competitions.....

[skogskalle]

Hi all!

 

Ive seen some threads lately about how to get work and how much to charge and so on... so following them, heres another one :

 

If you guys get hired for illustrating a project for an architectural competition, do you charge your standard fee or something else?

 

The reason Im asking is, in competitions often only the winning architect gets any cash from it, all others loose all hours theyve spent working on it. Therefore theyre often not intrested in spending lots and lots of money on illustrations cause theyre really gambling with that money.

 

So... do you make some kind of deal with the architect, like : you work for allmost no money at all, but if your project wins you get [insert big number here] $ , or are you just charging by the hour as usual?

 

sorry if my english is hard to understand.... ("its good spelling, but i wobbles")

 

//Kalle

[kingeldar]

well never had to deal with such situation

 

but i guess it depends on hwo u like/consider da client

 

if it's an architect u want to go on working with

then do something like minimum fee and % on it's prize if he wins

so he will consider u more as a Partner and u'll have a long working together

but might be dangerous for you....

 

otherwise just hours charge

 

anyway i think dealing with each different architect is really a matter of persons not only business

i mean

with each different client i have prices and terms are different

considering each client's economic power and money disponibility

there's also architects i want to go on working with cause i like their work (i'm also architecte and some were my teachers...)

so i very accomodant with charges and fees.... accepting huge delay before getting paid

with some others i don't give work if they don't give me checks that cover the whole fee

(even if i can accept to put a check at end of month, another next month... the imortant is that i got the checks in my pockets with very hard laws concerning unpaid checks... so it's secured....)

hope this could help

[Iain Denby]

You offer a service to the architects. That service is no different if they use it for a competition or not. The risk is theirs, not yours.

[Craig Ramsay]

You offer a service to the architects. That service is no different if they use it for a competition or not. The risk is theirs, not yours.

 

Totally agree!

[John Dollus]

I agree with Dibbers and Craig.

[skogskalle]

kingeldar - thanks for your reply! I havent really been in that situation either, I was just curious.

I also charge some clients less than others, cause if I didnt I wouldnt get jobs from them... I guess its better to come up with a prize that fits your needs/skills and stick to that, but its hard when youre new in the business and dont have many clients....

 

dibbers - youre absolutely right. However - since Im new and dont have a massive portfolio, I really need to land some cool jobs. And I find that the projects in competitions generally are alot nicer/more special than the jobs I usually work with. SO - I think that if I accepted to illustrate a project for some cool competition for less money than I usually charge - even if I/we didnt win - I would get a nice piece for the portfolio; and if we won I could get some cash too....

this might seem a bit stupid to you, but I guess its easier when youve been in the business a while and people know who you are. My biggest problem right now isnt on the skill-side (imo), its to get known, to get people to see my work.

even if its not a huge competition the images often gets published in some architectural magazine/website or similar - and I could really use some exposure.

so I think you could see the money I would risk to loose (not earn) as an investment.....

 

is this just nonsense or do I actually make some sense here? =)

[kingeldar]

dibbers - youre absolutely right. However - since Im new and dont have a massive portfolio, I really need to land some cool jobs. And I find that the projects in competitions generally are alot nicer/more special than the jobs I usually work with. SO - I think that if I accepted to illustrate a project for some cool competition for less money than I usually charge - even if I/we didnt win - I would get a nice piece for the portfolio; and if we won I could get some cash too....

yes it's like betting for starter like us

if the architect becomes a star architect (little out of proprtions i know....) it's good advertising for you...

if he loose we loose but that's life

cant' win all games you play (until you're not someone working for somebody else that gives u a poor part part of the money he makes slaving you... lol but gives you money each month... i'm not sure to get mo,ney each month... but life ain't so hard...lol)

[blaz]

You offer a service to the architects. That service is no different if they use it for a competition or not. The risk is theirs, not yours.

 

for me it depends on the client, some time i deal with 1/2 or 1/3 of my price with some one man show architect, cause they really don't have a budget for this, and some of them can't even draw a freehand perspective and just to get an income and to help the architect impress the client so i bet on architect side, if he get the job then i will get the balance, as full price.

because sometimes i also do some jobs for contractor for small jobs, and there are a lot of this kind of jobs here which you can finish in 1 or 2 days is the most. ex. toilet renovation, just to put tiles selection and fixtures inside.

 

but if I get the jobs from developer or architect firm, I will charge a full price, cause i agree with Dibbers, they should prepare a budget for that...

[Iain Denby]

If you want to be involved with this architect so much, you could consider this: say OK, I'll do it for half the normal cost, but if you win, I want double the difference.

 

Or, I'll do it for free, but if you win, you pay me 3 times!

 

Of course you would need a written contract before you start.

[gnuhong]

If you guys get hired for illustrating a project for an architectural competition, do you charge your standard fee or something else?

 

I would get a nice piece for the portfolio

 

I tell you what ...

Those two statements quoted above are what my clients always tell me before they pass me projects. It happens all the time ... clients will always say that they have no budget coz it's for competition bla bla bla .... or else, it's good for your portfolio if you can work it out.

 

My advice is, just be extra careful when you're dealing with clients. You decide ... If it's really useful for your portfolio, then take it and charge them a reasonable price.

 

 

You offer a service to the architects. That service is no different if they use it for a competition or not. The risk is theirs, not yours.

I strongly agree with this.

 

 

If you want to be involved with this architect so much, you could consider this: say OK, I'll do it for half the normal cost, but if you win, I want double the difference.

Or, I'll do it for free, but if you win, you pay me 3 times!

Of course you would need a written contract before you start.

Sometimes, in certain condition, we don't even know whether they win the project or not.

[3dp]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dibbers

If you want to be involved with this architect so much, you could consider this: say OK, I'll do it for half the normal cost, but if you win, I want double the difference.

Or, I'll do it for free, but if you win, you pay me 3 times!

Of course you would need a written contract before you start.

 

did this last year itwas a winner and it took 6 months to get money and even then i did'nt get the full fee needless to say when the time came for repeat business...................

some outfits i'd work with as i know how they work and i can step in as a proxie designer confidant i can win them the job/pull them out of the s*** etc but if they are employing my services and experience on a freelance basis for a multimillion project then i want to see some recompense as competitions are outisde hours midnight oil etc

but had a enquiry on monday about a housetype visual on a speculative basis................with a lot more to follow yada yada in the end i agreed a half price fee and left it with them......you do get to a point where it's actualy not worth doing a project and some of the recent postings on starting out and pricing should pick up on this unless it is really a hobby after all

[Iain Denby]

Yeah...if I had a pound everytime someone promised to give me lots more work if I did it cheap...