Pull back the curtain on client mentality.

[Tommy L]

I recently had a conversation with someone offline that I found revealing. Some of you know me, some dont. I always try to be an advocate for our profession and community. You can check out my previous 4500 posts if you're unsure. 

No-one goes into something wanting to be a jerk, but there's a real discord between expectations with this client that has no understanding of what they are asking for, I think its lesson in the telling. I offered to explain why his post/message was offensive, he declined, so Im sharing for the benefit of the arch-viz community here. I wanted to post here with a basic premise for artists: "do not be exploited, recognize your worth"

Here's the email I received which I've interspersed with the way I interpret each sentiment from the artist/studio point of view, my words are underlined, client in " ":

 

"I don't recall any of our correspondence, but I am always polite and respectful and so if I didn't appoint you, it would have been because either your work was not good enough, or your fees were above what I could afford. It was nothing personal.

Since posting the initial post searching for a freelance CGI artist, I have employed 5 CGI artists, to individually produce a test render for me to see if they could produce the quality that I am looking for, whilst helping them to provide a per render cost for the overall job. It has been a very helpful exercise for all involved and now I have a selection of different artists, with differing styles who I can work with to produce renders for a diverse range of projects. Nobody is being exploited and the prices given to me are prices suggested by the freelancers themselves, based on what I require and how long they think it will take."

Ok, so that above says to me he got images made for free. The old 'test' scenario. Dont do this. You have a portfolio to show your work, a plumber doesnt fix a toilet to show he can, you dont need to perform a function either.

"In case you hadn't noticed, economically, we are going through extremely challenging times at the moment. This economic disaster has occurred at the exact time that I started my own company. With a brand new company that is less than 6 months old, I am sorry if you feel that I should have huge budgets to spend on starting my company, but that is not the world we live in, especially in London. I am not out to exploit anyone, and it is up to each individual as to whether or not they want to work with someone and provide a service. That is called free market capitalism. Your opinion is your own and you are fully entitled to that."

Free market capitalism? No, if you are starting a company in tough times thats your call. A product costs what it costs, an artist doesnt need to prop up a startup unless there are other incentives involved which compensate for the fact that the financial compensation is not comensurate with the task at hand. The artist doesnt get a break on their rent, the fee is the same. Do not let Covid19 lower your rates. The promise of future work is worth less than nothing, it is a red flag in most situations.

"My range is between £250 - £400 per image depending on quality and turnaround time. Therefore, for 26 images straight off the bat, that is between £6,500 and £10,400 for the initial images that I need for my currently unbuilt website. For an independent freelance CGI artist, this is a decent job to take on, especially when I am looking to move forward with that artist for all future projects and as my fees increase, I can bake-in future render costs, and therefore pay even more in the long run. This initial work and future relationship should be very appealing to those in the industry, as it clearly has been to those who I have since appointed. Established studios such as those who produced the example images, charge a minimum of £1,600 upwards per image. To spell it out for you, that totals over £41,000 for the initial content that I require for my site. I'd be extremely lucky to earn that in my entire first year in business, let alone have that amount to spend on render costs! Studios charge this amount because they have large overheads for offices and staff, hence why I am looking to link up with an independent freelance artist instead."

Let me just qualify this, the samples sent as reference were portfolio images by industry heavy hitters and with the stipulation that anyone who wouldnt hit this quality would be wasting their time. So the request is for world class work, the fee is 325 sterling, per. For 26 images. This is obsenely low when held against the standard required. There is a reason 'established' studios charge appropriate fees, it is to provide good working conditions, a living wage, stable employment and a sustainable business model. Freelancers have essentially the same overhead, per person, that a studio does. Maybe a few bucks down for rent. But they still need the hardware, software, living costs, heathcare, retirement, etc. Freelance should not be a byword for cheap. Freelance is a tough life, should be higher compensation than employment due to the unstable nature of its income.

"Unfortunately, at least 50% of the CGI artists out there produce mediocre work that is not up to the quality that I am looking for. This is evident on other freelancer forums that I had posted on previously. I would receive hundreds of emails stating that they could produce high quality renders whilst sending low quality examples. It was pure delusion. By posting example images, I had hoped that those reviewing the post would only contact me if they could honestly produce renders of a similar quality. If they cannot, it is a total waste of both of our time, hence the caveat."

this paragraph speaks volumes. the client had already been to fiver.com etc and then came here. Despite his own recognition that there are a lot of artists with varying degrees of standards, his demand for world class work at 325 persists. A blatant insult to not just the best in the business, but to all in the business. To degrade the samples posted to a few hours of work. Pure delusion? Yeah.

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I'll give the guy the benefit of the doubt, he honestly doesnt see what he's saying is degrading. That means its your look out, people. So, I repeat: "do not be exploited, recognize your worth"

Edited August 11, 2020 by Tommy L
just cant help it.

[TomD_Arch]

Well said!

[Travis Taylor]

Thanks for this.  Just joined the forum and as an up and coming arch viz specialist I'v definitely struggled with finding the right rates because it's an industry that's constantly undercut.  At my former employer I basically developed the position of their Viz Specialist and having been laid off because of Covid I have still managed some contract work but it's a point of anxiety for me just because I'm truly uneducated about rates.  I'm probably charging too low.  But hopefully this forum helps me figure it out soon