24 Chapter 2 MARKETING YOURSELF AS A PRODUCER small percentage of the rates they charge. Overhead, taxes, start-up costs, insurance, and myriad other expenses can easily amount to two-thirds or three-quarters of the gross income-- and sometimes more. A Personal Message from an Independent Video Producer I speak to you as an independent video producer. I worked in corporations for 12 years before starting out on my own. During a recession, my company laid off 10 percent of the workforce. I was shocked that they didn't need me, since I thought I was indispensible to the company. After the day my supervisor gave me the bad news, I was crying as I told my wife I had been let go. What would I do? How would we survive? That was 26 years ago, and I wish now that I could tell that supervisor what a favor he did for me! I had been doing a little freelance work on weekends, and that client gave me more work.