New to the 3D Architecture Field - - Some questions

[bunter26]

Hey guys...first time posting on this site...there is some trully great work on here...well, as the title of the thread states, I have decided to get into the 3d archiecture field but i do have some questions I hope you guys can answer:

 

1. What is average turn around time firms expect to receive a rendered still or animation?

 

2. What is the going rate for a 3d rendered still? something that is on par with spince 3d's quailty

 

3. What is the going rate for 3d animations? once again something on par with spine's work?

 

Thanks guys for the help!!

[alexg]

Hi, welcome to the long sleepless nights of rendering.

 

Each of your question worth a single thread, as there is no standard on the answers.

 

1. Turnaround time depends on your skill. There's speed manias here that can deliver still image on 4-6 hours flat. There are also the likes that do the same image on 5-7 days. Which one is better, I dare not say. I have seen the 4 hrs job doing top notch work. I have also seen amazing piece of work that require 2 months to finish. Both amazing in its own context.

Animations, again it varies, this time it also depend on your hardware arsenal. If you got 100 quadcores at your expense, then animating 3 mins walkthrough will be a breeze. Not if you have only 3-4 P4s.

You can try render a still, and multiply that with the no. of frames required for animation. (Say a 3 mins animation of 24 frame/sec = 4320 frames)

Just multiply your render time to produce that still with the frames. You will get a rough idea how long it will take.

 

2&3. Fees are sensitive issue. There has been numerous threads on this site on that. I suggest searching this forum, you will find a lot.

If you want to compare yourself with Spine's work, why not just calling them?

I doubt they would post their rate publicly here. I sure won't.

Why? Well, it's quite logical, since all we are competing is the rates, then publicly showing your rates means losing your advantage and bargaining power.

[Horhe]

Hi, welcome to the long sleepless nights of rendering.

2&3. Fees are sensitive issue. There has been numerous threads on this site on that. I suggest searching this forum, you will find a lot.

If you want to compare yourself with Spine's work, why not just calling them?

I doubt they would post their rate publicly here. I sure won't.

Why? Well, it's quite logical, since all we are competing is the rates, then publicly showing your rates means losing your advantage and bargaining power.

 

 

Your just about a bit over the line with all the stuff about competing over the rates. Its like your panikly afraid of losing a client.

 

Anyway its not like you state. The Cg market has some set pricing borders - a price under which you just do not go. The reason why is not to damp the prices so low, because then it would become unaffordable to work in this industry. There is a profit margin in every service and industry all around the world and sure some bend it but as a whole its followed.

 

I also do not think price is the only thing we compete for. Its quality more over the price (my opinion - if your here only for the do' then your in the wrong industry) - of course depending who your main clients are and what are market you intend on focusing. Is it small businesses and/or single architects? Is it larger companies? This choice is straightly linked to the price issue.

With small clients you probably have to lower the price (youll probably get smaller jobs to do) while on the other hand with big companies it may be totally opposite.

It all depends how good you and the portfolio your showing are and how badly do you need the contract. It also depends how quickly the work has to be done.

 

Its all in the marketing technique you use.

If your just starting in cg industry you surely must keep your rates low. Your fresh, you have no portfolio, no one knows you, no one can recomend you etc. etc. You have to gain experience, portfolio, trust.

 

Remember the price cant be too low or too high. If its too low, then the client could think itll be obsolete and low quality - if its too high the client could look for someone cheaper.

But still, its better to head for a higher price and then damping if something isnt right.

 

Ps. Writing email to companies that provide rendering services is just a waste of time - surely youll get no response.

 

Good luck and welcome aboard.

[Horhe]

Hi, welcome to the long sleepless nights of rendering.

2&3. Fees are sensitive issue. There has been numerous threads on this site on that. I suggest searching this forum, you will find a lot.

If you want to compare yourself with Spine's work, why not just calling them?

I doubt they would post their rate publicly here. I sure won't.

Why? Well, it's quite logical, since all we are competing is the rates, then publicly showing your rates means losing your advantage and bargaining power.

 

 

Your just about a bit over the line with all the stuff about competing over the rates. Its like your panikly afraid of losing a client.

