Freelance Pricing?
I am green to the game scene much less the freelance scene so I would like some feedback, if any of you guys feel so inclined, on how to approach pricing for contract work. This concerns modeling, texturing, and concept art.
How do you calculate pricing? (hourly, by polygon, by the drawing, by the pixol?) Whats usually charged on average? How does it differ from the east to the west coast? How does it differ if you work remotely or on site? Thanks.
How do you calculate pricing? (hourly, by polygon, by the drawing, by the pixol?) Whats usually charged on average? How does it differ from the east to the west coast? How does it differ if you work remotely or on site? Thanks.
Replies
I haven't done much freelancing but that some of the thigns it applied.
you will always have the chance to get greedy once you have some experience
I'd also like to ask one more thing. How does texture work that may or may not include normal map work equate in the pricing sceme? How is it different from concept art or modeling when considering pricing?
I generally try to break everything down to the hour because it's easy to track and work with. Locking into one price without specifying charges for reworking it can come back to bite you in the ass. If the client really can't make up their mind, they can easily take advantage of your time.
You've got to keep in mind that when a company hires you as an actual employee, there's a bunch of stuff they cover that you now have to. For me it's my families health insurance, electricity, I had to upgrade hardware, software, etc. Take all of these things into account, then set the price you absolutely need to make before you'll start dipping into the red. Don't forget that you also have to take care of your own taxes...so, keep track of all of that and maybe even make a separate bank account that you deposit 30% (or whatever your tax rate is) into. That way, you don't fool yourself with how much money you have and it will be much like getting a pay check from an employer.
I have an excel sheet with all of my clients/assets that calculates and keeps track of who owes me money, who's legs I need to break, who paid up, the assets that need to be completed...and the payout of those assets and time taken. I add all of the pay together to calculate how much money I've made to date and automatically deduct my tax percentage off of it. That way, I can see what's ACTUAL money and what's going to the man. I also add together all of the time taken and, if I want to, can keep track of how much I'm making per day, on average. Kind of a good way to keep an eye on how things are going. Do I need to charge more? Am I taking too long? Do i need to take on more jobs? etc.
Prices will always change. It all depends on what's needed, how good you are, what your cost of living will be (like mentioned above), etc. If you're really green, yeah, I'd low ball it. Just be careful though, people will only pay you how much you think you're worth, y'know? It's possible that this client could be reoccurring and could even recommend other people to you. If you charged the first company $200 for a texture but eventually realize you're worth $400 a texture...it can become awkward...and stuff :P
word!
Gav
For the last freelance gig I did, I took my desired hourly wage, multiplied it by the number of hours I figured it would take for the work + re-work (be generous, not conservative), and gave a quote based on that.
And then he proceeded to be happy with just about everything so little re-work was required and the check was the same size
Dealing with money is always awkward especially if you are not a money type person, which most artist are not, but you learn to deal with it or you go hungry. You also should establish ground rules when working with your client. Asking for more money because the client wanted changes without telling them first right from the get go will just make yourself look bad. I always concept shit out before I make the 3d model and I tell them why. Once it's approved it's extra to go and change it on a whim. Even established grounds rules you'll find yourself in sticky situations.
Alex
I would also keep in mind your client's budget when deciding prices. Not that you should be prejudice against a large or small corporation, but think about it, would you charge the same price to a tiny game company who's title will never see more than 5,000 copies sold with a one-country distribution as you would to a company selling 500,000+ copies distributed worldwide?
Even if it's the same amount of work they are very different situations. You don't want to rip yourself (or your client) off, but I still feel strongly that it is an important aspect of pricing to consider.
Another important aspect (maybe this stands out so much from my illustration background) is to consider what rights you'll be retaining for the work. Do you retain the right to re-sell the asset to another company/for another use, or are they going to receive exclusive rights to use? Will they have exclusive rights for a limited time, maybe a year or two, or forever? Will you be receiving continued payout as a result of profit made from the game your assets are a part of?
All of these are very important aspects of pricing guidelines...
And as an illustration professor always said "you can't G-E-T unless you A-S-K. You never know when a client might have no problem with allowing you to retain the right to resell your work or what other perks or benefits you can get just by asking.
Also, If your client simply cant afford to pay what you think (or know) you require, but you either have to have the work or feel they really deserve your time then consider alternate benefits. In illustration that could mean free tear-sheets or publicity through bolder work-signing, but for games it could mean a cut of the profits, access to free or discounted technology or hardware, or even just a free game when the development is completed...you never know unless you ask...
...just my 2(,000) cents...
http://cedrichohnstadt.wordpress.com/2007/12/06/bidding-out-a-project-part-1/