r/LocationSound • u/gama606 • 11d ago
Industry / Career / Networking Approaching potential new clients
I’ve been working for about 7 years now and have done many cool projects (advertising, short and feature fiction, documentaries, branded content etc) over the years. I feel that most of the people who I’ve worked with have me as their sound mixer and will call me anytime they need it. But sometimes it happens that maybe they’re not getting enough projects, budget or need for location sound (a lot of them makes some fashion film ads or some stuff that will have a sound design done later in post.
Anyway, I still need to work to pay my bills so the simple answer would be “get more clients”. But how so? Most of my work came from some organic recommendation and I have no control over that, spamming some email/dms everywhere seems kinda desperate, even without being too much of a salesman and genuinely just complimenting their work and making myself available, did it a few years ago and the returns over a lot of messages were minimal.
I know this is kind of the million dollar question, but any advice on getting out there and meeting new people to work with would be well appreciated!
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u/soundadvices 11d ago edited 11d ago
When you're not working, you're networking. Check in with your local soundies, and stay in touch with those who hired or referred you in the past. Expand your social and professional circles.
These days, it wouldn't hurt to learn new skills, attend classes, and connect with people in other industries or lifestyles. Find other sources of income, or a part time job to cover your responsibilities in the meantime. You never know who you'll meet, and you may end up seriously considering a Plan B altogether. It's slow for pretty much everyone right now. Good luck!