One thing I’m definitely not psyched about is all the spam mail in my inbox:
I’m one email away from blocking this guy entirely.
The information is probably already freely available but likely to be highly scattered and in various multiple tutorials. I would look at all the photos that he shows and systemically break it down into all the bits and pieces you would need to do it and than fire up Google. In a good lazy afternoon you could create a library of bookmarks to look at.
Look I am not into making scenes like this, its just not my thing but here is how I would break it down. for the ocean I would google for ocean sim tutorials, for the trees arbaro, for the ivy ivy generator, for realistic grass- the are plenty of free tutorials on that I would also poke the freely available BBB files . The rocks look like procedural rocks and I have seen tutorials and blends on that.
You can go on like that, identify the effect he is using and than Google it, I doubt there is little that you can’t find that is not freely available.
why ?
when you give someone your email then you do it to get emails like this. why else would he need your email?
For future reference, i think andrew should tone down his infomercial-style sales pitch. Its really offputting. Im looking for blender training, not a sham-wow.
Agreed - his nature images are impressive, but he’s like the Anthony Sullivan of the tutorial world. I’m really not sure why he thinks people will respond well to that approach. Well, I know why he thinks it will work - it does. On a different demographic. I’ve never really figured out which demographic however. Those infomercial guys are millionaires, so I respect Andrew for going for the money - I own a business, so I know it’s all about sales. He’s obviously got a passion for Blender and CG, but it just feels like he’s got a passion for cheesy marketing as well. I won’t be reserving a “seat” at the nature academy. No need and it’s too much money. Also, I hate the “that’s a $149 value” business. Well, Andrew, I’m sure you’ve read this so I wish you good luck. You’ve got a nice looking product, but I encourage you to listen to your audience here - tone down the “but wait, there’s more!” approach.
Yeh absolutely, nonetheless, we got many property developers where I live, with huge building projects trying to sell commonhold flats and terraced housing. You need to advertice it to sell, and 2d blueprints just don´t work as eyecatcher. However, the building buisiness is rotten to the core, corrupt and a rough turf, especially when it comes to bid estimating.
So they need some archviz, mostly exterior, but don´t have the big budget for it. And if I get paid for dunnow, 20h archviz, I will not spend more unpaid hours making the environment more beautiful than needed, or required by the client, when it´s already troublesome to deliver a quality you can life with in the available time.
That´s why I mentioned it… I think it is a faulty argument in Andrews’ Infomercial why you need to attend to the Nature Academy.
For 200 USD I can buy a lot of archviz plantlife to just position… like he says lateron in the video, what amazing nature szenes you can do with just 9 different 3d models.
It might be unfair though to bash him for that, because his focus could be on the composition, lighting and render setup, but at least latter two you should be able to handle doing archviz, especially if his academy is targeted towards the “professional” user rather than the “beginner”.
And I agree with 3Dmedieval.
All the best to Andrew, but stop that telemarketing crap, fire whoever is consultion you… people will buy your stuff for its quality and the reputation you made for yourself, not because you have 1960s marketing 
At his first tutorials I thought… “wow, he sat down worked it out and made kickass tutorials… great stuff”
now i think: “wow, every 2 seconds he tells me how much the stuff is worth and how cheap he is giving it away. Either it is crap, or he is a fool selling everything for a fraction of its worth”
True, but I didn’t do it to get that many emails. After a certain point, it simply becomes spam.
Why all the hate for Andrew? Sure I don’t like his marketing method either but each person does their thing, that’s what makes them unique.
I also don’t like the 6-day offer but he made a perfectly understandable excuse for this and it opens up again later so you don’t have to feel stressed.
I would love to sign up for this course but I don’t have that kind of money right now :[
the hate is not towards andrew its the marketing tactics he is using. those tactics i expect to see on informical sites. His tutorial are very good and lots of people rave about them I personally fail to see the need to market it in this way. Its like you are making Ferraris and than you are selling them like the are second hand wreck-mobiles
I “hate” when people use that term when they hear criticism of someones ideas. No one has expressed any disrespect for Andrew or the product - we simply disagree with his marketing. And I’m sure Andrew wants to hear that. Well, I’ll say that he wants to know if his marketing is working.
I don’t agree with the 6 day thing either. There are not a limited number of “seats”. No software company in the world sells it’s products for less than a week. He’s using the “call in the next 10 minutes and get a …” approach. If I were selling his nature academy, I’d reduce the price, remove the time limit, and keep gently reminding people about it. It looks like a good product, but a lot of the extras, like the forum etc, are duplicate material. This site really is the recognized Blender discussion forum. The certificate of completion extra is…well, a bit cheesy. No hate, just a crit, that’s all. As I said, I hope he does well in his venture. He seems like a nice guy, and he’s worked hard setting up his “academy”.
