Adolfo Hernandez, a VFS Sound Design for Visual Media graduate, recently returned to his alma mater to share his experiences as a professional sound designer, with a special focus on the Latin American market.

2. Reality of being freelance
CONS
• You don’t get paid when you go on holiday.
• You don’t get sick pay or medical attention. (IMSS-MEXICO)
• You won’t have a regular monthly pay cheque – but your bills will still come in every month.
• You’ll have ‘feast or famine’: either you’ll be working flat out or you’ll have no work at all.
• Some clients will be late payers, so you’ll have to chase them for money. (contracts by a lawyer, NOT YOU!,Heroes Verdaderos)
• If you want to keep your skills up to date, you’ll have to pay for your own training from now on. (administration diploma)
• It’s now all down to you: you are the sales manager, coffee maker, stationery buyer etc etc.
• It can be lonely working on your own. (ONE MAN JOB)
• You won’t have any colleagues to bat creative ideas around with, or to help you out when you get stuck. (depends, social
networks)
• You won’t have any office chit chat. (you dont waste time)
DIFFICULT TO GET BANK LOANS
It’s simply a matter of weighing the pros and cons. Being freelance isn’t for everyone and I know people who would HATE to be stuck
in a spare room at home working on their own. However, in my experience, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.
Monday, August 27, 2012

3. PROS OF BEING A FREELANCE
1. Flexibility of hours - Working from home or from a remote workplace as a freelancer allows you to dictate your own hours and work
at times most convenient to you. Freelancers with young children, for instance, can work after the children are sleeping; freelancers
with traditional employment or part-time jobs can perform their freelance work around their regular work hours. You can work when
you are most productive or load up on work now to have some "me" time later. (WORK NIGHTS)
2. Building an asset - Owning and operating a successful freelance business allows you to create an asset than may be saleable down the
road. Your efforts may be rewarded not only through the present income you generate. Your reputation, client list and other business
assets can net you additional income if you sell your successful business to another. (USE YOUR SOUND BUSINESS AROUND THE
WORLD)
3. Work load control - As a freelance worker, you can control your work load. While client demands can, at times, dictate your schedule,
you can turn away work during busy times or accept more work during lean times. (REMEMBER YOU ARE YOUR OWN BOSS)
Monday, August 27, 2012

4. PROS OF BEING A FREELANCE
4. Autonomy - Freelancers are highly autonomous. As business owners, they generally answer to no one (other than their clients)
and operate on their own terms, at their own hours and at the rates they establish.
5. Quality of work - In some cases, particularly for sound work, work as a freelancer may be more fulfilling than the work assigned
by a at a big studio. For example, new sound school grads in big post production studios often perform monotonous tasks such as
serving coffee, basic sound editing; while a freelance sound designer may gain more challenging assignments such as supervising the
sound editing of a movie.
6. National exposure - Freelancers are not geographically confined or limited to serving local clients; you can work for clients
across the country or across the globe. This international exposure can open doors to new clients and new opportunities.
Monday, August 27, 2012

5. PROS OF BEING A FREELANCE
7. New skills - As a freelancer, you will learn new skills out of necessity that you might not gain as a traditional legal employee.
These skills may include marketing, sales, office management and client development as well as knowledge in a broad range of
practice areas.
8. No office politics - Office politics are non-existent for solo freelancers. If you work alone, you are guaranteed to have the corner
office. You are not required to attend time-wasting meetings.
9. No commute - Working from home eliminates the daily commute to and from the office, saving you hours in travel time and the
expenses of parking, fuel and car maintenance. Even if you work from a remote office away from home, you can choose a location
that is convenient and close to home.
Monday, August 27, 2012

6. PROS OF BEING A FREELANCE
10. Freedom - As a freelancer, you can choose the clients you wish to work with and the projects on which you work, particularly if you
have an excess of work. You can drop high maintenance or slow-paying clients or turn down undesirable projects if you desire.
11. Income control - Your income is the direct result of your own efforts rather than being set by a sound studio company. In most cases,
the harder you work, the greater the reward. Your paycheck or bonus will not be capped, reduced or eliminated by your employer,
although it can vary month to month, depending on your efforts and business.
12. Work-life balance - Because we work from home, freelancers often have a better work-life balance. You can spend more time with
your friends, girlfriend or the dog and steal moments to relax and do the things you love. Remember you work so you can have a good
life!!!
Monday, August 27, 2012

7. PROS OF BEING A FREELANCE
13. Respect - Achieving success as a business owner adds an additional layer of accomplishment and respect to your title of
freelance sound designer.
14. Tax benefits - Working as a freelancer from a home office can provide certain tax benefits including write-offs for your home
office space, equipment and other business costs. For all mexican and latin american sound designers, if you register as a producer
you get more tax benefits.
15. New opportunities - Freelancing can open doors to new clients, new areas of sound design, new skills and new friends.
Freelancing can help establish you as an expert in a niche area of sound.
Monday, August 27, 2012

8. PROS OF BEING A FREELANCE
16. Casual attire - When you work from home and don't meet with clients personally, there is no need to dress up. You can
eliminate the expense of business attire, dry cleaning, manicures and other personal maintenance costs and reduce the time it takes to
"get ready" in the morning.
17. Free parking - Parking costs in some major cities can take a chunk out of your paycheck. Working from home eliminates
parking expenses.
18. Diversification -In today's shrinking sound job market, job loss is not uncommon. However, since most freelancers work for
multiple clients, losing one client does not mean unemployment.
19. Full credit - When you work as a freelancer, you receive full credit for your work. You don't have to worry about the mistakes of
other employees, compromising your work product for the sake of the team or others taking credit for your work.
20. New connections - Freelancing will inevitably bring you into contact with new people including new clients, mentors, business
associates and others.
Monday, August 27, 2012

