Freelancer Spotlight: Maya Avidov – Writer, Director and Producer
Next up in our âFreelancer Spotlightâ series is Maya Avidov, a hugely talented short film director, producer and writer. Maya was also the winner of our Autumn 2024 competition.
Our Freelancer Spotlight series is designed to help promote the great work that creative freelancers do and provide a platform for them to share their insights and experiences in the sector.
If you would like to feature in our âFreelancer Spotlightâ series, click the button below to answer our 'Spotlight' questions.
What inspired you to become self-employed?
I'm not really an office, 9-5 kind of a person. I'm much more drawn to working on projects and then moving on to the next thing.
Also, in my line of work that's really the only way to be as there aren't many (or any) long term positions for film directors creating fiction content. Also as a person I need to be in control of my time, money and taxes.
My father was also self-employed, so I definitely grew up witnessing the hustle it takes to be a freelancer and with the âwork for yourselfâ mentality.
Who would be your âdream clientâ, and why?
I suppose my 'dream client' would be any one of my favourite musicians (there are loads) and the opportunity to create a music video for them that mixes amazing modern dancers with incredible fashion and a killer narrative hook.
I'd love to make something on the verge of weird, but still relatable and gorgeous to look at.
What advice would you give to others who wanted to become self-employed?
Try and join as many online communities as you feel comfortable with, so that they don't overwhelm you or make you feel despondent, but that you can learn from them how people make a living doing what you do.
Also of course go to networking events, in and out of your field (remember the people hiring are often not in your field).
I 'd also suggest creating a creative mantra (maybe hang it somewhere in your space) that reminds you why you started in your field, what it is that you love about it.
And finally, try and make something just for the fun of it as often as possible. There's a real danger when you make your passion your profession that you'll grow to hate it.
What part of your work do you feel most proud of?
I love creating a feeling. I know that sounds abstract, because it is. I love to create an ambiance on set (through casting, lighting, production design and wardrobe), that permeates the image and transfers over to the viewer. Leaving them with a certain feeling as a result of the story they just experienced.
I also really feel proud when a team I'm working with comes together to create something unique and beautiful, that has all our individual skills married into this one creation - I think that's very special.
What do you enjoy most about being self-employed?
Being able to work on many different projects, with loads of different people. I think team and world building is such a major part of what I do, and I love doing it. I find moving from project to project is such a gift in terms of meeting new people, broadening my personal and creative horizons.
Also, if you find yourself working on a project that has developed "bad vibes"- don't worry it'll be over soon enough.
What has been the biggest challenge youâve faced as a freelancer, and how did you overcome it?
When I first moved to the UK my biggest challenge was definitely building a network and getting clients. And that later part remains true - this is a very tough and over-saturated industry, that's also filled to the brim with exceedingly talented people.
But I overcame that by really understanding my strengths, which are also my USP's (an interesting way to do this is to put together everything you've ever made and look at it, you'll probably start to see a fingerprint emerge, and list what it's strengths are - this really helped me identify my style and strength as a creator) .
But nowadays my and the industry's biggest challenge is AI. It's definitely already stripping a lot of job roles away from the industry. And whilst I haven't overcome this yet, I am learning to work with AI and understanding how I can utilise it to my benefit - improving my skills and expanding the production value of what I can create on a lower end budget.
What tools or resources are absolutely essential for you to do your work?
The obvious ones that come to mind are:
- Google / YouTube / Vimeo
- A drawing pad and pens I love.
Also I'm a very big list maker - it really helps put my thoughts in order, so I use this very cheap Muji monthly schedule notebook, and just use each column for a day, to map out my week (rather than use each page for a month) - it's very simple but honestly a game changer for me.
Another huge resource these past 2 years have been a few professional WhatsApp groups I've joined - this has been incredible. It's a great place to ask people for their opinions, experiences, recommendations (or disses), and to just feel a sense of camaraderie. I highly suggest finding a few (just ask on your socials for invites), because this has perfectly summarised for me what Google and AI can't give you in a search result - human experience and analysis.
How do you keep up with industry trends and continue learning and improving your skills?
I make a point of reading what's getting commissioned, and regularly looking at sites like Vimeo's Staff Picks and NoBudge, and if I see something I love I try to reverse engineer how it got made and what I love about it. That has really helped inform my taste.
Also YouTube is just amazing for tutorials and inspiring lectures from incredible creators.
I think it's also crucial to be thinking of film and art from a global perspective and looking at things being made not only in the UK and US. Doing this has totally kept me engaged with why I love this medium and has continued to highlight its endless possibility.
I think if you don't do this, and only watch what's coming out of your creative/geographic echo chamber, it's very hard to imagine and create something new.
Where can people find out more about you and your work?
My website: MayaAvidov.com
If you would like to feature in our âFreelancer Spotlightâ series, click the button below to answer our 'Spotlight' questions.
Written by
Luke Glassford
Marketing Director
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