Frank Evenblij recently spoke on television with the wealthy TV maker Reinout Oerlemans. Frank also makes TV himself, but his burp is a little less good. It was doom and gloom, especially during the corona crisis.
As a freelancing TV maker, Frank Evenblij cannot count on a fixed income. This particularly hurt him during the corona crisis, when he saw his income collapse completely. “The first months I had to get by with 1000 euros, that’s something different than I’m used to,” he reveals in the VARAguide.
Vulnerable
It was a wake-up call for Frank. “Then I realized: life as a freelancer is vulnerable. You simply cannot insure or protect yourself against events such as a pandemic. But I refuse to be guided by negative feelings or fear.”
Frank can live just fine without television. “When the work I love so much stops, I’ll have enough talent to find work elsewhere and have fun. Then I sit on the tram and I am happy as a conductor.”
Cab driver
What other career options does Frank envision? “Whether I go to work in the catering industry or as a taxi driver, I can also talk and talk for a long time. Something I really enjoy doing. Or I take a cutting course and become a hairdresser.”
Wouldn’t Frank rather be a permanent employee of BNNVARA? “The permanent contracts are not up for grabs in Hilversum. Due to budget cuts, the broadcasters already have many presenters in permanent employment who do not receive any programs. Furthermore, the freedom to make different things really appeals to me.”
