#charges for still?
5 messages in this thread
Don,
I have a rate card as well but it seems to be much too complex than
need be. I have rates for runtime in seconds, effects used, time on
tape heads, modeling time, and it all seems to add up quite nicely
and comes very close to the projected total cost. I do need to work
it backwards and boil it down to a flat hourly rate I suppose. The
original idea behind the complex formulae was to be able to do
different level productions for different level budgets. I have
recently discovered that the low budget clients don't buy anyway. I
did not run into a problem with my complex rate scheme until I had to
do a still and then I was stumped. Time to re-work, re-vamp, re-think
as business is picking up and I really need to get everything
engraved in stone before it all gets out of hand. NOPE! I am not
complaining! Looks like I will be setting up another station and
FINALLY advancing to R3 before long. Heh, my wife is actually
starting to smile again ( I guess you'd have to know her, she is an
accountant and really climbs the walls when I throw down 15 or 20
grand for equipment)
Merlin G. Farmer
Crystal Cave Animagix
Merlin,
>> Heh, my wife is actually starting to smile again <<
I'm glad to hear it! Last time you talked about her, you were on the verge of a
nasty breakup! Phew, I'm relieved.
Martin,
How thoughtful, I appreciate your show of concern. In brief, my wife
is fanatical about stability, inparticularly finances. When I blow 20
grand it completely undermines her very being of existence, (I did
say she is a staff accountant at a local CPA firm with a BA). She has
no sense of adventure when it comes to entreprenural journies. (I bet
I mispelled that). I had a real hard time convincing her that I was
not spending 20 grand so that I could draw cartoons. She has never
known me as an artist but as a technical nut only. My artist days
were before I had met her. Anyway, I am now able to make all the
prescribed payments and I think she has finally come to appreciate
some of my work and talent as she is starting to see the actual
potiential (financially). The bottom line, she is seeing return on
my (her(ours)) 20 grand. She values the all mighty dollar far more
than I do. I suppose that is one of the working ingrediences in our
relationship, the opposites making balances.
Yeah, I'm glad it didn't get ugly, because I am not sure what desicion
I would have made had there been an ultimatum. Besides, we do love
each other, just neither of us have time for that now. What time we
do have we spend with our very far out 2 year old who is already a
multimedia addict.
And now back to virtual reality, I wonder if you have a tip, if indeed
there are any, for using the lense flare IPAS or Hilite when the
final animation is to be composited or overlaied to video. I have an
animation that uses both of those IPAS routines and it is all on
BLACK(0, 0, 0) background to be overlayed on some previously recorded
material, but when composited, the haze and rays are semi transparent
and some of the black comes thru making the animation look kind of
cheap. The only way I know for sure to solve the problem would be to
digitize the 150 or so frames from the video that the animation is to
be overlayed on. (or by restraining the flare or hilite size to the
inside parameters of the object being flared). I am hoping there is
another method. If so, it would be greatly appreciated if you could
point me in that direction.
Thanks in advance
Merlin G. Farmer
Crystal Cave Animagix
Merlin,
wow! deja vu… actually I think your experience is probably not too
uncommon. My wife was also in accounting when I ditched my
well-payed, but tedious-to-an-extreme, programming job for a software
company. Needless to say the thought of my salary being replaced by
the up-and-down money of freelancing work in "cartoons" struck fear
into her heart. That's almost 3 years ago now and we probably had 2
years of barely surviving. I don't quite think we got to the point of
splitting, but there was quite a bit of strife over money let me tell
you.
I don't think she really took my work seriously until I started making
good money – she probably thought I was just a layabout <g>.
Actually, I had to leave the penny-anny, hit-and-miss world of logos
and get into games to get decent money though. There's just too much
competition and stress in those 1-5 day projects – very hard to make
a living – whereas games are typically 6 months to 1.5 year projects.
Best of luck with your business!
>>I have a rate card as well but it seems to be much too complex
>>than need be. I have rates for runtime in seconds, effects
>>used, time on tape heads, modeling time, and it all seems
>> to add up quite nicely and comes very close to the projected
>>total cost. I do need to work it backwards and boil it down to
>>a flat hourly rate I suppose.
Just to add to the fray – the way I price is pretty simple: my time
and machine time. I try to be a little on the low side when I factor
in all the time on the phone and in person with the client (because
it's pleasant and easy). Sometimes I discount my render charges as
well, just because I don't need the resource horribly (they're the
only current client and the machine would've been off anyway and I
did something to up the render time for a little better quality
results). I drop to S-VHS for approval, and do the final however they
want. Many are unwilling to pay for SP drop (at least at local
rates, which are maybe $400 for 15 seconds). However, now I have the
option of using a contact I met here on CI$ for SP output, at maybe
$130 for 15 seconds. BTW, the people who were on the thread earlier
discussing rates are way lower than me or my competition. I think
$50/hour is stupidly low. They must be competing with hacks using
their big brother's toaster. Good, flashy 3D work done with a high
standard of quality, combined with good customer service should always
command a good deal more than that. I'd say maybe $70 – $140 /hour.
What do you think?
Jim