acknowledgements & copyright

This e-book published by Adam Westbrook, London 2009

Te!t " Adam Westbrook 2009
This e-book has been released, #or #ree, under the $reati%e
$ommons Licence
&ou can copy, distribute, share, edit this e-book howe%er you
want, #or non-commercial purposes, as long as you attribute the
work to Adam Westbrook, and distribute it under the same
license
'y thanks goes to all the multimedia (ournalists & producers,
who are busy pioneering a new way to tell stories and make
money doing it
)on*t stop+
Adam Westbrook, ,ctober 2009

contents
introduction - 0.
technical skills - 0/
%ideo
audio
storytelling
non-technical skills - 01
branding
business
making things happen
resources - .0
about the author - .2

introduction
If 2009 is remembered for one thing in the journalism history books, it
will be for when the industry stood at the crossroads, seemingly paralysed
by the upheaval in the methods of publishing and distribution.
2lenty has been written about the *crisis* in (ournalism which doesn*t need repeating
here, e!cept to say it has in%oked a true re%olution in communication 3or some this
means the loss o# (obs, pensions, e%en entire publications 4ut #or a new generation o#
(ournalists 5and current ones prepared to think di##erently6 the re%olution spells
opportunity
The (ournalist o# the #uture must recognise this opportunity and then embrace it To do
this they will need to arm themsel%es with as many skills as possible7 technical,
editorial, creati%e and, yes, entrepreneurial
8 wrote & published the 9!9 series in August 2009 in light o# this opportunity, and
hoped to sum up some o# the basic practical skills the :ne!t-generation (ournalist; will
need They co%ered new tricks like %ideo, audio, and branding< and some o# the oldest,
like storytelling
The response to the series was o%erwhelming, and comments #rom readers inspiring
and constructi%e 8t was republished at (ournalismcouk and translated into =panish
and >erman
Two months on, 8 ha%e written is this e-book, which brings all si! blog articles together
into one document 2arts ha%e been rewritten, corrected and simpli#ied, but 8 hope it
gi%es a good grounding o# not (ust how to be a multimedia (ournalist, but a good one
too
Adam Westbrook
,ctober 2009
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

the technical skills
09 - video
00 - audio
0? - storytelling
the journalist of the future is a reporter, a video journalist,
a photo-journalist, audio journalist and interactive
designer, all-in-one. They shoot and edit films, audio
slideshows, podcasts, vodcasts, blogs, and longer articles.
They may have one specialism out of those, but can go
somewhere and cover a story in a multitude of platforms.
Adam Westbrook
Introducing the Journalist of the Future
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

00 %ideo
ideo has by far and away become the most popular medium for the
multimedia journalist, to the e!tent it almost seems we won"t consider
our work truly #multimedia$ unless its got a bit of video in it. %he thing
is, video is a challenging medium and must be treated differently in the
world of online journalism.
&.& video doesn"t need to be e!pensive
)on@t be #ooled into thinking you can@t do %ideo (ust because you ha%en@t got
any cash =ure, i# you want to go right to the top range, say a 'ony ()*, +inal
,ut -ro and .fter (ffects yes, it@s going to set you back about A.,000
5B?,0006 4ut high Cuality can be achie%ed on lower budgets
-ut together a film making kit for /000 1230045

=econd hand camera 5Dbay EA2006 or a 3lip$amFGodak Hi1 5A0206

D!ternal 'ic 52ro Audio =ystems A/06

Tripod 5Dbay EA0?6

Adobe 2remiere Dlements editing so#tware 5AmaIon7 A??6

Ddit 'achine 5Dbay EA2006

Ddit 'onitor 52laycom EA0206

8deally your camera will ha%e manual white balance, e!posure and #ocus
settings 8# not, aim #or something which shoots in widescreen and J)
The Godak Hi1, which retails #or about A020 now has an e!ternal microphone
input to allow #or higher Cuality audio recording
$lick here to read my article about getting cheap #ilm making gear
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

