Here in NYC everyone in the film world is getting excited because tonight’s the night:  it’s the start of the 11th annual Tribeca Film Festival!

Over the years the festival has morphed a bit and many critics argue that it is no longer about supporting the art of film, but the commercialization of film.  For example, this year’s festival will start tonight with a screening of The Five Year Engagement starring Emily Blunt & Jason Segel (not quite an indie film) at the Zeigfield theater (not quite Tribeca…but at least it’s in NYC?)

But with that said there are still plenty of very worthy indie film and emerging artists being showcased and we recommend checking out!

Here are some need to know facts about this year’s Tribeca Film Festival:

• General Screening Tickets are $8-$16 (there are $2 discounts for students and seniors)
• Passes are available (though many may be sold out now) and you can also get tickets at the door for screenings that aren’t sold out
• There are many panels you can attend for only $25
• If you are going in a group make sure to get there early -you are only guaranteed a seat…not a bunch together
• Make sure to ask people in line for recommendations
• Don’t be late -or you could forfeit your seats!

The day has arrived -to our artists, filmmakers, musicians and other creatives out there, if you haven’t filed your taxes today is it (unless you file for an extension).

In case you missed it, we’ve been covering tips for artists of all mediums – graphic design, film & video, and music.  Make sure to check out some of these past topics:

Business or Hobby

Studio Space

Supplies and Equipment

Finding the Right Accountant for Creatives

At Tenlegs we aim to follow in the No Spec movement.  What is spec you ask?  Spec means speculative work –as in work you do without knowing that you’ll be paid.

Spec assignments ask artists to submit a complete or near-complete version of the project before getting paid.  The buyer then has the ability to browse the completed projects and pick his favorite.  Spec work uses valuable time and resources for artists, filmmakers, writers and musicians.

At Tenlegs we do not ask artists to submit a complete version or a draft of the specific Opportunity.  Instead we ask you to supply a portfolio of your work and then ask you to merely answer a few questions about your working style, collaboration skills, and a broad vision of your style & tone for the project (without giving away too much of your creative ideas!).

We believe our approach not only prevents you from having to put too many resources behind a submission, but also gives those organizations seeking artists through Tenlegs’ Opportunities the ability to judge whether you are the right partner to commission for the actual work.

Sadly earning a living is something that has become increasingly difficult for many artists.  A Tenlegs team member noted the high number of  homeless or street artists who hang out near Washington Square Park and that made us wonder how significantly the economic downturn has affected this community.

Surprisingly the information is readily available online.  Of those individuals without work in the Manhattan area alone, over 4,000 are artists, 7372 are actors, 1438 are film and tv directors, 4589 are graphic designers, and 811 are musicians.  Those are a lot of people that can use help finding work to make ends meet.

One of our main goals at Tenlegs is to help artists prospect.  Whether you are able to prosper by finding work opportunities, collaborators to produce your own art, or use our site your main store, we want to help you earn a living.  We’d like to encourage viewers of all kinds – whether you are an organization looking for creative marketing, looking to browse artists’ work, or are a working artists yourself to find ways to help these individuals too.

Just a friendly reminder that you have one week left until the official tax deadline (yes there are always extension options)!  In case you missed it, we’ve been covering tips for artists of all mediums – graphic design, film & video, and music.  Make sure to check out some of these past topics:

Business or Hobby

Studio Space

Supplies and Equipment

Finding the Right Accountant for Creatives

We’ve seen numerous lists of cities with the best cities for artists.  These surveys take into account populations of artists, cities that support artists the most, affordability for artists to live and work, and cities with the most artistic patrons.  While the result may vary from list to list New York, San Francisco, Santa Fe, and Los Angeles are routinely found in the top five results.  However here at Tenlegs we’ve found that artists are breaking down boundaries and are now able to live almost anywhere they want.

But as more creative graphic and editing tools become free and readily available online, artists are able to create, collaborate and showcase their work online.  For example at Tenlegs we have our Workspace feature to allow you to work on projects in film, design, animation and music with collaborators around the world!

Artists are also breaking down barriers in finding work.  Services like Tenleg’s Opportunities, 99designs, and Crowdspring allow artists to find work from those that need their help (ps have you check out our latest Opportunity offering?)

The power is in your hands to create how and where you want -make it your own!

At Tenlegs our mission is to help artists prosper and what better way to prosper than get paid gigs!

This is an open call to graphic designers for a paid opportunity (submission period only entails a written proposal and your portfolio -not a completed work)!   A top-ranked Executive MBA program for global leaders is looking for a graphic artist to creatively take statistics and information provided and put it in a way that is logical and effective to understand while visually pleasing.  This infographic will be used both online and at admissions fairs nation-wide.   The for full details of the assignment, we strongly suggest thoroughly reading the client brief.  Click here for a full client brief

The selected designer will receive $500 for his/her work.

Designer should be:

• Able to show examples of previous work that is of a similar scope
• Communicate either verbally or via a mockup his/her vision of the tone
• Willing to deliver work in a format that allows the client to update statistical information as needed
• Available to deliver a first draft by or before April 30th.
• Able to deliver a final product by  or before May 7th.

To be considered you:

• Must fill out a Project Proposal and Tenlegs’ Artist Proposal Agreement and email them to community@tenlegs.com
• Are also highly encouraged to become a registered member at Tenlegs (it’s free!!) and to showcase samples of your work on your Tenlegs profile for client review

Deadline:

All proposals & portfolios must be submitted by 12 noon EST on April 17th. Submission materials (including Tenlegs portfolio and proposal) will be reviewed by the client with a final selection held by April 20th.

With yesterday’s launch of Instagram for the mobile Android platform, amateur (and some professional) photographers around the world have a new editing toy to play with.

As we gear up for a new paid opportunity for digital graphic designers (hint, hint…check back here tomorrow!), we wondered what tools you use for your professional work.  Here are two options (one with a price and one without) that professionals commonly use -but tell us your favorites in the comments section!

Photoshop
Retail Price:  $697.99

The granddaddy of all the image editing software is still the most popular.  The amount of feature that allow you to design or manipulate graphics are more than plentiful and

Gimp
Retail Price:  Free!

GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image creation -most of the tools you need and all for free!

Think being a great filmmaker is all about creating long-form video for movie theatres?  Think again!  For decades some of the greatest filmmakers have deviated from the movie format to create amazing creations in music videos, commercials and even web videos.

Here are just three well-known film directors and examples of their commercial work that they’ve done on the side:

David Fincher
Films:  Social Network, Fight Club, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Seven

Wes Anderson
Films:  Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Ridley Scott
Films:  Gladiator, Alien, Thelma & Louise

Remember that when you want to take on a project between your films to check out Tenlegs!  We frequently have short-term Opportunities that are a great way to show off your skills, make money through project work, and get noticed!

In February we told you about a Tenlegs Opportunity that was in process between filmmaker David Lackey & Professor Jonathan Haidt for the TED Conference.  Well today we want to show you the fantastic completed project.  Make sure to check out the completed project!

Click Here to View David Lackey & Professor Jonathan Haidt’s TED Talk Video

If you need materials for content marketing or events like the TED Talk, we can help connect you with artists to get video, animation & graphics for your website or other needs.  Our community loves a good opportunity! Contact us today for more information.