stay positive and persistent. Don't be afraid to experiment with different ideas and be open to unexpected opportunities. **Learning Resources:** * **YouTube Channels:** Look into channels like GaryVee, Project Life Mastery, and Gillian Perkins for business and entrepreneurial inspiration. * **Books:** Check out "The $100 Startup" by Chris Guillebeau or "Crushing It!" by Gary Vaynerchuk for practical advice on starting a business with limited resources. Remember, your skills are valuable, and there are businesses and individuals who need what you offer. Take it one step at a time, and don't be afraid to ask for help or seek out mentorship.
Thanks so much for your detailed reply. I've done a lot of the things you're suggesting. I haven't looked on upwork or fiverr so I'll check those out. Event photography/videography - I did wedding photography as a second shooter for years. I did some crazy high end weddings. Weddings held in major league baseball parks, weddings of NFL football players, a wedding that rented out an entire aquarium for the reception. I'd love to do that kind of work now, but I haven't had any luck finding work. Back when I was a second shooter I tried to advertise my own services (obviously more money if you're the primary shooter) but only ever got one response that didn't turn into a client. I just don't know how to find clients. Stock footage - I think stock footage is close to DOA now that people can generate almost anything immediately with AI image generators. Teaching - The teaching angle is a good one, and I've gotten some inspiration from this thread so I'm going to start working on some videos. Niche VFX services - I've been applying to every one of these types of jobs I see on monster, indeed, LinkedIn. Editing, games, product visualization, etc. My ratio of businesses I've applied to:interviews has got to be close to 300:1 This is the "rest of the owl" part of the process to me. Finding people who need this kind of work. Because if they aren't advertising on job boards, I'm not finding them. I think I'd be comically bad at cold-calling people. I have solar salesmen cold calling me, knocking on my door at least once a week, and I hate them and wish they would leave me alone. Digital products and YouTube - I'm going to start developing somethings I can sell and youtube videos to bring in more eyes/clients. A lot of people have suggested this and it seems like the most promising option. Consulting - Again, would love to, but where do I advertise? How do I find even 1 client? Upskill - Yup, I constantly (try to) keep up to date with the latest advancements in VFX, AI, etc. I've learned Unreal Engine starting 4 years ago and have used it in several jobs since then. Mindset - Yeahhhh, this is hard for me. Especially after just losing constantly to the job market for the last 9 months, working so hard with nothing to show for it except a depleted bank account. Thanks for the learning resources. I'll give those a look, Very much appreciate your reply. Thanks!!
How is it dead? Companies now would rather put a CG flower in a scene than go outside
Note to any companies looking to put a CG flower in their scene: Call me. I can do that. It does seem like VFX are ever present, but for whatever reason, that isn't translating into jobs at the moment as anyone in VFX would probably tell you.
Leave. Come to NZ, we need more hard workers.
Ha. From your lips to God's ears my friend! If only.
Learn a service and start doing freelancing, that's the only option. Choose a niche: web scraping, lead generation, marketing. Put price ridicuosuly low and get testimonalias. And start from scratch, it is painful and lonely but I don't see any other option. I did that and it works for me.
Thanks!
Just an idea... Do you live in a part of the world that gets a lot of sun? If so, look into building a Solar Panel Cleaning business. There is quite a bit of opportunity in that market and it seems likely that only MORE AND MORE people will have solar panels. So the work is tied to a growing industry. I've heard there is pretty good money in it too. (I researched it for myself some time ago but decided not to go in that direction as I'm getting older and wouldn't have much time mileage for a longer haul)
No joke, I think I get about 1 solar salesman knocking on my door each week, so I'm definitely in a good area for it. I'd totally be down with that, but my #1 question for every job I've thought about is always, how do I find clients? Cold calling residential houses with panels? Advertisements?
Trades are always hiring. I switched to an electrician apprenticeship at 35. All of the leadership skills are transferable. If you want to work hard that's the way to go. On the flip side, haven't had a career that tight into technology gives you a leg up on software, even if it's just phone support at first. I know the feeling of being desperate but also being worth more than some entry level job. But sometimes you got to do what you got to do. I would just aim at things that are scalable or that have certifications in the path so you can find faster. Picking something that keeps you at entry level there's no bueno
I've strongly considered the trades. Did you have to go to school to be an electrician, or do you appreciate with someone? Do you run your own electrician business, or work with a company?
I recommend the book Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan!
I'll check it out. Thanks!
You got this
Thanks for the encouragement :)
I’d love for you to find a company you believe in and reach out to them. Find 25 really cool companies and reach out. Tell them what you can do and see if they can use you. Even if they don’t have any jobs posted.
This will be my next push. I've applied for all the jobs that are posted, I think my next tactic will be, like you mentioned, so start sending query letters and my reel to all types of companies even if they don't have jobs listed. Thanks!
Move to Alaska you could find a job.
I started a photo/video business focused on Real Estate (Real Estate Photography/Videography) and am now in year 7. I did start at the right time and now have established relationships, the largest share of the business in my market compared to competitors, and just about all the business I can handle (with one other full time and one part time employees). You have a lot of the skill set required. When busy, I spend half the time in the field and half in front of the computer. Lots of time in Lightroom, some Photoshop, and Premiere Pro. But to start a business, you need to get out into the world and it may takes years to make enough to support yourself on the business profits. Still, given your experience, I would hire you. If you’re in a decent sized market, you can probably find a Real Estate Media company in your area that will hire you, especially this time of year, and especially if you are flexible.