&.2 shoot se6uences
8# there@s one thing which separates a pro#essional piece o# %ideo #rom
something you see on &outube, it*s seCuences
=eCuences are %ital to storytelling and must be thought through
A seCuence is a simple action appearing on screen, o%er three or more shots
3ilming with the #inal piece #irmly in mind will keep your shooting #ocussed
and short =o when you start #ilming, start looking for se6uences, and use
these to build up your #ilms
Watch TK or e%en a mo%ie, and you*ll see it*s made up o# seCuences
A sequence is a single action, for
example 'soldiers waling through
street', told in ! or more different
shots.
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

&.* shoot close ups
8n online %ideo, close ups matter A really e##ecti%e way to hold close ups, especially o#
a person, is to master depth of field
8t is controlled by the aperture on your camera L so you@ll need a camera with a
manual iris setting &our aim, especially with close ups, is to ha%e your subject in
clear focus, and everything in front 7 behind them blurred
Jere@s a Cuick guide to getting to grips with depth o# #ield7

you need a good distance between the camera and sub(ect

a good distance between the sub(ect and the background

and a low #-stop on your iris L around #21, depending on how much light there is in
your scene A short #ocal length does this too

you may need to Ioom in on your sub(ect #rom a distance

&.8 never wallpaper
8# there was e%er an e!ample o# the phrase :easier said than done; this would be it 8t@s
a simple tip on #irst read7 make sure e%ery shot in your #ilm is there #or a reason 4ut
with pressures o# time or bad planning you can o#ten #ind yoursel# :wallpapering;
shots (ust to #ill a gap
8n his e!cellent book The Television "ews #andboo, Kin May says #ollowing this rule
will help you out no end7
$%ne simple rule will dramatically improve your television pacaging&
never use a shot ' any shot ' as (wallpaper). "ever just write across
pictures as though they weren)t there, leaving the viewer wondering
what they)re looing at. "ever ever.*
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

&.0 look for the detail and the telling shot
4roadcast Nournalists are taught to look #or the :telling shot;, and more o#ten than not
make it the #irst image they use 8# your story is about a #ire at a school, the #irst thing the
audience need to see is the school on #ire 8# it@s about a woman with cancer, we must see
her in shot immediately
4ut the telling shot e!tends #urther7 you can enhance your storytelling by looking #or little
details which really bring your story to li#e
Kin May says looking #or the little details are what set great camera operators apart #rom
the rest7
$+mall details mae a big difference. "ervous hands, pictures on a
mantelpiece, someone whispering into an ear, a hand clutching a toy,
details of a life.*
&.9 break the rules
The worst thing a multimedia (ournalist can do when producing %ideo #or the web
is to replicate tele%ision L unless that@s your commission o# course TK is #ull o#
rules and #ormulas, all designed to hide edits, look good to the eye, and
sometimes decie%e 3act is, online %ideo (ournalism pro%ides the chance to escape
all that
=ure it must look good, but be prepared to e!periment L you@ll be amaIed what
people will put up with online Jere are ? rules you can break7
00 always use %oice o%er
02 always tell your story in a linear way
0. always use cutaways and noddies
0/ always do pieces to camera 5stand-up6
0? always open with a telling shot
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

8mpro%e your #raming instantly, by #ollowing the rule of thirds
)i%ide your shot into three rows and three columns Align the sub(ect o#
your shot along any o# the lines, and it will look more pleasing to the eye
-n Alexandra .arcia's $#ealing /ields* 01ashington
2ost, !3345 she frames her subject along the rule of
thirds. #is eyes rest on the upper third line, and the
centre of his face rests on the right hand line.
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

