[Bubbaloo]

I charge per BSDF.


Kidding.

[zdeno]

LESS ????
world never stops to suprise me

[brodie_geers]

sort of like the old story of the woman who goes to the mechanic with car troubles. the mechanic opens the hood and hits the engine with a hammer. the car starts right up and he charges her $100. Shocked, she asks why it's so much. He responds by saying it's $10 for hitting the engine and $90 for knowing where to hit.

-brodie

[Brett Morgan]

If your client is getting the images faster charge him more

HAHA nice one Duncan, I need to think outside the box a little more...

[Aji Enrico]

Clients pay for your skill and service, not render time

[glebe digital]

Ok, so how do you 'non-rendertimers' cost projects then? Do you just think of a number & hope that it sticks? Nice for you, but how are your clients ever able to fathom your rates?

Let's say you've been asked for 5mins of animation........you're not going to charge rendetime for that? I think you must have a screw loose if so.

There are no shadowy areas in my costings.....I have learnt from experience that using 'tarot cards' to cost jobs just bites you in the arse.

[Fernando Tella]

There are no shadowy areas in my costings.....I have learnt from experience that using 'tarot cards' to cost jobs just bites you in the arse.

I have to say I use the "tarot cards" method and some jobs did bit me in the arse . Could you illuminate me on how do you charge your clients?

Thanks!

[glebe digital]

Hey Fernando, how's it going.

Costs:
£30/hr flat rate + £1 per ghz/hr rendertime + expenses.

Makes it a level playing field for everyone, no special rates for cash-strapped clients [or 'gilt-edged rates' for ones with deep purses].

[Fernando Tella]

Hi Stu! Fine, fine. Did you finished building your office?

That's a nice rate, but most of the times clients don't know how much time the job will take or how much rendertime it will need. In fact the first depends a lot on how you press yourself and the latter depends on how well you optimize the scene, resolution and when you click "stop". Clients have to trust you on how much time you used for everything and they usually want to know beforehand how much it is going to cost...

Anyway it's not bad to have those rates in mind when working; on both sides.

[glebe digital]

Everything's done except the windows.....which -being a tightwad- I can't quite prize my cheque-book out to order yet.
Soon, very soon......I'll be in by spring for sure.

It's a strange thing though, I find that my cost-structure actually works out lower for most projects......once clients get comfortable not having fixed prices 'per job' they start to 'play with the medium'.......fixes/tweaks are costed, no one ends up dissapointed, you get paid fairly for your brain-time & the client gets excatly what he pays for every time. It's all good.