How to Make Money While Traveling as an Independent Film Maker

How to Make Money While Traveling as an Independent Film Maker: An interview with Arthur Moore

With passion, hard work and a bit of imagination there are countless ways that you can earn money while traveling the world. This week Arthur Moore, from Israel, tells us how he travels the world and makes money as an independent film maker and You Tuber.

Arthur Moore got very lucky at an early age. When he was 16 he discovered his passion for film making. At 18 he started working in one of the biggest TV stations in Israel but he always knew that there is more to life but working. By the time he was 26 he had enough of working for someone else and decided that he needed the break free from the “matrix,” to follow his desire to explore the world, explore himself and so he left Israel to follow his dreams of traveling the world and making films. Check out Arthur Moore’s You Tube Channel and follow him on Facebook.

The work and travel lifestyle is a dream for so many people. So can you explain briefly how you make money as an independent film maker while also being able to travel?

I travel the world full time and make a living by making films and producing videos for small businesses and artists, dancers, you tubers, yoga teachers etc and I also have my own you tube channel – www.youtube.com/arthurmoore 

It’s a bit challenging each time, but somehow it works. When I arrive in a new place I start by looking around to see who might need a video, I talk to people, I say that I make films, I post on Facebook etc. If someone starts to be interested I offer them a video for a much lower price than I would usually take and then I make this video the most amazing I can. When I deliver the video, the person is so happy and amazed that they talk about you to everyone they know and become your personal walking advert. The next client that comes to me I charge a bit more. If they ask “why” I tell the truth, “I needed to prove myself in this city and so I did a very attractive price for my first client, but I also need to eat and pay rent now..” They usually understand. The 3rd client will get the real price that I charge everywhere. This worked many times, the key is to find the first client, preferably one that knows many people.

So what made you decide to leave your job to work and travel around the world as an independent film maker and how did you make it happen?

What made me decide to do it was a deep inner curiosity about the world. What else is out there? What people? What cultures? I really wanted to travel and see the world but I didn’t want to go on a “holiday” I wanted to LIVE like this. I wanted to live my life traveling so I just HAD to find a way to do it.

I was looking for a way to travel the world, and do what I love – film making. What do you do when you need a job in your home county? You look for it. So I did the same thing. There was a YouTube channel that I loved, but I thought they would benefit from much better video editing so I sent them an email with a link of to my work and I told them “ I love your stuff, but you can use much better editing, I hope we can find a way to work together”

To my surprise, he replied after only a few hours and he said that he was coming to Israel soon to speak at an event so I offered any help i could give him; I did video for him for free, I hosted him, drove him around Tel Aviv in my car and organised his events there. After few days he offered for me to work for him which meant that I could travel the world with him while creating videos for his website. When I heard this offer I was the happiest man alive.

What do you like the best about the lifestyle of a traveling film maker?

Waking up when ever I want and WHERE I want. If for some reason I don’t like where I am, I just leave. It’s a great feeling of freedom. I also love working with new and different people around the world as they all have something new to teach you and I get constant inspiration.

But nothings perfect right? Are there any downsides?

The biggest downside to my lifestyle is that I don’t have my own house where I have all the stuff that I want and need. When you move a lot you really start to miss this but hopefully this will change soon. I want to buy a house, but I’m not sure where yet.

Do you have one standout highlight, favourite destination or biggest achievement?

The best thing about traveling the world is the constant stream of new things coming to your life and that stream inspires you to change and become a better version of yourself. When I started traveling, I was working as a video editor for only 1 You Tube channel but the more I saw and the more people I talked to the more I got inspired to get my own equipment and start filming and creating with more people and that really made me grow as a film maker.

Today, I have my own You Tube channel and that’s what I love to do the most. For me, my biggest achievement was to break free from the idea that I have to work for other people because, when you work for someone, only they can benefit from your skill but when you work for yourself, and you have a website, or a You Tube channel etc…you follow your passion and a lot of people can benefit from your skill and that changes everything.

And what has been the greatest challenge?

Breaking free from the idea that I have to work for other people was my biggest achievement but also my biggest challenge. What if I fail? What if it will take too long? Will I make enough money? Those fear based thoughts created a lot of self doubt, and sometimes I would seriously think it would be easier to just go back to whats safe and familiar and a regular salary but my excitement about what I really wanted was bigger than my fears.

What do you wish you had known before you started traveling and working as independent film maker? 

Why, how, what – those 3 questions changed my life. When I just started YouTube, I was struggling with flow, I’d want to do a video, but it would take me way too long to create it, it was not flowing.  Now, with answering those 3 questions, everything flows and I’m much more confident in my work.

Before creating a video, I ask myself why? By why I don’t mean to get views, that’s the result, I mean, what do I want to achieve with posting this video, who do I want to help or what change do I want to see? When I have the answer, I ask myself how? (in what style of filming or editing) and then I ask What – what do I actually say or film in that video.  Those 3 questions made my life so easy.

So, what are your plans and ambitions for the future?

I’m currently based in Goa, India and I try to show in my you tube videos why I love it so much here…

My aim for the future is to be doing meaningful YouTube videos and to keep exploring the world and myself. I want to know everything about hacking reality and the “matrix” and to tell others about it. I want to motivate people as well as myself through making films and being in crazy situation that I’ve never been before. Basically I want to live my life to the full and inspire others to do the same.

Thanks so much Arthur for sharing your awesome lifestyle and best of luck with your youtube channel. 

If you have an innovative way of making money while traveling and want to be featured here contact me. Also don’t forget to check out the other working abroad interviews. 

Do you Live to Travel, or Travel to Live?

   

Sign up to the FREE newsletter and learn how you can make travel your lifestyle too!