02 audio
.udio is one of the most powerful mediums available to the multimedia
journalist. :hether its radio, podcasts, on video or slideshows, audio
brings a piece to life. 'o why is it almost always an after thought; %oo
many good films and audio slideshows have been let down by bad
6uality audio.
2.& let sound breathe
8n other words, with audio your limit is the siIe o# the imagination Last time 8
checked, that was pretty big
=o #or the lo%e o# >od, show audio some respect 3irst o## a piece o# audio does not
ha%e to consist entirely o# %oices with no gaps in between 8n #act that sucks When
you@re out recording, take a moment to listen #or sounds L in radio it@s called
actuality and it is a key ingredient in bringing sound to li#e
)oing a story about some people on a boatO We want to hear the water lapping up
against the bow 8s your scene in a ca#eO Let@s hear the cups clinking, the chatter o#
e%eryday con%ersation, the whoosh+ o# the co##ee machine in action
Let the audio breathe >i%e it a #ew seconds (ust to play in your listeners imagination
and don@t talk o%er it 8t@ll do more to paint a picture than o%erladen %oice o%er will
6as soon as a voice comes out of the speaers, the listener attempts to
visualise what he hears to create in the mind)s eye the owner of the
voice6unlie 7video8 where the pictures are limited to the si9e of the
screen, radio pictures are any si9e you care to mae them.
:obert ;c<eish, :adio 2roduction
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

2.2 invest in a good microphone
KNs7 don@t use your camera@s onboard mic unless you@re lucky to ha%e something nice like
a $anon PL2, =ony DP., H0 etc 8# you can, buy an e!ternal microphone to attach to
your cameras horseshoe 3or inter%iews, it is worth in%esting in a lapel mic
3or radio (ournalists, or photo (ournalists doing audio slideshows, there are a good range
o# digital audio recorders you can look at The 'arantI 2')920 is small, easy to use and
so reliable you@d let it babysit your kids 8 took it out to 8raC earlier this year and it was
great 8t starts at around A.00FB?00
The Ddirol M-09JM 5A200FB./96 and the ,lympus )=-/0 5A12FB0.?6 are both popular
2.* get the mic in close
'icrophones do not ha%e selecti%e hearing like our ears do7 they won@t pick out the %oice
across the room you@re pointing them at =o get in close to your inter%iewee 5really
close6, like a little under their chin 5i# they@re ok with that6 8t eliminates a lot o#
background noise, like air conditioning, tra##ic, sCueaks o# chairs and all that And more
o#ten than not it gi%es the recording a richness and an intimacy
2.8 let the characters talk
A bit o# a personal bugbear this, but o#ten the temptation with multimedia pro(ects is to
talk all o%er them, y@know, like they do on the TK 4ut new media means new ways o#
doing things And 8 think one o# the great new trends emerging is the silencing o# the
(ournalistFreporter %oice o%er
8# you@%e recorded some great audio #or your story, let it breathe L let the characters tell
their own story We don@t need to hear you saying :Angie is a mum o# three struggling to
make ends meet; when we can hear Angie saying :things are really hard right now, tryin@
to support three kids, y@know, payin@ the billsQe%ery days a struggle;
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

2.0 use pauses
8# you@re new to using audio, especially i# you@re mo%ing #rom print or photo (ournalism,
the #irst thing you will notice when you listen back to your inter%iews is yoursel# >oing
:uhuh, yeah, hmmmm, sureQ; all o%er their answers
Ask a Cuestion L then keep shtum This pays di%idends in some inter%iews, especially
emotional ones, where your inter%iewee #inishes their point There@s a pauseQyou would
normally #ill it by asking a CuestionQbut don@t =tay silent, and let the inter%iewee #ill the
pause 8t@s a bit mean, but it gets them to reiterate their point, and in the process show
what they@re really thinking
And then keep those pauses in your piece They are a natural part o# speech and o#ten
re%eal more about your character than their words
2.9 take listeners on a journey
There are times when it@s right to bring yoursel# into the piece 4ut try not to use it (ust
#or dry %oice o%ers recorded in a studio &our %oice is best when you@re somewhere your
audience wants to be, and you can show them what it@s like
To achie%e this, you@ll need to be %ery descripti%e in your writing Tell people where you
are and what you@re doing in vivid detail
The 44$@s Alan Little is one o# the #inest radio writers, still ali%e L here@s his ad%ice7
Try to use old words, words that reach into the very core, the very oldest
part of the language. They have the most impact6.beware of adjectives.
This is a rule - eep breaing and - have to exercise great vigilance to
rein myself in. Adjectives are fine in moderation and when they
genuinely add to the meaning or clarity of the image being conveyed.
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

