Stop Work-For-Hire Forum

How has the recession affected you?

2009-03-05T07:36:02-05:00

The recession looks different depending on what you do and where you conduct business. We’d like to know how our colleagues in the creative industry are faring ...

Please include:
• What you do (painter, web designer, writer, programmer, illustrator, photographer, account executive, etc)
• Where you are located

Burnout: How do you cope?

2009-07-20T08:32:55-05:00

Share your methods of dealing with creative “burnout”.

Brand Guidelines can hurt design solutions

2009-07-13T15:07:34-05:00

The inflexibility of (most) brand guidelines can actually hurt potential solutions. What other examples can you identify?

The Art World is a Sham

2009-05-12T12:20:28-05:00

From “genius” children to over-exposed “masters”, the art world has proven that all it takes to be a “great” artist is a good salesman and really really ignorant “collector” with loads of disposable income.

Web Education

2009-02-15T16:36:17-05:00

What needs to be done to improve the state of web education in our nation’s institutions of higher learning?

Giving Away The Farm - Source Materials are not “free”

2008-12-03T13:51:01-05:00

The simple reality is that clients who are given source files as a “bonus” can and, often times, will take your source files to another less expensive vendor to complete the work. It isn’t as though clients have limited options. You have done all the groundwork and “created” the process for someone else to finish more cheaply.

The result of your generosity is that it allows a less capable designer to take on a new project without having to do ANY of the conceptual work or product development. Then, in addition to getting to bill the client for work they didn’t create, they also get to learn how to do the work from your source files.

Have arts organizations lost their relevance?

2008-12-04T09:37:53-05:00

What purpose does an arts organization serve if it will only “help” as long as you are sending them cash?

A question!: I took a few pictures 25 years ago.

2008-10-31T05:41:18-05:00

Hey, your website is great. As a screenwriter, the whole work for hire thing drives me nuts.

Here’s a question I hope you can answer. 25 years ago, when I was in high school, I took a few photos of my teacher for the school paper.

I don’t honestly remember if it was for class credit or not and I never signed an agreement saying the photos were a work for hire.

Nevertheless, could the school lay a claim to the photos as being a work for hire, since I was a student working for a publicly funded paper?

And does the paper require me to grant them a license to give my photos to a third party for them to exploit?

Thanks!

[question submitted directly to the editor on October 31, 2008]

How to Recognize Spec Work

2008-07-24T13:44:20-05:00

We recently received an inquiry from a large company who was prospecting for a local design studio to help with a big project. The project involved branding, a big marketing campaign, a web site redesign, and presentation materials. Upon meeting with the “former” agency owner who was heading up the project, we listened to his sales pitch.

• “We are looking for a small local shop to partner with for the long term”.
• “We are very loyal once we select a design partner”.
• “We pay our bills on time.”

After the sirens in our heads quieted down, we talked about the project and hashed out a preliminary working arrangement. The final “red flag” came in the form of their expectations: We would be “submitting concepts in order for them to choose the local firm who would head up the creative effort”.

Instead, we submitted a detailed proposal with an NDA. Wouldn’t you know, they never returned our calls.

Concepts are 90% of the work in any creative project. It was obvious that this company was looking for a sucker(s) to do the hard work for them and then bail on their agreement. Moral of the story is ... If you can’t get an agreement in writing, the job doesn’t really exist.

Welcome to PAL’s Forums

2008-06-23T21:37:31-05:00

This site has been in development a long time and all the while we have had one overarching goal in mind. We wanted to create a place for students, hobbyists, educators, businessmen, vendors, and professionals from every nook and cranny of the creative industry to discuss issues that affect our livelihoods.

We think we have a darned good start but we still have a lot of work to do to expand the resources and usefulness of PAL.

If you like what you see we’d love for you to consider becoming regular participants.

Cheers,
Paul
PAL’s Editor-in-Chief