RIP Craigslist: Recent Changes Impact Freelancers and Clients
When Craigslist announced that it was shutting down the “Personals” section of it’s website due to a new anti-trafficking law, people took notice. What seems to have gone under the radar is the other recent death of Craigslist: Craigslist is now charging not only for freelancers to post their wares under the “services” section, but also for potential clients to post their needs under the “gigs” section. In a word, ouch.
When I was first starting out as a freelance film lady, Craigslist was my entryway into paid work. It wasn’t always the highest paying, but as someone learning how to navigate the world of professional film production it was essential to be able to practice my craft while getting paid. I would monitor it frequently and respond to every video related gig that I was remotely qualified for. As I developed my website, my reel, and my kit, there came a certain point where I knew that I could get the gigs that I went after. By pursuing these aggressively and embracing a sliding scale business model for that phase of my career, I was able to fill a full time schedule with video editing and videography gigs. Eventually, I was able to build my network outside of Craigslist and I needed it less and less. I considered it a great free resource for business procurement and kind of assumed it would always be there if and when I ever needed it again. I recommended it to everyone from film students starting out, to veteran graphic designers looking to expand their client base.
So given these new charges the question becomes, how will this change things for freelance filmmakers and other contract based professionals? On the one hand, if you decide to pay the $5.00 fee to post an ad, it won’t get buried in a sea of spam. Oh joy! The problem is that the best place for freelancers to go wasn’t necessarily the “services” section. It is much more effective to respond directly to clients seeking your services in the “gigs” section, which now also charges a (typically) $5.00 fee for posting. Now potential clients have to weigh costs and benefits. Will Craigslist be worth the $5.00 and find me the best person for the job? Or are can I find someone of the same or better caliber somewhere for free?
The draw of Craigslist was the one stop shop factor. On Craigslist, users could find everything from a comfy chair, a job, a bike, a date, a life-sized cardboard cutout of Elvis, a place to live, and a documentary filmmaker to portray the drama and beauty of your daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. And more. With the new policies, its audience will be dispersing and people will have to find creative new ways to get the services and gigs they’re looking for.
I hope that Craiglist will at the very least loosen up its policy to allow clients to post for free, but that doesn’t seem likely. Maybe there is something ready to fill the void just over the horizon… but who knows? In the meantime, the onus appears to be on us to build communities that bring people together.
If you are a client considering embarking on a new production journey, please feel free to reach out for a conversation. Whatever your production needs are, I can connect you to the people in Chicago and beyond who can get the job done.
If you are a filmmaker looking to strengthen your ties to other production professionals, please also don’t hesitate to reach out. We need to stick together, now more than ever.
-Film Lady
