CompuServe Messages

I think it could go both ways, there. Frequently the client knows exactly what they want and it's just a matter of deciding how long it will take you to do and then multiplying that by your hourly rate to come up with a bid. Or saying that's 10 seconds of animation and it's fairly simplistic so I'll charge $100 per second. On the other hand, the client might say "create a logo that will knock my socks off!" and have little or no creative input. I've worked with both and sometimes you need to spend a long time with the client just clarifying what they want and doing a storyboard, script etc. before you can give them a quote. Generally, I work on the finished second basis, where the variable is the dollar amount per second which YOU have to decide based on the complexity. I don't think bidding is an exact art in animation and I don't profess to be much good at it, so just give it your best shot and start high and if/when they fall off their chair you can always come down.