In Response to In Defense Of “Difficult Clients”

Creatives need to develop a collective backbone!

This morning I read a blog post by Alexander Fox titled In Defense of “Difficult Clients” that was linked to by Art of the Guillotine on Twitter. Like any creative in today’s market I too have had “difficult clients” so I figured I would give it a quick read, hear some familiar stories and smile knowing that I’m not alone. After reading the article I’m frankly shocked that other creatives would put so much stock in their clients to discount their own worth as both creatives and professionals.

Just to preface this response — I’ve been a creative since I was 14 years old. Initially working crew and PA gigs in Toronto’s film scene. Eventually I moved into (and stayed in) post production, and some freelance design work. My career thus far has taken me from working for small boutique studios to working camera department for Canadian director Atom Egoyan, to even workflow and post production for Beyonce a couple of years back. Its been a good ride thus far with drama, speedbumps, and a lot of learning, but I’ve been fortunate in that I get to geek out behind my computer like a nerd working on some pretty cool projects along the way.

Now before I go off on Mr. Fox — I will agree with him on a few things:

1. Venting in an inappropriate manner is unprofessional, I agree with that. Calling out clients who are not knowledgeable and don’t know any better in the creative realm is a bad move. Client shaming is never a good road to go down because prospective clients will always be weary of hiring you for fear of being shamed online in a public forum. That being said, the point of social media services like Twitter and Facebook is to share personal thoughts and moments. Whether you’re sharing a meal at a fancy restaurant or complaining about being in bed sick (like I have the last few days) — as long as it is taking place on your personal account and nobody is being explicitly named — its fair game.
2. “Don’t expect it to be easy” — AGREED! Nothing in life is easy, especially living a creative lifestyle freelancing. No arguments here.

Where I start to disagree with you is your statement “ It’s probably your fault.” Wow, that isn’t at all brash…

It’s probably your fault. If your client isn’t aware of your scheduling boundaries, or they can’t use the technology, or they weren’t clear on how much you’re charging, or they don’t understand your suggestions, you didn’t do your job.

Avoid jargon. Your clients are probably specialists in marketing, advertising, public relations or business. If they were experts in your field, they wouldn’t need you. Therefore, they may not be clear on the difference between a “frame,” a “shot,” and a “clip.” They may not not know what a “lavalier” microphone is, the difference between a “storyboard” and a “shot list,” or why a JPG embedded in a Word document is not the best way to send a logo. So, either explain it to them, or figure out a different approach.

I’m sure plenty of people disagree with me about this, but I believe that keeping a client happy is more important than getting every penny you’re owed.

These above three quotes really angered me. Just the other week I was introduced to a new client and outlined in my introduction email to him what kind of work I do and don’t do. We followed up on that email with a phone call that lasted about 30 minutes where I reiterated my specific services and what I was willing to do for his company. A few days later the client contacted me for work doing the very thing that I had explained both in writing and in a conversation that I don’t do! This wasn’t a case of me being unclear, this was a case of a client not paying attention to me (A creative). For whatever reason creatives don’t get much credit in the world. People don’t pay attention to the things we say, and when everything goes to hell we often take the blame. The only way to combat this is to be the opposite of everything that Mr. Fox suggests and have a backbone. Be heard. Fight for the work you want to do and avoid the work that won’t get you ahead. Considering the amount of time and effort that goes into these projects — to look back on them with disdain because of an uncooperative client who doesn’t operate in good faith is never a good move. Know what you’re getting into, be clear. If the client doesn’t pay attention to your carefully considered words that isn’t on you. Just be sure to get everything in writing.

To your point of avoiding jargon, that is not what creative people are supposed to do. Creatives are in a weird position within society whereby they are often on the defensive trying to explain why they get paid what they do for the work that they produce as opposed to other professions where it is expected that you are paid for your time. Period. A part of this is using jargon. How would you feel if you spoke to a doctor about your medical condition and they didn’t use a single professional term to describe your anatomy, the sensations that you’re feeling or the prescribed course of treatment? You wouldn’t look at them with any respect and would question the quality of service that you received. Now of course for clients that are less technically savvy it would be beneficial to relate some of these terms and explanations in a manner that is easier to understand — but to not use any technical jargon related to your field of focus is incredibly unprofessional. Additionally if a client wants to engage in a creative campaign there should be an understanding that they are willing to speak the same language as their employees. Have you ever seen a CEO that understands the intricacies of their products but doesn’t know the financial terms that their CFO use? Preparation for everyone involved is key.

