Freelance

[Last Known Hero]

Been a while since I've actually posted and I have decided to share my thoughts on freelance work.

I have recently been contacted for some more freelance work, and I am more than happy to help the person out since I do need somewhat of a job/cash, and this person said he needed quite a bit done so that is like part time work for me. So time went on and I forgot about the e-mails since I hadn't heard anything for over a month and just counted my losses and decided to not hope to hear back.

So, as it is I got an e-mail a few days ago by the same person and they apologized for the long delay and asked if I was interested in some work still. I sent an e-mail back excited as all hell, waiting a day for once response I get another one back saying that it will be a little amount of time since he is reorganizing things. Now I find myself sitting and hitting refresh on my e-mail every 5 minutes hoping to hear back and that he needs alot of work, while at the same time worrying about what kind of work needs to be done, and hope that I am capable of it. Nothing makes a freelance artist more frustrated than having little to no communication, it makes it mpossible for us to get feedback or set things up.

So in closing, if you decide to get a freelance artist please:
- Make sure you have either concept art, a picture of something like it that exists already, or really really clear and descriptive guidlines
- Tell them the timeline you need it by
- Tell them exactly what you need (if more than one thing), dont just say I need some objects made and a guy and girl.
- Ask them for their pay address (be it paypal or whatever)
- Tell them what things you need for the <Character>, rigging? uv map? textures (color, spec, bump, emissive, opacity)?
- Check your e-mail several times a day to help the communication
- Tell them the poly count limit
- Don't ramble about things that you don't want them to do
- Be realistic about the amount that you are willing to pay, I am creating characters too cheap for my liking but I need to do it, and it will lead to more work so that is fine. Saying $50 for a basic character is rediculous, way too low. If they say $600 for a basic character, that is rediculous too.
- Use correct (or as close to correct) grammer as you can, this list that I am making is awesome to read in an e-mail, everything that is needed is spelt out right in an organized manner.
- Some thing aren't the artists fault, things can go wrong on both sides.
- And for my last recommendation.. Don't contact them if you aren't serious, don't contact them if you don't plan on getting the work done right away: in other words, contact them as long as you know you want the work done.

Don't get me wrong here, if someone sent me an e-mail completely disregarding the above, I would still accept their offer, it is just frustrating. I am also more than happy that this person contacted me, I am eager to start on the art and love doing it.

[SpiritWebb]

Great post and will keep all this in mind!

[Jackolantern]

Nice post and good tips I have to ask, though, since you said $50 is way too low, and $600 per model is way too high, what would be in the ballpark of a fair price for a character model, textured and rigged? I know it will vary based on the complexity and other factors, but what is a range?

[Last Known Hero]

Well, for a basic character (I am going to say that it's basic because I would say its not complicated but not unfinished). A basic character textured (just color/diffuse) with rig would probably cost you around $200-$250, give or take $50. The reason for this price is organic modelling is much more complicated than it appears. I would much rather make a spaceship for $100 that is textured and rigged than make a person that is untextured and unrigged for the same price!
I for one, cannot rig, but I would only charge $150 for the basic character model with diffuse texture that is realistic, certain things make things cheaper, I make them cheaper because I know I am not the best, I also am not fulltime, and because I am a teenager and this is waaay better than a traditional summer job.

PS. When I say basic I mean that typicaly MMO model that has the 'nudes' without the genetailia but the whole body is present and textured realistically. Would post a picture of a basic model but you get what I mean.

**EDIT** Adding another tip:
- Don't e-mail about your budget unless they ask and you feel like you can answer. I say this because if you say you have a budget of $10 000 they are going to overchare, but if you say you have a budget of $200 they might think that you might skip out on the final payment, or might think you wont pay at all so they overcharge to get you not to agree. Mind games, children, mind games.

[Jackolantern]

That is around where I had figured it was (around $300 per). Thanks

And yeah, I agree to not answer any questions about budget. If nothing else, your budget will likely seem like an arbitrary number to the contractor, who will immediately think you are ready and willing to blow lots of money. While $10,000 seems like a ton of money, if you have done your job correctly, every cent is accounted for and you can't overspend

[Last Known Hero]

Yeah, characters are a real money grabber.
To be honest, I recommend not using outsourcing COMPANIES as freelance help. They charge alot more compaired to single working freelances artists. I'm not going to give examples of companies but youll know when you find a company rather than a regular person that does his own work on his own.

[Jackolantern]

Yeah, characters are a real money grabber.
To be honest, I recommend not using outsourcing COMPANIES as freelance help. They charge alot more compaired to single working freelances artists. I'm not going to give examples of companies but youll know when you find a company rather than a regular person that does his own work on his own.

Well, it would stand to reason that they would cost more, since it is not just the artists that your payment is having to feed (CEOs, managers, sales reps, etc.). I wouldn't completely write them off, however, if you have a fairly large budget. If I was spending $100,000 on models, I would likely go through a company rather than contact a freelancer. If I used the latter I would have to cross my fingers that they will have the spare time for the next 2 years to make all of the content so I don't have to end up finding someone else and hoping that my art style doesn't change radically in the middle of the game

EDIT: Aside from larger budgets, I completely agree with you. $300 per model is about the outsourced cost for China when dealing with companies, so naturally the domestic companies charge much more.

[hallsofvallhalla]

nice post.

[Last Known Hero]

On another note kind of related to 3d freelance. I was surfing the internet more than ever yesterday (was bored) and I ran into a certain link that brought my to the puya 3d website. I was checking out their forums and saw a post saying "Fast Model $5", I figured it was too good to be true but thought I would give it a whirl. WOW bad idea on my part. Here is an e-mail I got later (remember the post said $5 fast model):

I handed them the concept art (very basic I figured). I got an e-mail saying that this is technically 5 models then a link to where I can look at the model. The link did not work, the link led to a forum post with my name displayed and all of the model information (I'm glad I gave permission for my name to be displayed). So instead of 1 hour for 1 model, it would be 5 hours for 5 models for one character/concept, that part is fine, that is speedy service.

So it says I pay $5 per model, then $20 royalty. then it says they can rig and texture it for free, but then tell me the prices of rigging and texturing (i thought it was free???).
Now the e-mail says a different price. The model is exclusive so it is $20 per model for 5 models ($100 now) or they turn around and sell it on turbosquid and I get 5 cents for every dollar.


So now this is my part of the email that I sent back, I sent a list of what was wrong with just happened.

I said the image link to the model wasn't working, and cannot even see what they have made
Then I said you posted my name on public forums without my permission
and finally I ranted about the hidden costs

I do not plan on buying it for $100, $25 or anything over $5 since that is what it said the price was.


I would recommend not to use that services because of the hidden costs, then after you get caught in their web of costs they will sell it (your concept) to other people and you get 5 pennies!