Should you choose to go with a Freelancer or Studio? (Pros and cons list)
Businesses have been outsourcing for years for a variety of reasons, this has become more commonplace over the past two years as all businesses are forced to become comfortable with remote work. More businesses are adapting to employees working from home via zoom and outsourcing work to remove employment risk that comes from uncertainty within the pandemic. Adapting to these circumstances means that moving forward the way businesses grow will forever be changed. The straight forward answer will no longer be to employ someone, but whether you should hire, subcontract or involve an agency to cover your needs.
When it comes to creating animated explainer videos, a lot of businesses will use either a freelancer or a studio, therefore in this article, we will explore the pros and cons that you should consider moving forward.
Before we dive in, let’s get some clarity by defining the differences between freelancers and studios.
Freelancers (subcontractors) usually work alone and there is no third person. They often trade as Sole-Traders and train to fulfil a specific need. In comparison, studios normally have a number of employees with varied skillsets between them, the work is often passed between them to utilise each of their strengths.
Now that we have clarified their differences, let’s look at the pros and cons!
Freelancer
Pros:
Freelance animators work independently, and they specialise in certain areas so are more likely to have limited range, but usually are expert in what they do. Accordingly, the work created by freelance animators can be of very high quality.
Acquiring the services of a freelancer often will be a lot more affordable than hiring an animation studio, as it is a one-man-band. They will have significantly lower overheads, so you won’t be paying inflated costs to cover the costs of a growing business.
Freelance animators are usually known for their fast turnaround as they are their own boss and do not have to adhere to large process constraints put in place like other bigger companies. Some may block out time and only work on one project at a time for example.
When you work with a freelancer, you get the benefit of having a more personal and tailored experience. This is because they usually only take on 1- 2 projects at one time which means your project will get undivided attention.
Cons:
Freelance animators usually work independently which means they have a limited capacity and availability to take on work. This may be troublesome, especially if you need to get your animation video completed soon to meet a tight deadline. This lack of availability is problematic when it comes to project delays, they are relying on the project to finish punctually so they can begin other work.
Freelancers specialise in their skillset, but not necessarily marketing. This can make great freelancers really hard to find.
Oftentimes freelancers can require more guidance, specification, and follow-ups to ensure that your work is progressing.
There is more risk if the freelancer doesn’t have a substitute or failsafe policy, to cover them if they get ill.
Freelance animators often have limited art styles which might limit your artistic flexibility for your project.
Studio
Pros:
Studios tend to have more staff, which means they have more availability and can take up more work as the workload is shared amongst the team.
More staff means more creative brainstorming, the individuals can bounce ideas off one another and share their expertise to make a great high-quality animation.
Working with a studio allows them to cover a range of artistic needs without having to liaise with too many different people. Typically they will have a project manager who liaises with all involved so you only have one to go to.
More staff means slightly more variety in artistic styles which potentially will allow for more artistic freedom and flexibility. (This is also a con, as it means you are then limited to that variety of styles, they will sell you what they can provide).
Cons:
It will be more expensive. However, sometimes, a reasonable studio will offer creative advice on how to cut costs to meet your budget. The increase in overheads can result in selling you what you may not need as they have larger financial demands to meet.
The work you received will have passed through a number of eyes for feedback before being shown to you, whilst it increases the quality it can delay the project.
Studios can be a lot stricter with their terms and conditions. Whether it's project delays or changes in specifications or extra revisions, most will charge you extra because it's 'company policy'.
Conclusion
There are good and bad points for both when making your choice on who to rely on.
In 2021, “We keep everything internal” is no longer the stamp of approval it used to be, what you are essentially saying is “We’ve hired someone, so you have to use them, regardless of if they’re the best fit for the job”.
At Motion Manor we do things differently and draw on the positives of both to offer the best of both worlds to our clients. By using our internal talent and experience combined with external creatives, we have the ability to leverage a broad range of specialists from anywhere in the world to give our clients both creative variety and affordable prices. We believe that incorporating both options allows us to meet the needs of each client in a way that is in the most interests of the project, whether you need a bespoke composer, a famous voice artist or an award-winning animator, we are here to help meet your needs!
If you are interested in making an animation explainer video but not sure where to start, get in touch with us and we will do our best to guide you in the right direction.
At Motion Manor we are passionate about creating seriously persuasive animation, helping your audience understand why they should buy from you.
-Our Vision-
We believe in leaving the world a better place than we found it. We will create a positive social impact, by creating animated content that focuses on the messages that matter.