8# possible always conduct audio inter%iews outside
8t resonates better, eliminates any echoes and generally makes the audio
more interesting to listen to
=o ask your inter%iewees to step outside 5weather permitting6 and i# it*s
blowing a gale, stand with your back to the wind to block the noise
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

0. storytelling
. lot of the focus for multimedia journalists and digital journalists
has been on the new technology5 using %witter, learning +lash. <ut
there"s a danger that in the rush to learn new skills, we forgot 1or
never learn4 the oldest ones. .nd there is no skill older, or more
important, than storytelling.
*.& who"s your character;
D%ery story needs a character Lord o# the Mings has doIens, but your short doc or
audio slideshow might only ha%e one Dither way, they need to be compelling, and
they need to be embarking on a journey And we need to like them or be #ascinated
by them, because we@re going to #ollow their (ourney7 and we want our audience to
#ollow it too
Ro matter what your story, it needs a character 8n old-media land this is known
crudely as the :case study; 5Think how many TK news reports start with a case
study+6 4ut they are crucial because they humanise what might actually be a general
issue 'aking a #ilm about homelessnessO &ou best make sure it stars a homeless
person
4eware though the di##erence between $haracter and $haracteriIation Mobert 'cGee
in his e!cellent book +tory tells us the latter is the outward description o# a person-
their personality, age, height, what clothes they wear< but character is the true
essence o# the person in the story That true character is only re%ealed when their
(ourney puts them under increased pressures
%he decisions we all make under pressure are the ones which reveal our
true character.
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

*.2 the narrative arc
The ne!t thing you want to do is #ind your story@s narrati%e arc Memember 8
mentioned your character@s (ourneyO Well that@s your narrati%e arc
8t starts with what Jollywood screenwriters call :%he Incident Incident; 8t@s the
moment which instils in your character a desire to achie%e a seemingly
insurmountable goal 8t sets them on a mission7 a Cuest
This mission must challenge them in increasingly di##icult ways 5and ne%er
decreasingly6, rising to a clima! to which the audience can imagine no other Writing
in the )igital Nournalist, Gen Gobre sums it up7
=tories work better with a real play-o## o# positi%e and negati%e charges =omething
good happens, and then something bad Then something e%en better than be#ore, and
then something e%en worse than be#ore Mobert 'cGee describes a second de%ice,
called :gap o# e!pectation;7 that@s where your character@s e!pectations o# an e%ent are
blown apart by reality
*.* =i> :here"s the conflict;
8 hate con#lict in real li#e, but in storytelling it@s essential There must be #orces
opposing your character and their mission And sparks must #ly 'cGee lists three
types o# con#lict7
Inner conflict7 your character is in con#lict with themsel%es 5Gramer %s Gramer6
-ersonal7 your character@s in con#lict with people around them 5$asablanca6
(!trapersonal7 your character@s on con#lict with something massi%e 58ndependence
)ay6
$=esides a beginning, middle and end, a good story has a
memorable protagonist who surmounts obstacles en route to
achieving a goal that we care about.*
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

*.8 clima!>
Traditionally stories end in a clima! The e%er increasing ups and downs culminate in
either an ultimate high 5happy ending6 or ultimate low 5sad ending6 Dither way, the
key word is :ultimate; 8n Jollywood-land, the ending must be so climatic they cannot
possibly imagine another way o# doing it
8n the real world it is not always the way, but you should ha%e hal# a mind on how your
story is going to end $rucially i# they@%e been set o## on a Cuest, they should #inish it
#or better or worse The ending should still be :absolute and irreversible;
*.0 use tried and tested storytelling techni6ues
There are lots o# little storytelling de%ices you can use to add some sparkle to your
work
4ook-ending7 returning the characterFplaceFe%ent which opened your piece, at the
end, is a nice way to sum up what@s changed 8t can add a bit o# emotional punch too
Rarrati%e hook7 opening the piece with an enticing, une!plained e%ent, inter%iew,
image to suck the %iewers right in
>et the crayons out7 popular in internet memes e%erywhere, getting people to write
something down and hold it up to the camera is %ery e##ecti%e
*.9 stories are everywhere>
These guidelines are really used by authors, and screen writers L people who create
stories #rom scratch As (ournalists we aren@t making up stories 5hope#ully not,
anyway6 L but we should ha%e our eyes and ears open to these elements in the real
world to heighten the sense o# story #or our audience
%he best way to get e!pert at storytelling is to go out and tell some.
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

