The switches and valves of a locomotive.
What if you woke up one day and everything you knew about what you do for a living – was different?
The physical, tangible things that you know have just been renamed. The services you use for work life support now mean and do something else. As part of a team or crew, your tasks have now changed too. Everything in the business you’ve always known has a new name – and definition.
As a working professional within the production of commercial images, and some days struggling to find the best match of projects, career equity, and a moderate income – this question provides an aim toward the location of the answers. Yes, this post is a tad subjective to marketplace and position. Some of you may be so busy, you couldn’t give a flying. If you’re stupid busy, you’re not reading this.
Most businesses experience change in their lifetimes and you need to adapt with them. But with our industry as a paradigm having been so altered, many of the people, titles, processes, paperwork, tools, and technology – dressed as latest-greatest meets previously-used hybrids – have become unrecognizable. Theories aplenty are spewed daily about how the creative industry can be better and how we can ALL thrive – not just survive. Some colleagues retort of the obvious missed basics of business.
- “If your product is good, people will pay.”
- “If your process is smooth, clients will return.”
- “Build value.”
- “Provide a return on investment.”
I agree with all of these practices in an industry where the buyer knows the definition of these things. But in a business cycle of good-enough, project award decision-making is reflecting nepotism, and best lowest price; skills, experience, craft (?), mindset, and client services are rarely part of that conversation.
It wasn’t always like this.
I try to remain idealistic about the latter elements still hanging on and in some circles, still being required. Yet I continue to experience their decline and disinterest on new projects. I speak of the basics of loyalty, communication, being on time. Perhaps some of the big picture answers are located near the fact that standard operating procedures in our industry were never ever – defined.
Your thoughts?
Photos / words are COPYRIGHT Jamie Vesay 2012-2013 USE OF ANY material requires permission.
