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10 Benefits of Using a Freelance Crew
Freelance crews aren’t tethered to a single company or client. They work for many different companies at different times, making them distinct from in-house teams. In fact, the majority of the crews that we work with here at Crews Control are freelance teams. Their flexibility and incredible breadth of knowledge offer these freelance crews benefits that other teams simply cannot offer.
We spoke with our very own Vice President of Production, Valerie Nolan, about some of the specific perks of using a freelance crew for your next video shoot:
1. Can Be Used On Location
The convenience of a freelance crew means that you can use them only for shoots at a particularly challenging location. “Even if someone has an in-house crew, they can still pick up a freelance crew on location”, Nolan said. This offers a convenient option for many corporations.
2. Not Everyone Has an In-House Crew
“Some people don’t have an in-house crew, so they have to use a freelance one,” according to Nolan. This actually applies to the majority of clients we work with at Crews Control. When faced with the alternative of hiring and maintaining an in-house crew, freelancers are the perfect solution.
3. In-House Crews Aren’t Always Available
If you do have an in-house crew, it simply might not be convenient to have them work on a specific shoot. If you’re filming hundreds of miles away from the office, for example, paying them to fly out is extremely expensive. Using a freelance crew is a quick and simple alternative. And if the location is outside your home country, you may need to arrange work visas and carnets.
4. Less Additional Costs
Your organization will save a lot of money by using a local freelance crew versus an in-house one. You’ll save money on travel expenses such as plane tickets, rental cars, and hotels, plus things like employee benefits and bonuses.
5. No Wasted Time
“When you don’t have to fly people out to a location, your employees can work on projects in the office,” Nolan said. This is much more efficient that having your team travel and work on a shoot since there is a lot of wasted time on travel days.
6. Pay Per Shoot
You don’t need to pay freelance crews a salary or benefits of any kind. All you pay for is the shoot they work, saving you money and keeping costs simple.
7. Doesn’t Add to Your Employee Count
Many corporations have a maximum number of employees or hours that can work for them. Going over these limits may reduce tax benefits or even cause fines. According to Nolan, “freelancing allows for supplementing the department and offers a chance to fulfill different production needs.”
8. They Have Skills You Don’t
While your organization might have the necessary equipment for a shoot, you might not have enough to make it special. Freelance crews, on the other hand, can add special effects like underwater or 360-degree shots.
9. Access to New Formats
Many crews are way ahead of the game when it comes keeping up with the latest cameras. Nolan believes freelancers offer you access to these formats at a reasonable cost: “Using a freelancer is not a huge investment in infrastructure when it comes to attaining a certain format you had not purchased yet but would like to try or would enhance a specific project look.”
10. Deep Knowledge of an Area
When you use a local crew on location, you get a wealth of information about the area. Nolan notes that Crews Control clients love using local crews because “the crew may have some suggestions for location specific shots and the added perk that they know where all the best restaurants are.”
If you’re ready to use a freelance crew for your next shoot, click here for a free quote!
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