the non-technical skills
09 - branding
2/ - business
21 - make things happen
do or do not. There is no try.
Master Yoda
The Empire trikes !ack
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

0/ branding
(ven as far back as 2009, .ndrew ?eil appreciated the journalists of
the future will need to brand themselves well. #%he journalist of the
future@will have more than one employer and become a brand in his
own right$ he wrote. :ith full time jobs in well staffed newsrooms
becoming more sparse, but opportunities outside
traditionalAmainstream journalism becoming more plenty, this
prediction is coming true.
8.& own your name
The #irst thing to o%ercome is the embarrassment or discom#ort o# Sblowing your own
trumpet@ 3or some people the idea o# sel# branding is #or cocky sel# promoters Well
guess what7 i# you@re going to succeed as a #reelancer, some sel# promotion has gotta be
done ,h, and aim #or con#ident, not cocky
As a #reelancer especially, your brand is your name There#ore you need to own your
name, especially in cyberspace &ou should try and own your domain name
5wwwyournamecom or wwwyournamenet or wwwyournamecouk6 8# you@re
running yoursel# as a business with its own name that@s ,G too
Another unpopular thing to do7 >oogle your own name Jow #ar up does it comeO 8# an
editor or potential client needs to #ind you, you must be high up the rankings &ou
don@t need to pay #or this 5although you could6< instead you should be putting up
authoritati%e Cuality content which gets you those all important links, diggs and re-
tweets #rom readers
4rian $lark, in his e!cellent Authority Mules e-book, makes the point that i# :people
think you@re important, so will >oogle;
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

8.2 define your niche
The branding e!perts tell you i# you@re going to ha%e a brand, people need to know
what you@re about And you need to be able to gi%e someone the ele%ator pitch about
yoursel# too A niche will gi%e you a %ital ad%antage o%er general-news (ournalists
8# you don@t ha%e a niche, don@t worry too much 4ut (ust be able to sum up what you@re
about7 not only will it de#ine your branding, it@ll help keep you #ocussed on what
pro(ects you pursue
8.* have a great website and blog
As a multimedia (ournalist your content e!ists #or the web And so to not ha%e your
own web presence is ludicrous 4ut your website must be great 5not (ust good6 8t must
stand out and most importantly be designed to show o## what you@re good at
=o7
8# your selling point is the great photographs you take, make sure your website has a huge
single column on the #ront page, with a plat#orm displaying your best photos at their best
8# you@re a %ideo (ournalist, your #ront page should ha%e an eCually large
single column splash %ideo showreel
8# you@re about the audio, think about getting a %isually e!citing audio
player, again at the top o# the #ront page
A blog is another crucial element #or the multimedia (ournalist, #or se%eral reasons 8t
keeps your website current and up to date< it allows you to build on your brand and
show o## your e!pertise with some well written authoritati%e blogs< and allows you to
build and engage with a community o# other (ournalists and e%en clients
4ack to 4rian $lark at Authority Mules7 :&our content actually demonstrates your
e!pertise, compared with a website or bio page that claims e!pertise;
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

