Here at No Film School, we often hear from readers who want to use some of their DP or video-related skills to make a living and help support their bigger creative goals. We also hear frequently from people who are already freelancing but don’t live in media-rich areas and wonder how to connect with more clients in order to create a sustainable business.
Online business matchmakers like Fiverr that connect people in need of services (like video production) with service providers (like video producers) have existed for a while, but they haven't always spelled financial security for creators. After all, Fiverr’s name and fame literally came from the fact that the price of most services started at five bucks. That’s a great cost-benefit ratio for a vendor recording a quick voiceover in exchange for a “fiver,” but not at all reasonable for a full-scale video production.
“We imagined a world where anyone could find millions of talented professionals from all around the world, and have them start working on a project with the single click of a mouse.”
But with some recent announcements by Fiverr, the company has shown its commitment to pro-level video producers, and it might help many of us make ends meet. In addition to the acquisition of Veed.me last week, Fiver will be introducing its own Pro level for more complex—and more expensive—jobs.
In an announcement blog post, Fiverr CEO Micha Kauffman wrote:
Just seven years ago when we launched, we imagined a world where anyone could find millions of talented professionals from all around the world, and have them start working on a project with the single click of a mouse. Fiverr started with small services, but over time our customers grew to expect more from the platform, recognizing how our fundamental model could be used to do even greater work.
So how will Fiverr Pro be different, and what does it mean for filmmakers?
For one thing, Fiverr Pro sellers are vetted and hand-picked for quality and qualifications, giving you a leg up over regular service providers on the site. There’s also round-the-clock customer service and “personal success managers” assigned to Pro-level freelancers. And most importantly, there is the opportunity to charge much more.
Many creators are already making five or six figures annually on the platform.
Fiverr Category Manager Ben Austin told No Film School that whereas regular gigs are capped at $995, Fiverr Pro Gigs are currently capped at $10,000 for the "up front" gig price, and freelancers have the option to send "custom offers" for up to $50,000.
According to Austin, many creators are already making five or six figures annually on the platform. "Some people are achieving this kind of success through a high volume approach—essentially doing smaller projects like editing people's home movies, where it’s possible to do several gigs a week," he explained. "There are freelancers hitting those higher earnings by doing sophisticated motion graphics work, where they’re charging significant sums per order, but working on a smaller volume of orders."
And making a go of it with this higher-earning, lower-volume work should be much more doable with the new Pro system.
This still may not be the ideal route for you if you already live in a city with lots of companies hungry for video work, which you can easily meet face-to-face. But Austin describes the benefits for everyone else as an additional "low effort" sales funnel to supplement your business.
He explains: “What do I mean by 'low effort'? Fiverr allows you to build your service into appealing structured offers with easy-to-understand, up-front pricing that you have total control over while still being able to send custom quotes if necessary. That way, you spend less time doing the business of marketing and seeking out work and more time doing what you actually love: creating fantastic video content for your clients."
If you think that being on the Fiverr Pro roster could help grow your freelance business, apply here.
Have you gotten clients through Fiverr? Do you plan to apply for Fiverr Pro? Let us know in the comments.
