Forever Freelancer | Corrin Evans
Filmmaker and intimacy coordinator. Los Angeles. In the industry since 2011.
Was there a moment, a meeting, a Monday, a very specific email, that made you think "I can't keep doing this." What was yours?
My entire day job as an intimacy coordinator had me on the brink of quitting the industry altogether. On one particular day I was being yelled at by a showrunner while they were in the middle of getting a massage. The therapist just kept massaging them while they yelled at me to just "make the thing happen" that was impossible to make happen. I didn't come back to work the next day.
Going into freelancing, what did you think the hardest part would be, and what's the hardest part actually?
I thought the hardest part would be dealing with the financial instability, but after over a decade of working like this I'm used to that. The hardest part for me is constantly interacting with an entirely new group of people on every job. It's like the first day of school in a never ending rotation. This can also be very fun at times, and on the very bright side — you don't have to keep working with assholes forever if they're there, because the job inevitably ends.
What's the skill you've had to develop that has absolutely nothing to do with what you actually do, but makes or breaks everything?
Being able to say a swift no when something isn't working or the job isn't right for me. This is directly useful both in my work and in my personal life. I think many of us women are conditioned to be gracious and accommodating no matter what — which can be useful in certain social settings, but at work not being able to say no and give your team clarity can be a major time waster.
If you had to pick up to three GIFs to describe the energy of a memorable client, what are we watching?
What's a phrase that instantly tells you a project is about to become complicated?
"Heads up, the [insert title here] is an old-school Hollywood type…"
What's the most freelancer sentence you've ever typed?
Tell us the lowest rate you ever accepted. The actual figure. No rounding up for dignity.
$0 — and then probably paying for a few things myself. The classic justification: experience, a good name attached, might beget more work.
What would you put on a business card that actually captures what you do?
"Does everything that needs doing."
What have you gained that would've been difficult to find anywhere else?
Comfortability with fluctuating finances. The importance of the word no. The ability to not take shortness or curt emails personally.
Finish the sentence: "Forever Freelancer means…"
"Forever trusting yourself."
Corrin Evans