Free Work That Actually Pays w/ Troy Plota | Ep 377

From Atlanta studios to Hollywood sets to inventing new technology, Troy Plota has built a career on persistence and reinvention. In this conversation with Chris Do, he shares how he went from organizing model books to shooting celebrities, the $35K day that changed everything, and the app that transformed still photos into living motion. But the story doesn’t stop there. Troy opens up about clients who refused to pay, platforms that exploited his work, and why he believes DAOs could finally give artists ownership and fair compensation. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build, lose, and rebuild again in the creative industry, this episode is for you. Timestamps: (00:00) – Intro (03:29) – Shooting Mariah Carey and Usher (05:00) – Fashion “testing” explained (09:37) – $250 shoots to $35K payday (11:12) – Free work lands a big client (13:33) – Catalog jobs and cashflow struggles (15:58) – Tony Braxton photos used without pay (20:21) – Playboy shoots: nine lights, full precision (22:16) – Investor backs out of VR startup (23:54) – Beta launch earns $230K (24:37) – App turns stills into motion (26:54) – Slammed-fist meeting with acquirers (38:21) – Platforms profit while creators don’t (45:50) – Where to Learn More Check Out Today's Guest, Troy Plota: Website: https://troyplota.com Plotaverse (his app/platform): https://plotaverse.com X (Twitter): @troyplota Instagram: @Plotagraph Check out The Futur: Website: https://www.thefutur.com/ Courses: https://www.thefutur.com/shop LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-futur/ Podcasts: https://thefutur.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefuturishere/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theFuturisHere/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/thefuturishere TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thefuturishere YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thefuturishere Check out Chris Do: Website: https://zaap.bio/thechrisdo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thechrisdo/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BizOfDesign Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechrisdo/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/thechrisdo TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thechrisdo Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thechrisdo Behance: https://www.behance.net/chrisdo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices