Newbie seeking advice on freelance job offer
polycounter lvl 5
Hey guys, I've got a question for some of the more veteran of you on the forums. I currently work full-time as a 3D Modeler/Texture artist, and I have just been offered the same position, but via satellite. The satellite position would not be full time and it is it at a start-up game company.
I have no intention of leaving my current job. I want your guys advice/tips as far as how I should discuss pay, deadline expectancy, amount of work/time spent on said work. I don't want to get into a situation where I get off of work, only to come home and work all night as well. I see this as an excellent opportunity to really pad my resume, especially since I am just starting out in my career. I just want to make sure the cost isn't too high.
I've never worked via satellite either, so any insight on how that would work would be greatly appreciated as far as time commitment, how the pay system works, etc., etc.
I would really love to do both, and I would like to hear your input/advice as to how I should approach this. Thank you.
I have no intention of leaving my current job. I want your guys advice/tips as far as how I should discuss pay, deadline expectancy, amount of work/time spent on said work. I don't want to get into a situation where I get off of work, only to come home and work all night as well. I see this as an excellent opportunity to really pad my resume, especially since I am just starting out in my career. I just want to make sure the cost isn't too high.
I've never worked via satellite either, so any insight on how that would work would be greatly appreciated as far as time commitment, how the pay system works, etc., etc.
I would really love to do both, and I would like to hear your input/advice as to how I should approach this. Thank you.
Replies
Make sure you can handle all the extra work. Don't bite off more than you can chew.
Honestly unless you need the money, I'd say just work on your portfolio while not at work rather than trying to do more work at home. Seems like a sure way to burn out really fast.
I'm in a situation right now where I come home from my day job (not in games) and work on freelance game art. My deadlines are suuuuuuuper flexible though, so I take my time and either work on my client's art or work on my own art in order to increase my skills. Either way I'm coming home and working on art, I think that's just the way it is when moonlighting.
One very important thing is to have a contract. You're already a professional so I'm sure you know this, but it bears repeating. I've already found it immensely useful as a reference even for myself to remember what I did and did not promise. Also an approval clause is necessary, you don't want to get stuck in endless revisions. (I've been there, yuck!) Make it so each piece gets 2-4 revisions then everything over that number (your choice) has a dollar value attached to it.
I'd like to hear some more vets chime in on this. For me I've set up my project so I'm completing small pieces and getting smaller paychecks more frequently, that way if someone skips out on a bill I'm not out a ton of money. I've been burned very badly in the past and I'm probably a little paranoid.
I recommend pestering Jon Jones, he gave me FANTASTIC advice when I was drawing up my contract. (the approval clause was his idea in fact)
@Tigerfeet I believe they're willing to offer me a salaried position, is that something you would take via a pay-as-you go type of thing?
It sounds like their development cycle is not yet set in stone, as in 2-3 years away from the release of their first game. I don't honestly know if it is very trustworthy, but being as I already have a full-time job that isn't as much of a concern. I'm just wondering how you guys would go about discussing payment, because honestly, I don't know what my time is worth yet
Yup. If they're not willing to pay on delivery, they're probably not willing to pay.
Next thing I was concerned about was If my company would allow me to work on other companies and if I'd be able to handle both jobs. So I read and asked about my contract, and I found out getting a freelance job won't violate it, and I discussed with my freelance client about my situation and was kind enough to give me a flexible time. When everything was clear, I gave it a go. I ended my contract 3months ago, luckily, the company was true to their word and the contract. Hope that helps. Good luck!
Marvin