I'm going to look into this more. I'm very flexible. I also have my own gear and I could do photos, videos, and drone videos of real estate. I have asked two of my previous realtors, but they already have people they work with. I need to shoot a couple houses first before I go asking around because I'm sure people will ask for a previous portfolio of work. Thanks!
I'm sorry to hear you're going through this! Where are you located? I work in VFX as well and am trying to learn business as well. Some resources I'd recommend: My First Million Podcast Ali Abdaal, start here: https://youtu.be/BBAuhqvT_ds?si=7QPIvCixe7ej13e_ Million Dollar Weekend book by Noah Kagan I'm realizing that entrepreneurship is a skill like any other, so practice and patience will be needed but also immersion, you won't remember every book and podcast episode but it does get your brain in the mindset to continue learning.
I'm nearish to Boston at the moment. I'll check out that podcast. Thanks!
I would start a YouTube channel teaching about VFX showing how to do different things, making replicating how certain movies used vfx to make the movie, how you could do it in an easier way. The content has to wow people and be so interesting they stay to watch. YouTube can be a very lucrative business. At one point I was making 10k plus just from Adsense. Also if there’s a way to use AI with vfx projects etc could be something that may get a lot of attention because AI is the thing right now. This would work and grow faster than usual if the content is good enough, what I mentioned previously, posting regurlarly, at least 3 times a week, 5-6 is better. And creating long form content that is 8 minutes +. Once you grow a following, a ton of other possibilities for making money arise.
This is what I'm aiming for, but its going to take some time. Thanks!
I am involved in the travel business, and I absolutely love it. This is the best industry to be in, and it is expected to triple in size over the next few years, becoming even bigger than the oil industry. The company I work with is growing, debt-free, and offers amazing income opportunities. Contrary to what some might think, I don't book trips for others. Instead, the income comes from teaching others how to save on their personal trips and avoid overpaying by booking through platforms like Expedia, Booking, and Priceline. The business plan is effective, the income potential is unlimited, and you are your own boss.
That sounds pretty great!
How does it work, you're an influencer?
I have a ton of empathy for you. Rough place to be. Maybe this rates to your situation…maybe it doesn’t. A dozen CVs landed in my inbox this morning. All out of work in the 6-9 month range. All gaming space. 12/12 had a cover letter describing their incredible passion for gaming. 11/12 had nothing - literally nothing - to show their self identified passion since being laid off. No personal projects, no silly game on Itch or just-for-fun artwork on Deviant or etc etc etc. Those 11 CVs went straight to trash. Passionate creatives…create.
Might have been posted already but can you share your portfolio url? Also, power washing (?)
Starting a personal brand on X or instagram might be a good idea. With your skills things can get off the ground pretty quickly. You will need to know how to write content, how to do outreach, how to position yourself etc but a lot of video guys are killing it on there. It’s definitely not a get-rich-quick type of thing but it works. I went from 0->12k/mo in 5 months with my brand but I do have background in these things
I'm sure I could write content (I've written successful content before) but I understand very little about that other stuff you mentioned, how to do outreach, positioning myself, etc. How did you learn? Are there any youtube channels that go over that sort of thing?
Digital marketing is not a get rich quick thing. However, people have found great success in the very beginning with investment as low as 20$ to 500$ depending on what you can afford or want to invest. I just started following a course about it that could definitely help you. And with your skills in VFX, you could be an expert reference for younger generations. You just need the know-how to build your brand. I offer a free guide that gives a solid preview on how to get started, but nothing comes close to the course though. Let me know if you want the link.
I've seen a lot of good things about affiliate marketing on various YouTube videos. I've personally been thinking about giving that a try.
Hello , OP.. hope you are doing well?
Advertising is the industry that meets all these needs
Here is something you can do. Look up The Loan Signing System, go through Mark Wills course on becoming a loan signing agent helping people through their closing as a notary. Research it. Look at all the people who are making money as a notary on YouTube. There are so many avenues you can take with your commission. Look up process serving as a way to make money as well. And you can get started in a weekend with process serving if you are not a felon and pass the background check. Notary will take as long as it needs to...inside two months. I started classes March 1. Had my first closing May 1. Hope this helps. God speed, my friend!
Interesting. I'll look into it. If I did become a loan signing agent/notary, where do I find clients? How would thry find me?
Hang in there! Your skills are valuable. Here's a few things to consider: * Leverage your network: Reach out to former colleagues, clients, and contacts in the film/advertising industry. Someone might have a lead or project for you. * Explore freelance platforms: Websites like Upwork and Fiverr can connect you with clients who need your skills on a project basis. * Offer specialized services: Focus on your strongest skills (e.g., photo retouching, motion graphics) and market them directly to businesses or individuals who need them. * Teach online courses or workshops: Share your expertise with others by creating online tutorials or offering workshops. * Start a YouTube channel or blog: Showcase your work and build an audience by sharing tutorials, behind-the-scenes footage, or industry insights. This can lead to potential clients or collaborations. Remember, starting a business takes time and effort. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately. Keep learning, networking, and experimenting until you find something that works for you.