Anybody used 'peopleperhour' as a tool to begin CGI work?

[adamsargeant]

As per the title.

 

I along with many others are looking to take my career away from 'Architecture' and go in to the 3D field. My skills are still developing of course but i believe with what i know, i could be of use to somebody.

 

I came across peopleperhour just from a Google search and had a look at some examples of people on there - their portfolio's, reviews and asking price per hour.

 

I would be interested in signing up as a starting point, but just want people's advice if they have any experience on that website.

 

Thank you,

 

Adam

[Smile of Fury]

I think if you get many responses they'll basically say, "Do what works for you."

 

For reference, I'm an architect who enjoys visualization, maybe similar to yourself. I freelance visualizaton jobs here and there, when it makes sense. I'd say at a rate of less than one per month.

 

I've browsed the different freelance sites, but so far have not bid on many, nor won any contracts. It seems to mostly be people asking for 8 simple high quality renders of their proposed hotel and only want to pay $200. "If you know what you're doing it shouldn't take very long." If the clients looking for visualization services are at all like the clients looking for architectural services I suspect they don't recognize the value of your services and the skill it takes to accomplish their goals. Personally I would rather hone my skills working for free on a personal project than race to the bottom of a bidding war. If a client doesn't understand the value I bring as opposed to the lowest bidder from wherever, I probably do not want to work with them anyway. You may feel differently.

 

There are many threads on this forum about how much to charge. You need to figure that out for yourself, but I'd recommend not selling yourself short at the get-go.

 

Go Reds!

[adamsargeant]

Good solid advice, thank you.

 

My issue is i no longer wish to pursue a career as an 'architect'. All the red tape, regulations and construction detailing is not for me.. At uni it was fine, but i was always looking to 'make my first model' or 'how soon can i do my first render'... Not the thoughts so an architect!

 

My plan is to end my current arch assistant job in July and visit Australia for the rest of the year. It is when i return early 2017 i'll be coming back to no job, That is the crucial period. I could look at arch viz companies sure in the hope i can procure a few clients.. Other than that i'd have to stay with parents and start from the bottom. It ought to be worth it though right? Earning £/$ for something you take joy and pride from is everybodies dream...

[Nic H]

teach yourself the basics and get a few good images together and intern at a studio to pick up the skills

you will get paid next to nothing but learn very quickly

 

those peopleperhour sites are scams and mostly for very low quality work / clients. i wouldnt touch them

[nejck]

I don't have experience with peopleperhours but I do have experience using similar web services. My opinion? Well... It has its pros and it has its cons. Luckily I had nothing but a blast working with some of the people I met there...

 

When you are presenting yourself on these types of websites please do consider the fact that you couldn't be competing with a more global audience than that. You get all sorts of clients and all sorts of freelancers - with various budgets, style of operation and so on and so forth.

 

You get clients looking for the absolute lowest bidder and you get some "bigger" clients that are really wiling to invest more. It is a bit of a rollercoaster at that but in my opinion that shouldn't put you off especially if you mean to use these types of websites for that "extra income". The competition is tough as everyone is bidding really low and you are up against a lot of similarly skilled artists.

 

Clients can too be a hit or miss in terms of the seriousness in their approach. Just remember, it is a global market and average salaries differ from one timezone to the other (living standard doesn't really matter, some countries have it the same).

 

I'd say if you are getting into the business and don't have an internship somewhere (or a junior position) this method might be cool to get some experience going. That being said, freelancing shouldn't be taken too lightly imho as people are paying you for a professional product.

 

Beware when being approached by clients that don't have the biggest budget but have a big project - as a new guy that might put you off into finishing your first project with a smile on your face. I really think freelancer should also put a lot of effort into project managing skills as that might save you and the client a lot of trouble - organizing stuff is harder than it seems

 

Try it out, see what you get out of it. Try not to be too mad when you get outbid as everyone is just trying to get that "average" salary going, whatever that might be in their country.

 

Also, don't get discouraged when you aren't picked on your 40th consecutive bid - it is nothing personal and sometimes even't isn't indicative of the level of your work.

 

Oh and a cool tip, don't forget to have fun!

Edited January 9, 2016 by nejck

[chavespunk]

I am in a similar situation, I'm beginning to Freela after working in the industry.

 

I'm more or less about 3 or 4 months offering my work on these sites (freelancer.com, upwork.com and peopleperhour.com)

 

So far not got no return.

 

It is disheartening to know that you need to play the price down there to try to compete

 

And after that? What will become of you? Will continue working with these customers?

 

I believe that we need to position themselves in the market.

[adamsargeant]

All replies have been helpful no matter how short or long. At the minute it is a no loose situation. I have my full time job and i will be taking my break to go travelling so it is just a way of testing the water. If i got something even for little £ per hour then it is better than nothing as i want the images for my portfolio. I can only beef up projects from the office i work at so far. I am always looking for new challenges and to try out new methods to further my development.

 

Thanks to all, again.

 

Adam

[chavespunk]

good luck

[adamsargeant]

good luck

 

And to you to, Lucas!

[thanhthaontthaothanhnt]

thank you. very so much

[Devin Johnston]

Normally I'd say stay away from sites like this because they devalue our industry and take advantage of artists but if your looking to improve your skills this may be a way to do it and still make a little money. As for quitting your job to be a visualizer I would suggest continuing to work until you find a visualization job. One reason is because it's a lot easier to find a job when your already employed, it puts you in a better position at the interview table. This was the rout I took, after graduating with a degree in Architecture I found I didn't like what I was doing and I began looking for a viz job almost immediately. I had some skill and although it was rough I knew this is what I wanted to do, it took almost 2 years of looking and waiting before a job opened up. Looking back now it was the best decision I could have made, I love what I do and am valued by my peers and upper management and that's all anyone can ask for in this business.

[adamsargeant]

Thanks for that, Devin.

 

Quitting my job is happening whilst i take a break.. Not just from Arch but from the UK. I land in Australia for a minimum of 12 months, in July. So i'd be coming back from Oz (i presume).

 

I can't really speculate how the next 18 months are going to go.. Not until i get to Oz.

 

But Arch Viz is definitely more my future than Architecture. 100%

[plummer_adam@hotmail.com]

I've attempted to use people per hour whilst I was trying to get the freelance thing going. I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. I'd get a decent portfolio up together of impressive looking (imaginary if need be) developments rather than small extensions etc that end up on PPH.