8.8 have a fresh , and showreel
A#ter your blog and #ront page port#olio, the most important thing %isitors will need to
be able to #ind is your $KFresume and showreel Ja%e it in the top na%igation bar and
in one o# your sidebars
&our $K should be in pd# #ormat and up to date &ou can chose to ha%e it typed up in
the page as well $reate an image button to make it more attracti%e
'indy 'cAdams says your $K is %ital to pro%e your claims, so :your real work
e!perience should be easy to #ind and easy to scan Cuickly 2eople will want to check
this #or %eri#ication, so dates should be clear, not ob#uscated;
Tpload your showreel and embed it into your web page That way potential editors and
clients don@t need to download large #iles to be able to see what you do Kimeo is ideal
#or %ideo =oundslides does the (ob #or photographs and audio slideshows And 8 use
=oundcloud #or embedding audio 8# you can, use N-Uuery or $== to gi%e your showreel
some animation
8.0 keep your networks consistent
An important part o# brand management is consistency The internet is a hugely
power#ul tool #or connecting with people, so it is important you spread yoursel# across
as many social networks as possible7 Twitter, Linked8n, Wired Nournalists, )emoti!,
$urrent TK and 3acebook to name (ust a #ew
4ut keep them all consistent Ja%e the same username #or each L and make it your
name 'y Twitter name is AdamWestbrook, as is my Kimeo and Linked8n pro#ile
And do the same with images Ja%e one image o# yoursel# and use that #or your pro#ile
images ,ne name, one image, one brand
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

8.9 get business cards
All these tips so #ar ha%e been #or branding yoursel# in the online world AmaIingly the
real world hasn@t gi%en up the ghost through lack o# attention (ust yet, and it@s eCually
important to promote yoursel# at networking e%ents, con#erences and other shindigs
4usiness cards are a necessity There are many sites o##ering this ser%ice, not to
mention high street stores, but TG born website 'oocom has been recommended to
me #ar too many times #or it not to be good They@ll e%en gi%e you ?0 #ree business
cards as a trial
+ome inspiring journalist
portfolios&
;onica >lmanu 0l5 ? @hris
@armichael 0r5
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

>et great ad%ice on setting up and customising your own port#olio
website #rom multimedia (ournalist Dmily 8ngram
=he co%ers basics like #inding hosting and a domain name, plus
in#ormation on how to get the best out o# Wordpress
Jead o%er to her website, packed with ad%ice, by clicking here
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

0? business
:hile the news industry is still in an uncertain and uncomfortable
state of flu!, one certainty has already emerged5 journalists can no-
longer just be journalists B they must be entrepreneurs too. It"s the
difference between the Cpassive" freelancer who writes to a few
editors and waits for the work to come to them, and the Cactive"
freelancer who run themselves as a mini-business
0.& Diversify
8n order to ma!imise your income, you will need to di%ersi#y your skills base That
means selling a range o# skills and ser%ice, and not (ust (ournalism related ones 8
know radio (ournalists who ha%e a nice sideline designing websites, %ideo (ournalists
who run training courses, and photo(ournalists who work #or non-pro#its
Training can o#ten be the most lucrati%e o# these, but only consider this i# you really
know what you@re doing+
)i%ersi#y too in your client base 2ity the news-snob who (ust pitches to the Rew &ork
Times and The >uardian+ The digital re%olution means there are more online-only
news out#its, niche groups and 424 publications And they can be easier to pitch to
0.2 +ind new markets
The entrepreneur, although a business pro#ession, reCuires a lot o# creati%ity Nust ask
Michard 4ranson 3rom what 8@%e gauged you ha%e to be constantly brainstorming new
markets and potential clients And thinking outside the bo! reaps rewards
$areer e%angelist and author o# the popular new book @areer :enegade& #ow to ;ae
a .reat <iving Aoing 1hat Bou <ove Nonathan 3ields e!plores how to sidestep
traditional career paths to #orge your own uniCue way Je talks about :mo%ing beyond
the mainstream; and #inding new markets in 9 di##erent places7
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

