Pro Moviemaker Summer 2018

ACADEMY

CO-OP FILMMAKING

Yodo works in a very organic way. If an individual member picks up a commission then they have the option of putting the job through the company, with Martin taking on the risk and handling the budget, fee and administration. Some clients prefer this approach since they appreciate the support for the individual and can see that they are backed by a bigger company with all of the legal and professional credentials in place. Members of the co-operative regularly ask each other for help with a pitch but might keep it separate from Yodo, or they might ask Yodo to do the pitch for them as a company of creatives that has the wherewithal to manage a job from concept to delivery. As far as fees are concerned, this is done in a number of ways dependent on the work. It might simply amount to desk or equipment hire fees or it could be a percentage fee for the admin if Yodo is the one billing the client. At all times things are kept very transparent so that both sides are fully aware of costs and freelancers know exactly what they will receive, and the belief is that this level of openness and trust is the only way the collective can operate. “I always take a view on what we charge and am totally flexible,” says Martin. “It could be that the project one of the collective is taking on doesn’t have budget, so if that is the case we’ll look at lending equipment for free or charging reduced rates. I’ve found this approach does pay back, perhaps not immediately but certainly over time. No one here has ever taken liberties with Yodo’s generous spirit, quite the opposite in fact. It all goes back to all of us feeling that we are supported and wanting to care and work for people and on projects that genuinely mean something to us.”

strong and tight-knit collective are clear. The chance to work regularly on shared commissions is always there, with teammembers far more likely to be asked to be involved than other freelancers without the same connections, while personal commissions can still be pursued and likewise there is easy and instant access to a trusted team of supporting creatives if needed. Marketing, meanwhile, is far stronger when carried out as part of a fully-fledged production/ creative agency, and Yodo is regularly adding commissioned jobs to its showreel, which can then be used to attract clients. FromMartin’s perspective he’s continually working to promote Yodo as a complete solution, and he understands the need to make the collective something freelancers want to be a part of. “An individual freelancer going into a meeting with a client can offer up the services of Yodo as a collective,” he says. “We can offer a full service to our clients that is genuinely under our control and with up to 100% of the production all now kept under the one roof. Clients find this solution attractive and a safe way to do business as there is only one point of contact and they know they are not paying massive agency overheads.

ABOVE If you need a focus-puller or director, then there’s always someone on hand for larger projects. RIGHT This new style of creative co-op can take on all sorts of projects, in the studio and on location.

Collective strength The benefits of working within a

“No one has ever taken liberties with Yodo’s generous spirit, the opposite in fact”

PRO MOVIEMAKER SUMMER 2018