The third quote above is what really made me want to write this post above all. “ I’m sure plenty of people disagree with me about this, but I believe that keeping a client happy is more important than getting every penny you’re owed. “

WRONG! HORRIBLE ADVICE! NO!

If a client doesn’t respect you enough to pay what you have agreed on and what you as a creative are worth then they are in fact, a HORRIBLE client! When have you ever hired a lawyer and NOT paid their agreed upon hourly rate? You wouldn’t dare do that to an almighty lawyer! So why is it okay for creatives to have that happen? Is getting 75% of your wage paid on more gigs better than being paid 100% on one? No. If you enter into an agreement with a client for a set amount of work for a certain wage and you deliver that work, you had better be paid in FULL!

This right here is why the creative industries are in such disarray! Not only are clients constantly trying to get out of paying for quality work produced by professionals that love and understand their craft but now other creatives are saying “Hey only pay what you want — I want YOU to be happy!” This is a horribly dangerous precedent to set and quite frankly why the industry is garbage these days.

Speaking personally again — I was one of the first people in Canada to get my hands on the RED camera. I had a few friends and colleagues that bought them sight unseen, and had planned some productions around them. I was on board to figure out a decent workflow and get things moving for a few high budget shorts when the camera first launched. I was paid for my time doing the research as well as post production on the projects. Keeping in mind that the costs for post production included storage for the huge amounts of RAW footage, the processing power needed to take advantage of this new type of camera as well as my time of course to do the edit. It was fairly expensive in those days but rightfully so since it required lots of time, expertise, and not many people were able to help out since the cameras themselves were only available in very limited numbers. Because these cameras are much better priced today than they were years ago for their first version clients wrongfully assume that their budgets can appropriately shrink as well. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Fast, reliable storage for RED projects is still costly, and the necessities of film production still hold true: you need great lighting, sound, DPs, colorists, and editors to pull things together. Just because a piece of equipment has gotten cheaper doesn’t mean everything else has to. I still get cold calls from people in the local indie scene trying to get me to work for rates that wouldn’t cover the costs of the hard drives I’d need. Should I work for horrible rates to keep a “client” happy?

In another personal case I was stiffed by one of the biggest singers on earth for my services and had to pursue that singer’s producers/management for months in order to get paid. My services were integral in making the project a reality since I had come into it last minute on the first day of shooting where none of the cameras had been picked up, tested, or set up on location. For a ten RED multicam shoot over four nights that’s a pretty big deal. I did great work that helped the project succeed and the client was happy despite not paying me. Should I have accepted that and hoped for more work? The singer and their spouse are worth $775 Million. As long as they're happy — clearly I should have rolled over and not been paid what I was owed /sarcasm.

Just as an aside — this link on Motionographer recounts one designer’s ordeal with studio Prologue when they didn’t want to pay according to the terms of their contract, and his solution to the problem.

Mr. Fox said as a closing statement “be grateful that you have the opportunity to make a living doing something creative.” I have a question in response: Why should I be grateful to do something that I worked toward my entire life? I put in the time, put my social life on hold, made the considerable investment in my equipment and networking and paid my dues coming up in the industry. After busting our collective asses our entire lives I truly think that dedicated creatives are owed the chance to work at something they enjoy and not be taken advantage of. Nobody handed these careers to us on a silver platter. Every step forward is a battle and we earn our keep every day. Who am I supposed to be grateful to, again?

The creative industry is a symbiotic one. People with money often don’t have a creative bone in their body and look to spend as little as possible. Creative people due to articles like the one written by Mr. Fox often roll over and take abuse even when its unwarranted. That isn’t right. Creatives should be charging what they are worth, and be comfortable doing great work for the right pay. Clients should stop trying to screw over freelancers and the people who ultimately make them and their brand look cool. I don’t have a quick fix for the industry other than standing up for yourself and keep on producing quality work to justify those rates, and educating everyone out there as to why working in a creative context is no different than being a lawyer, doctor, or even the chef at McDonalds who gets an hourly wage no questions asked.