We recently connected with Marlon Torres and have shared our conversation below.

Marlon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Freelance life is not easy, especially early on in your career. I remember talking to an art professor in college and he told me that the likely hood of making a good living as an artist is less than 1%. I think a lot of creatives think that all you need is exceptional talent and drive to be a full time artist but what I learned is you need to think of yourself as a business. I believe what separates a successful freelance artist compared to a hobbyist is that they have that business/entrepreneur part of their brain.

Yes, talent is important. In fact, it was my personal projects that got my foot in the door. I made a passion short film project that went viral and that’s when the phone calls for hired work started to come in. A couple years later, once I built my reel and portfolio I could be proud of, that’s when I decided to start my own video production company. That’s when the business side of my brain took over. I started my website, got my LLC business license, started mailing lists, and began networking.

Once I started getting my own clients, I made sure I stayed within budget, keep overheads low, and penny pinched because I knew there would be slow months especially early on in my career. Although, I made sure margins were good, I never hesitated to invest in myself. Whether that meant new camera equipment, a work truck, computers, or what ever it took to improve efficiency in workflow. I figured the more efficient I was, the more work I could take on.

If there was anything I could tell my younger version of my creative self is to relax. Things will be alright. It’s always stressful not know when that next paycheck, gig, or client will come but at the end, it all worked out fine.

Marlon, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I majored in cinema with a minor in animation from San Francisco State University. I started out as a 3D artist working on projects for Adult Swim, Dreamworks, and Marvel. Today, I own a boutique video production company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. We do all types of work from short documentaries, ads, promos, and art projects. I’m really proud of the world-class team I’ve built over the years. From the make-up artists, producers, shooters, and editors. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe the secret to being successful in the freelance creative field is consistency. Consistency in doing great work. No one cares about the artist who only does good work “sometimes”. It’s those who do great work on a day to day basis who find success. You will keep improving your craft and it will keep clients coming back for more.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Getting to do what I love to do is a true blessing. Video and photography is something I would do in my free time even if I was an accountant but getting it to do it everyday and getting paid for it is incredibly fulfilling.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.torresstudios.com
• Instagram: torresstudios
• Linkedin: marlontorres
• Twitter: @torresstudios

Image Credits
Marlon Torres