AOI Talk

Notes from yesterday's AOI talk with Lou Bones.

Web & Social Media

• Image-based is best, as predominantly viewed on mobiles and tablets.

• Contact pages - Email, social media links. Contact forms can deter people from getting in touch! Used by big businesses to filter out queries.

• Blogs are optional, but if used, keep updated.

• Personal projects are important, don't put up work you dislike.

• Pages - simple is best, avoid having too many subpages and click-throughs. Email on homepage shows method of contact right away

• Twitter - the creative community use this well. A place for dialogue (discussing issues and trends), and to have a voice

Work & Clients

• Study the industry and discover where your niche is (organisations, brands, editors, art directors)

• Select clients that your work is appropriate for.

• Address clients by name, not formalities (Sir/Madam). Approach as a professional and not a student, no need for a huge intro. Speak business to business.

• Sending physical promotional material is always interesting for recipients.

Freelance & Business

• Apply for sole trader status if earning from your business.

• Register for income tax 3 months after your 1st commission.

• Annual tax returns (end of January)
     ⤷ Pay tax on what you've earned
     ⤷ You can claim back on your business outgoings (e.g. Adobe, materials, studio, travel,            cultural expenditure = exhibitions, trips, cinema...)

• Next year, this becomes 4x annually. There are apps that can help (Quickbooks, Zero)
     ⤷ Keep all relevant receipts
     ⤷ Keep all relevant paperwork, contracts, invoices

Copyright

• The right to copy, reproduce work. This is automatically granted to the creator.

• You lend out / license your artwork to client for a length of time, for a specific format (e.g. on a billboard for 6 months)

• Copyright isn't applied to an 'idea' or 'style'. A generic illustration is hard to protect.

Copyright Infringement

• Be careful of stock images or photography, if it resembles the source it is infringement.

• Celebrities, their likeness, and unofficial merchandise can be taken down

Copyright Assignment

• When you relinquish your copyrights to a client.

• You can't even used in a portfolio or online

• Instead, offer licenses (e.g. "Yes you can use this piece for 3 months for £3000")

• Clients ask for copyright assignment usually when they don't want to pay the correct fee. Don't give all rights to the client, this is a rights grab.

Moral Rights

• Right of Paternity: The right to be identified as the creator

• Right of Integrity: The right for your work not to be mistreat / changed / edited / cropped

Rights Online

• Low res files (72dpi) are still good for the web, but prevent people from stealing and printing - as it's unsuitable for print

• Use copyright symbol on all pages; blog, instagram, website... (© Bronte Hall 2018)

Contracts

• Written = Good     Verbal = Bad

• Use for every job, big or small (use Acceptance of Commission form)

• WHO is going to do WHAT by WHEN and for HOW MUCH, and state your basic rights.

• You can amend a contract, don't send work before seeing a contract! Once work is sent, you have agreed.

• Invoices aren't legally binding, contracts are. They are also written evidence

Ask a Client

• Where will the illustration be used?

• How long will it be used for?

• What size and format purpose?