Its like you are making Ferraris and than you are selling them like the are second hand wreck-mobiles
Yes. You have to match your marketing approach to the quality of your product. Luxury products are NEVER sold this way. Bently, Tag Heuer, Ralpg Lauren etc. He’s got a quality product, but his advertising makes it seem cheap.
So really? the fuss is because one guy doesn’t have the ad budget of Porsche?
plus comparing his video to sleazy tv infomercial is pretty rude. ok… yeah its using simple graphics and marketing… but its not the same at all. it seems more that he was trying to show you the value… instead of creating extra value by giving you a second sham wow, he was showing you what is included and explaining some of the estimated value… being able to use the materials commercially does indeed raise the value of the product… so its not crap added value like 4 extra slap chops.
and why would you expect some slick ad campaign from an individual. or even want it. the way he decided to showcase his materials actually pleased me. i can see every part of what i would be getting… its not just some slick video with lots of effects and a tagline “The elegance of Nature!” come on… that is plain retarded
try not to be swayed by ads both pleasing and expensive or simple and cheap. they are both kinds of ads… effectively the same in purpose.
then
the price. is actually not unreasonable at all. AT ALL… he has spent his own time and money creating this package. but it also saves the user time and money… for you to make images of that quality, you will have to spend time learning how to do that, and trying different things… you basically pay to reduce that time by having a guide. it depends how much you value your time… if your time isn’t worth much then hey do what you want… but personally i would rather pay a small fee to have a shortcut to knowledge, and save myself hours and hours of trying different things. i can always try different things once i have a base knowledge.
really complaining about his marketing and how it “put you off”?
maybe when your super cheap (or free) tutorial series comes out with advertisements by lucas films, we will all stand in awe of your purity and virtue.
but i think for now try to cut the guy some slack,
he is just one dude who has put a lot of work into making it easier for people to learn blender. and he has invested a lot into the project. putting down his efforts is in a way insulting.
I personaly hope he is more than successfull with this endeavor.
I humblessly think that this package must be a little bit cheaper to reach more public, and the video in just one minute sells itself very very well. I think he has a huge talent and a good way to teach.
I do not like the huge “BUY NOW!” buttons, and i haven’t the money by this time, i hope that this change for the next products, but i believe that he will go really well with Nature Academy. He deserves it.
Andrew tells where he learned his marketing techniques in his interview at processdiary.com. He went to a seminar by this guy. Hence the “moneymaking opportunity biz” type flavor of his marketing.
He may get a better general response in forums and comments if he changed the tone and wasn’t so in-your-face with the marketing, but that doesn’t mean he would get more sales. Only he can determine that. Meanwhile, the methods he uses are proven. He is trying to maximize his profits. Not leaving money on the table is good business.
He also probably doesn’t need to worry about being hated by many because there is a big difference in his business and the many others who use these marketing techniques. He actually provides good value for value with his products. That means happy repeat customers and a good reputation. If the sales numbers are high (and apparently they are -he quit his day job) he may not be too worried about the folks who don’t like the smell of his marketing.
Btw I don’t like the smell either, but that wouldn’t stop me from buying if I needed this info served up to me, because I know the quality of his training. Anyone who hits the site can see for themselves before they buy, through his free tutorials. But I do agree with others here. I think he would get more sales if he changed the tone of the marketing but, again, only he can figure out if that is true. Maybe that would be a good subject for his next research poll.
Yes he is also a bit on the expensive side too, but he’s not really selling knowledge here. As Chimpstar mentioned above, he is selling time. Saved time. Time is valuable, and one can spend a massive amount of it searching out this info for free and/or learning by yourself through trial and error. Also, it is a proven fact -the most profit overall usually comes from a saleman’s most expensive products (unless they’re too overpriced). He is running a business and it’s the business of making money.
Just my opinion and a few facts here.
Party on. 
I agree with Chimpstar entirely, and this pretty much sums it all up:
Sure, I could live without that kind of marketing, but because I filter it I just take what I want from the whole thing, which is the key information.
What’s inside? Thoroughly explained.
How it works? Also explained.
Results? They came across in the very first minute, in quite a stunning way I should say.
What’s the price? Also there, and in my opinion very well valuated. I can’t afford it right now, mind you, but that doesn’t change the value of the product. Hopefully I’ll be able to jump on it on the second “season”.