 

Anyway its not like you state. The Cg market has some set pricing borders - a price under which you just do not go. The reason why is not to damp the prices so low, because then it would become unaffordable to work in this industry. There is a profit margin in every service and industry all around the world and sure some bend it but as a whole its followed.

 

I also do not think price is the only thing we compete for. Its quality more over the price (my opinion - if your here only for the do' then your in the wrong industry) - of course depending who your main clients are and what are market you intend on focusing. Is it small businesses and/or single architects? Is it larger companies? This choice is straightly linked to the price issue.

With small clients you probably have to lower the price (youll probably get smaller jobs to do) while on the other hand with big companies it may be totally opposite.

It all depends how good you and the portfolio your showing are and how badly do you need the contract. It also depends how quickly the work has to be done.

 

Its all in the marketing technique you use.

If your just starting in cg industry you surely must keep your rates low. Your fresh, you have no portfolio, no one knows you, no one can recomend you etc. etc. You have to gain experience, portfolio, trust.

 

Remember the price cant be too low or too high. If its too low, then the client could think itll be obsolete and low quality - if its too high the client could look for someone cheaper.

But still, its better to head for a higher price and then damping if something isnt right.

 

Ps. Writing email to companies that provide rendering services is just a waste of time - surely youll get no response.

 

Good luck and welcome aboard.

[bunter26]

Hey guys...thanks for the response...glad to be aboard ...I was reading an interesting thread here though its now almost 2 years old about the declining industry for outside cg and architecture work as alot of it is in-house now...many people were saying within 2-3 years most cg people (freelances and lower tier animators) would be out of work...its now 2007...do you find this to be true? or do you see this an still vibrant industry for people like me?

 

thanks again!

[Horhe]

In my opionion within 2-3 years from now the cg industry will be focused more on the Virtual Reality software - the standard for product presentation for clients will be instead of renders (probably renders too but not so much like today) vr tours and animations.

 

In 10 years we will probably get software that can render on its own without the ingerence of a cg artist. So we will be obsolete.

 

Thats my opinon anyway

[Horhe]

hmmm ok make that about 25 years.... phew

[znotlin]

Hey guys...thanks for the response...glad to be aboard ...I was reading an interesting thread here though its now almost 2 years old about the declining industry for outside cg and architecture work as alot of it is in-house now...many people were saying within 2-3 years most cg people (freelances and lower tier animators) would be out of work...its now 2007...do you find this to be true? or do you see this an still vibrant industry for people like me?

 

 

I think like most service industries, or commercial art, there is always room for someone that does it better, faster, offers something few others do or does it cheaper. This is no different.

 

For example: For years most large architectural firms have carried a in-house illustrator for most of their presentation work, and still hired out when they wanted something done extra nice or something they couldn't do. If you're aspiring to follow Spine's model - where they excel is a tight business model of shipping much of the work overseas, and purchasing/mastering specialty software that is so cutting edge that most of us can't put into production enough to make it worth the investment (like camera matching software - boujou is 10k).

[guitarboy]

who are spine? anyone have a website addy for them, id be keen on checking them out.

[eksg]

hmmm ok make that about 25 years.... phew

 

But i think your damn rich by that time,...

[alexg]

Well, like it or not it is the rates that really makes the difference between getting a project tender or not.

 

Put all the quality aside, let's say A & B company has the same quality, same reputation, professionalism, same service, got the same request of quote from a client. If one gets hold of the other's quote, wouldn't that be an advantage?

Once you are in par with the competition, then the $$$ is your trump card. It's a quote vs quote on per project basis, just like in any other industry.

 

3d is growing so fast, so many new talents with amazing quality are emerging on daily basis, and quality among some of us here are almost identical. There's no real single top player nowadays, there's a bunch competing at the same level.

 

Sure, a clever marketing strategy can be a good advantage, though.

 

Not in panic here, just that we have got one too many project snatched away just because of the price. Also has taken some from our other competitor's using the same method. Win some, lose some.

[alexg]

In 10 years we will probably get software that can render on its own without the ingerence of a cg artist. So we will be obsolete.

 

 

I think this is true. When the magic render button comes, all of us will have to think of another line of work. Well, maybe going back to traditional watercolour will be the highly priced 'retro' art by then.

[3D_IC]

who are spine? anyone have a website addy for them, id be keen on checking them out.

 

http://www.spine3d.com