3d artists - Do u have eperience with paid-by-funding contract ?

focus_method

Hi,
can anybody explain how this type of contract works for a 3d artist ? i got this offer by one studio i have found online. So it would be remotely of course. 

Alex_J

don't let anybody trick you up using fancy words

have them explain the contract in plain language and ask questions until they can explain it simple enough that it is clearly understood. There are no stupid questions. It is stupid to not ask questions for fear of looking stupid/inexperienced/not wanting to be a bother.

then double check the written contract to make sure it reflects what you talked about in person

you can use chatgpt to anaylze the contract and ask it questions about what words or phrases mean. Don't trust chatgpt to make any decisions for you, but it is excellent at parsing text and summarizing or rephrasing it.

Paid-by-funding doesn't sound like a typical arrangement. it seems to suggest a "if we get funding, then we will pay you," which means "you will not get paid."

Eric Chadwick

We have a whole section for this in the Work Opportunities section
https://polycount.com/discussion/139873/royalties-jobs-guidelines-updated-january-22-2017

As Alex_J said, it is highly unlikely you will ever be paid. In these situations, you are being asked to do work by individuals or startup companies looking to hire staff but not able to offer immediate pay. Instead they are looking to share potential funding and/or profits, if these are obtained later. This includes "pay when we're done" structure projects.

If you don't mind working for free, this kind of setup can be OK. Just make sure to retain the rights to use your work in other things if you wish. Don't give them all the rights without paying for them.

We do have some further information if you want to read up on contracts and employee rights. http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Game_Industry#Employee_Rights

focus_method

Alex_J said:

don't let anybody trick you up using fancy words

have them explain the contract in plain language and ask questions until they can explain it simple enough that it is clearly understood. There are no stupid questions. It is stupid to not ask questions for fear of looking stupid/inexperienced/not wanting to be a bother.

then double check the written contract to make sure it reflects what you talked about in person

you can use chatgpt to anaylze the contract and ask it questions about what words or phrases mean. Don't trust chatgpt to make any decisions for you, but it is excellent at parsing text and summarizing or rephrasing it.

Paid-by-funding doesn't sound like a typical arrangement. it seems to suggest a "if we get funding, then we will pay you," which means "you will not get paid."

already asked them ,still waiting for reply


it seems to suggest a "if we get funding, then we will pay you," which means "you will not get paid."
this is exactly what came across of my mind as well.

focus_method

Eric Chadwick said:

We have a whole section for this in the Work Opportunities section
https://polycount.com/discussion/139873/royalties-jobs-guidelines-updated-january-22-2017

As Alex_J said, it is highly unlikely you will ever be paid. In these situations, you are being asked to do work by individuals or startup companies looking to hire staff but not able to offer immediate pay. Instead they are looking to share potential funding and/or profits, if these are obtained later. This includes "pay when we're done" structure projects.

If you don't mind working for free, this kind of setup can be OK. Just make sure to retain the rights to use your work in other things if you wish. Don't give them all the rights without paying for them.

We do have some further information if you want to read up on contracts and employee rights. http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Game_Industry#Employee_Rights

yea, i understand, thanks Eric.

Alemja

There is a psychological cost to doing work that you hope will get you payment, and usually it will burn you out faster than if you spent the time working on stuff on your own time that you actually enjoyed. It would pay you exactly the same.

Only do it if you find the project as interesting as something you would work on in your own time and have 0 expectations of any pay/benefits besides working on team building skills.