EFFIE BATEMAN | BRISBANECONTACT

As local bloke Lucas Peyton painstakingly cuts together a four minute promo video for a childcare centre, he begins to wonder if the freelance life is really worth it.

When he’d studied film and television at university, he’d imagined himself shooting documentaries for Vice or editing promo videos for nightclubs. Had he known that those three years would have resulted in a steady stream of embarrassing freelance gigs, he might have chucked in the towel and studied business like his dad suggested.

That’s not to say he doesn’t get the odd fun gig, but the occasional $100 and hours spent lugging heavy equipment around wasn’t worth the shoulder injury.

What does suit him though, is the ability to work as a true creative does – whenever he wants, and usually at 2am.

Unfortunately, freedom comes at a cost, and Lucas finds himself teetotalling between barely scraping by or throwing in his mental wellbeing and getting a soul crushing corporate gig. Though with freelance, he’s also one client less away from surviving on noodles for a week.

Pausing his segment on toddlers laughing in a sandpit – which makes him feel a freak for staring at for two hours – Lucas peruses a few jobs on Seek and briefly fantasies with what he’d do if he was making an average wage.

But considering the number of law firms and accounting groups looking for his skill set, Lucas figures he’s better off doing what every other creative does, and getting a job in a bar or cafe instead.

More to come.


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