This is a great addition to the BlenderArtist Forum. But I have a question. Does anyone have any ideas on the rates for freelancers? It would really help because I was asked to do a freelance modelling job and i am not really familiar with ongoing rates. I dont want to set a price too high that would make the client flee but not too low for me. Any suggestions will help. Thanks in advance.
That is called: ânegotiation.â :yes: I donât care what service it is that youâre trying to sell ⌠the âprevailing market rateâ is a statistic that by definition compares apples and oranges because every provider is a little different.
I would recommend that you work out what you think the job ought to consist of, do a work-breakdown on it, and then package it up as a price. Consider a staged price, where you move between stated milestones and are paid at each increment with the customer or you being able to dissolve the contract, should he wish to, at any milestone point. (After all, itâs possible even likely that either or both of you will discover that a renegotiation is needed, e.g. for reasons that neither of you can foresee right now, and the very best way to handle that is to plan for it and to codify how the two of you will do it.)
There are many excellent books on consulting contracts (the ones by the late Herman Holtz nee Hermann Holz come prominently to mind), as well as good books on negotiating (âGetting to âYes!ââ comes to mind). You should spend some time reading those. Itâs really important to develop the ability to look at business, and business negotiation, equally from the point-of-view of both sides of the desk, âso that you can clearly see the middle, which is the point where your handshakes will meet.â
âGet it in writingâ is more than legal-defense: itâs the important first step in good project management and customer-relationship management. When both of you have writ it down, have smoked-it-over, have worked out every âwhat if?â the two of you can think of, then you sign ⌠the probabilty that both of you will be satisfied, that youâll do business together again, and that youâve just gotten yourself a good professional reference, are greatly increased by your diligent attention to that process alone. âGood negotiationâ is a business tool and a major success-factor: both of you together, pondering the chart, looking out to sea, considering where the rocks might be.
Thanks for the tips! Iâll definitely look into those books. And dig in to âGet it in writingâ. Thanks again!
Moved from âJobs > Paid Workâ to âGeneral Forums > Blender and CG Discussionsâ
Consider the clientâs alternatives. For example, a simple product photograph made in a light box might cost $300 and easily go over $1000. And thatâs if the client has a prototype. If the product/labels/packaging are all still in the design stage, then the client will spend thousands to get a prototype.
So in this case three hours modeling and rendering at $100/hr will still come in less than a photo session. Plus a rendered image can show a flawless product. And best of all for most procrastinating marketing departments, you can e-mail an image before a prototype can even be delivered to a photo studio.
If your client is a marketing firm, then be sure to leave a little room for them to mark up your rate. I think the firm I work with typically charges the end client up to double what I quote so they can make a profit too. The trick is finding someone who needs your work regularly. If you do good work for them, then they will be able to pay higher than market rates, because they have the confidence you will make them look good while getting their project done before the deadline. Most projects Iâve worked on donât afford a firm the luxury of time to try someone new even at a discount.
PS Animations are my new favorite gig. Spend a few hours modeling, but bill for dozens of hours the computer is just rendering. Thank you Blender Foundation!
what is PS Animations? hmm⌠i was asked to do $100/finished model not per modelling hours. I am really new to this.
I try to calibrate my rates over time using the following rule of thumb:
If Iâm not losing ANY work because of my rates, theyâre too low. If Iâm losing TOO MUCH work because of my rates, theyâre too high.
What âtoo muchâ means depends on your situation, of course.
ahhâŚi see⌠got it. Thanks Cessen.
It also depend on where you live, the cost of life, your level and your experience.
If you are doing it per image instead of per hour or per model, a handy reference for a starting point is this.
Thanks guys. Im comparing the prices for freelancing services and my cost of living.:yes:
I would suggest an excellent book(for everybody):
How to Be a Rockstar Freelancer