Again, being reasonable is key here. Figure out if you think the product is interesting to you (he gives you all the info you need for that), and then decide what you want to do. Don’t let a great product pass you by, or don’t buy a product that you don’t think you need, just because “he’s shoving it down my throat!”. He isn’t, it’s all in your head.
If it’s the money and speed that matters above all, then you’re better off buying all your model libraries and sticking the trees wherever you need them. If you’re working for construction engineers, then I’d suggest you find a new clientele that appreciates, and pays for, well crafted images. Contrary to what a lot of people believe, there are clients out there who WILL pay a premium for extra attention to details and good communication. I’ve never done rendering work for construction engineers because it’s just not the type of rendering work that interests me. It also comes down to whether you’re simply providing a generic service or are trying to distinguish yourself and improve your work, since model libraries can’t cover every image or mood that you try to depict.
Again this is a cultural thing. For me when I see things marketed that way it de-valuates the product. I am sorry but this is something - and I am sure there are a lot of Europeans out there that will share my feeling - that is just the way it is.
You know what good marketing is ? The way blendercookie sells their stuff. Just a short movie, some text and voila - http://cgcookie.com/vehicle-series/. Preordered the course within 10 minutes after first learning about the blender vehicle training. Had good experiences with their free tutorials, got a nice discount because I pre ordered months before the release and it was a no brainer.
These are thing Andrew 300% sure can pull of because the quality of his tutorials is good enough to sell on itself.
And to be honest I have worked as a web designer for a lot of high profile brands and let me tell you this. “Less is more” and it really doesn’t cost that much. I always had the feeling that smaller brands wanted to go overboard with spending money.
I think it’s a tricky one… Pricepoint would be reasonable for a cg talk workshop over 6 weeks… I get teh impression they’re more personal than “here’s a bunch of tutorials I’ve made” give it a go and I’m on skype to help" though!
the hard sell is disapointing because it looks like the sort of snakeoil BS “lose weight” or “build muscle fast!” school of internet sales… the sort that make you run a mile thinking “scam”
I look through and think this bag of tricks whilst surely good quality looks like it’s been mostly covered by Andrew’s free tutorials and I’m a little sick of the vignette trick! on every image?
Amateur beginners will probably be priced out of this, professional blender users will know 80-90% of this content already, maybe more … so this should really be aimed at professional users migrating from other packages to achieve this pricepoint.
I like Andrews tutorials on occasion, especially on new features in blender that I haven’t had time to play with, but this all looks a bit well trodden to me…
For people worried about the 6 day window, he said that it would reopen in 4 months, and perhaps the price would lower too? I was taken back a bit when I saw the lengthy sales page with testimonials and “reasons to by”, that looked like a scam page. The video for the first minute looks impressive enough, don’t add more info than you need too.
For people worried about the 6 day window, he said that it would reopen in 4 months, and perhaps the price would lower too?
From one of Andrews emails just sent:
Q: If I don’t join now, can I join at a later stage?
A: Yes, the course will re-open again in October. However
I am planning to upgrade the course to include new tutorials,
so the price will increase (I’m telling you this now so it isn’t
a surprise). If you join now during this initial signing on period
you will receive all future upgrades for free.
I subscribe 105% of what SilenceBe and Michael W wrote. Andrew Price is not an unknown person, his Blender tutorials are among the best you can find around; he does not need such selling tactics.
His price is high, sorry, and if he is going to raise it further in future it will be even worse. Now his course costs like a mid-level Vue artist version; if he raises further the price it will be equivalent to buy a semi professional Vue configuration or Terragen 2 or, if you are interested only in plants, XFrog.
B.t.w., some plant related resources:
1 - Arbaro http://arbaro.sourceforge.net/ (download and print the paper on which the program is based, otherwise you will not even understand how the program works);
2 - Ivy Generator http://graphics.uni-konstanz.de/~luft/ivy_generator/ ;
3 - ngPlant http://ngplant.sourceforge.net/ with great resources here http://yorik.uncreated.net/greenhouse.html.
…they are worth 100’s of $ but I sell them for… 0$ :evilgrin:.
Sad to see that a topic about this tutorial series is going on about the marketing side of things instead of the tutorials themselves. But it’s simply the fault of Price himself. When I heard about this series I immediately thought about buying it. Then I heard about the price, and although a bit steep, it was not the factor for me to decide that Price wouldn’t get my money. I bought the WOW Factor, which was also marketed in such a horrid way. Instead of learning from the critics he get from that first experience, he decided to do it just the same -and even a bit worse- all over again.
So, the series is great I guess, but I refuse to spend money on such reprehensible marketing tactics.