0 #inding a hungrier market
2 #inding the most lucrati%e micro-markets
. e!ploiting gaps in in#ormation
/ e!ploiting gaps in education
? e!ploiting gaps in gear or merchandise
9 e!ploiting gaps in community
The #irst two are about digging deeper into the industry and possibly connecting two
unrelated ones A great e!ample comes #rom a #riend o# mine, #ilm-maker ,li%er
Jarrison Je lo%es cooking, and lo%es making #ilms but couldn@t #ind a way to make
any money out o# either A#ter a lot o# searching, he and business partner =imon
Jorniblow started talking to uni%ersities, and combined the two They now run
studentcookingt% a %ery success#ul online cookery website #or students Would you
think to do thatO Think outside the bo!+
0.* bootstrapping
4ootstrapping means starting your #reelance business with little or no cash 8t means
learning how to get things done #or #ree, and most %aluable o# all, learning to be care#ul
with money
The great news is you don@t need any money to start out and market yoursel# A
website domain name will cost you a small amount 4ut social media means you can
market your talents absolutely #ree 5see the pre%ious chapter on branding6
0.8 dealing with infle!ible income
There are some things you can do to make the ebb and #low o# #reelance income a little
more stable
,pen up a separate bank account #or your business earnings 2ay yoursel# a monthly
salary #rom that business account and lea%e the rest #or ta! and other in%estments The
worst thing is to use the pro#its #rom a bumper month to pay #or a bumper holiday,
only to return to slim pickings
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

0.0 find your creative time
=ure, #or some #reelancers the appeal o# being your own boss is getting up at 00,
watching some TK, doing some work, heading out on a night out without the guiltQ
and that might work #or some 4ut the creati%e entrepreneur@s li#e is most likely to be a
di##erent one

Gnow when you are at your creati%e best and ring #ence it, so you can@t get disturbed 8t
might be 9am, it might be midnight Whate%er, (ust make sure it@s protected
Treat it like a #ull time (ob too 8# you can, work somewhere where you can commute to,
or ha%e some ring#enced o##ice space at home 8 recommend 'ark 'c>uinness*
e!cellent 5and #ree6 ebook :Time 'anagement #or $reati%e 2eople:
0.9 be lean, but don"t be mean
8# you@re dreaming o# going #reelance, you might be thinking about holding o## until
a#ter the recession Ro need, says Leo 4abauta 0# Henhabits #ame7
=tarting now though won@t be easy, and you@ll need to be lean 4ut that is such an
important skill to keep things a#loat later on 4e sensible with your money, don@t
o%erspend 8t@s the thing the big companies can@t do, and the reason they lose money
hand o%er #ist
And don@t be mean7 (ournalism is a small %illage L make #riends and keep Sem+
This is the best time to start. This is a time when job security is low, so riss
are actually lower. This is a time to be lean, which is the best idea for
starting a business. This is the time when others are quitting C so you)ll
have more room to succeed.
And with social media and networing taing off, this is the easiest time to
start a business, the easiest time to spread the word, the easiest time to
distribute information and products and services.
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

The (ury is still out on the best way to make money #rom content online
$onsider & research the most popular options7

Ad%ertising around your content

=ponsorship #or your content

A paywallFsubscription model

The :#reemium; model

White labels

Dnterprise 5sa%ing businesses money6

www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

09 make things happen
If you"re trying to get your first job particularly, or going freelance
especially, you have to be able to make things happen for yourself.
%his final chapter has little to do with journalism, but might be the
difference between getting your vital first commission and spending
your day in the company of Eeremy Fyle crying into your
supernoodles.
0&. have goals B big ones
We@%e all got goals, rightO $lear that debt, get that promotion, get that pay rise
4ut what about dreamsO They@re the goals which set your se! on #ire They get your
heart racing with e!citement and ha%e you muttering to yoursel# Sthat would be
awesomeQbut 8 could ne%er do that@ 8t@s the no%el you@%e had in the back o# your mind
to write one day, the photo essay you@d lo%e to go and make in $had, the media start-
up you@d lo%e to get goingQ
&our goal must be compelling And it must also be ='AMT7
'peci#ic7 :clearly de#ine what you are going to do:
Geasurable7 :i# you can@t measure it you can@t manage it;
.chie%able7 :they should be within the bounds o# possibility #or you;
Healistic7 :set the bar high enough to #ind out what you are capable o#, but not so
high you get #rustrated;
%imed7 :set a clear time #rame #or the goal;
=o in practice this means a%oiding goals like7 :8 will get a couple o# articles published
be#ore $hristmas; and instead going with :8 will pitch 2 written articles and one photo-
essay e%ery month;
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