9. MEXICO SOUND MARKET
IMCINE- MEXICAN INSTITUTION OF
CINEMATOGRAPHY
- MEXICAN GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN SUPPORTING MOVIES SINCE THE 90´S.
- FROM 1991 TO 2000 THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED 297 MOVIES.
- FROM 2001 TO 2010 THEY DID 492 MOVIES.
- THIS IS RATE KEEPS GROWING EVERY YEAR.
Monday, August 27, 2012

10. IMCINE PROGRAMS
- FOPROCINE
- FIDECINE
- EFICINE
- CREATIVE PROGRAM
- SHORT FILM PRODUCTION PROGRAM
- IMCINE PRODUCTION PROGRAM
MEXICAN GOVERNMENT INVESTED 65 MILLION DOLLARS FOR FILMMAKING.
Monday, August 27, 2012

11. IMCINE
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12. IMCINE
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13. IMCINE
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14. MEXICO SOUND MARKET
EFICINE
- MEXICAN GOVERNMENT TAX SUPPORT BASED ON THE 226 CONSTITUTION ARTICLE THAT SUPPORTS THE
PRODUCTION OR POST PRODUCTION OF ANIMATION, FICTION OR DOCUMENTARIES FEATURE FILMS.
- MEXICAN GOVERNMENT GIVES AWAY 45 MILLION DOLLARS WITH THIS TAX SUPPORT.
- EVERY PORJECT CAN RECEIVE A 20 MILLION PESOS SUPPORT (1.6 MILLION DOLLARS)
- 40% NEW DIRECTORS MOVIES, 8.7 % ANIMATION MOVIES AND 6% DOCUMENTARIES. .
- EVERY YEAR THE LIST OF MOVIES THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY THE GOVERNMENT ARE RELEASED AT THEIR
WEBSITE.
Monday, August 27, 2012

15. MEXICO SOUND MARKET
IBERMEDIA
- IBEROAMERICAN FILM FUND THAT EXISTS SINCE 1997.
- PROGRAM FOR IBEROAMERICAN FILM COPRODUCTION.
- 18 COUNTRIES PARTICPATE IN THIS PROGRAM ( COSTA RICA, CUBA, CHILE, ECUADOR, PUERTO RICO,
REPÚBLICA DOMINICANA, GUATEMALA, MEXICO, PANAMA, PERÚ, PORTUGAL, VENEZUELA, ARGENTINA, BRASIL,
SPAIN, COLOMBIA, BOLIVIA,
Monday, August 27, 2012

16. IMCINE
2011
- 88 feature films productions.
- 20 short films productions.
- 48 creative support programs
- 40 creative documentary programs through CHANNEL 22 and FOPROCINE
WHAT DOES
IT MEAN FOR
SOUND
PEOPLE?
Monday, August 27, 2012

17. DEMO REEL
- FIRST OF ALL WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? GAMES, FILM, MUSIC?
- A LOT OF PRODUCERS DONT LIKE TO SEE A 10 MINUTE REEL
- BUILD THE PERFECT BAIT FOR EACH PRODUCER OR CLIENT
- RESEARCH ABOUT THE CLIENT OR COMPANY
- SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO BUILD NEW STUFF FOR EACH INTERVIEW
- MAKE IT LOOK NICE! (DVD BOX, CARD, WEBSITE) ASK FOR HELP
- CHOOSE SOUND MOMENTS ( DIALOG, SFX, SPECIFIC SFX, BGS)
- NEVER SAY NO TO A CLIENT, YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE CAN YOU GET WITH HIM.
- WHEN YOU START USE YOUR VFS NETWORK ITS A BIG TOOL. RESEARCH OR ASK ABOUT THE GRADUATES,
WHERE ARE THEY WORKING NOW.
- IMDB CREDITS / RESUME
Monday, August 27, 2012

18. HOME STUDIO
- DO YOU REALLY NEED A $15,000 DOLLAR EQUIPMENT?
STUDIOS CONFIGURATIONS NOWADAY
Monday, August 27, 2012

19. CLIENTS
- MY BEST CLIENTS ARE ANIMATION VFS GRADUATES:
1.- LUNA ANIMATION SHORT FILM WHICH WON THE ARIEL.
2.- BICEAVENTURAS ANIMATION SERIES (13 CHAPTERS)
3.- CONGRESO ANIMATION SERIES ( 30 CHAPTERS)
4.- FALABELLA ANIMATION VIDEOS (30 VIDEOS)
3.- 3 PINTAMONOS ANIMATION SHORT FILMS
SINCE I GRADUATE VFS I HAVE WORKED FOR:
1.- 3 ANIMATION GRADUATES
2.- 3 FILM PRODUCTIONS GRADUATES
3.- 1 ACTING CAMPUS GRADUATE
4.- 2 FOUNDATION GRADUATES
Monday, August 27, 2012

20. SOCIAL NETWORKS
FACEBOOK
VFS SOUND DESIGN GROUP
VFS MEXICO
IMDB SOUND EFFECTS BIBLE
MASTERS OF SOUND TWITTER
Monday, August 27, 2012