9.2 write things down
Things start happening when you write them down
'echanically, writing down ideas, dreams, plans on paper gets your mental (uices
#lowing &ou start to %isualise what it might look and #eel like to achie%e them And
then you start doodling how to get there The ne!t thing you know you@%e got a list o#
steps to take to get you on your way
And other people recommend keeping a (ournal, i# you don@t already
9.* visualise the process B and the result
>o through the things you need to do the ne!t day7 the phone calls you need to make,
the #ilm you need to edit, the blog you need to write< picture yoursel# in your head,
sitting down at your desk making those things happen Alternati%ely you can write
down the steps and describe what it@s like to carry them out Mehearsing those steps
makes them easier to do the ne!t day
The second part is all about %isualising success Athlete@s %i%idly %isualise winning the
000m sprint until they can almost taste the sweat and #eel the #lag in their hands
9.8 the Dr -epper test
This is about asking yoursel# *what*s the worse that can happenO*
8t*s about 6uantifying failure once, and once only 8magine what it would be like to
mess it up What would happenO Would you really go bankrupt, or could you get some
e!tra work to tide you byO
&ou should 5hope#ully6 realise that in #act you will always ha%e a place to stay, you can
always get another (ob, and #ailure isn@t that bad at all
.nd accept5 you will fail. 'o fail fast, and learn from it.
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

9.0 get messy
Might to business 8# there@s one thing 8@%e learned, the best thing you can do to get
started isQto get started =ounds stupid 8 know, but my idea o# Sgetting started@ was
writing lots o# to-do lists, creating a #inancial spreadsheet, reading books on
#reelancing =urprise, surprise, nothing happened
Then 8 realised 8 needed to start doing stu## Meady or not, start contacting editors,
start #ilming, start editing, start writing >o out there, and do it now+ The sooner you
start doing things the sooner you get results And the sooner you #ail, so you can get
o%er it
Too many o# us spend time being the pro%erbial think-tank, when we should be a do-
tank
9.9 don"t give up
And #or the lo%e o# >od don@t gi%e up 4eing hard done by is what makes us great
storytellers 2ursuing this new world o# multimedia (ournalism, which is right in its
in#ant stages, means an uncertain #uture
4ut any more uncertain than #ull time (obs and pensionsO The recession has dispelled
that myth
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

resources
<ooks
May, Kin The Television "ews #andboo
4oyd, Andrew =roadcast Dournalism& the techniques of TE ? :adio "ews
'cleish, Mobert :adio 2roduction
'cGee, Mobert +tories
>lynn, Andy Aocumentaries...and #ow to ;ae Them
3ields, Nonathan @areer :enegade& #ow to ;ae A .reat <iving Aoing 1hat Bou
<ove
<logs
Adam Westbrook7 wwwadamwestbrookcouk
8nno%ati%e 8nteracti%ity wwwinno%ati%einteracti%itycom
)uckrabbit wwwduckrabbitin#oFblog
3reelance =witch www#reelanceswitchcomFblog
Nournalismcouk www(ournalismcouk
$areer Menegade wwwcareerrenegadecouk
Kiew'agaIine www%iewmagaIinenet
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk

about the author
8*m a multimedia (ournalist, blogger and
trainer based in London, TG
8 also lecture in Kideo & 2hoto Nournalism
at Gingston Tni%ersity in London
8 ha%e worked as a (ournalist across the TG,
in >hana, and reported #rom the #ront lines
in 8raC
8 trained at $ity Tni%ersity in London and
learned my skills co%ering some o# the
biggest stories o# the last #ew years,
including the 200V #loods, the
disappearance o# $laudia Lawrence and the
,il Me#inery strikes o# 2009
8 am now #reelance and work #or a %ariety o#
clients
www.adamwestbrook.co.uk