I had a client who wanted a single animation showcasing 10 different products, I offered to make 10 seperate animations because I figured I would just model the first one, and edit the rest to match the first. I met my pricing goal, but after revisions and notes to 10 different files, I probably ended doing twice as much work as i would have if i just made one clip. Great advice! but I would also suggest thoroughly pre-planning to make sure you're not giving yourself too much work just to meet your price goal.
I just saw 6 recent videos of yours. I subbed! You deserve it. You’re one of the very few 3D artists on yt that speaks about what’s beyond the 3D software, and that’s real life struggles. Good job for your valuable words💥
Been waiting for the discord server for so long. But the timing couldnt be better for me. Love your videos, I wait every week for it even tho its a bit inconsistent.
Very happy to hear you're enjoying the Discord! Also thanks! Not sure how long you've been around but I got super burnt out making videos weekly and took a break for like 9 months. Having a schedule made me really dislike making videos. Motivation is back, and now I try to make one at least every two weeks or so
Great video! The part where you talked about undercharging (especially with smaller clients) really resonated with me, and I'm realizing that I need to cut myself a lot more slack with these projects. Thanks for sharing all of this insight, your channel is incredibly valuable. Also thanks for fixing that autofocus issue haha.
10 месяцев назад+1
Perfect! Getting more and more in to the 3D renderings! I really like animating stuff.
Thank you for making these video's. It is really refreshing and iam happy i found your channel at the beginning of my blender journey. i joined the discord server aswell.
Great video again, the discord community is an ace idea! Been mentioned by someone there but will ask it here too (boost that algorithm), is it possible to get a video on branding ourselves, the showcase/portfolio topic. Have a great day!
Although I do understand that services need to be paid, I always felt bad about charging for providing 4K renders, renders with transparent resolutions, or other kinds of "few clicks and done" processes. I usually just provide that for free on demand, but I think you're right for pricing up, especially if 3D is your main source of income. For a spinning animation asking for several minutes/hours of rendering however yes even I would ask for a little bonus.
I totally understand the "feeling bad" thing. That's something you'll grow out of. Not everybody can afford your services and that's okay. The same way you can't buy every clothing item or car you want. It truthfully does take extra work and 80% of clients will have no problem asking for a bunch of extra small things from you that aren't specified ahead of time. It is okay to value your time as an artist. I like to charge a higher price, but include everything. Just like those resorts in Cancun that are like $1,000 per night but have unlimited food, drinks and activities haha
Thanks dude! The process you shared of charging more and providing more is quite the opposite of what I was doing when I started my freelance😅 Would have done it the way you recommended it if I were to start fresh
providing little extra services is a good point. I've had this idea in my mind for a long time but it's not always the case. According to you example you've found the ways to do easy tasks for extra money but if the spended time equals its payment then it could be easier to get more orders instead. I've worked with clients that would ask mad amount of tweaks and revisions for free so trying new stuff with permanent clients like this is controversial.
I should have been more clear - offering little free things is only a good idea if you've worked with the client a few other times. Not usually worth it the first time
This is a great video! What service do you recommend for accepting payment? I know a lot of them can have lots of fees and it would be great to hear your feedback
A client DMs you, and they want a 10 second animation for their social media of a stylized character walking into a kitchen scene, picking up a snack product, having a bite then smiling. How much in USD do you tell them that costs? As 3D Artists it would be vital to at least know approximately how much this is worth. When 3D Artists charge too low they not only hurt themselves a lot, but they start to damage the whole industry, as more and more clients start to expect getting renders for max 150 - 300 dollars.
I personally would do that for no less than $3-5k depending on complexity and other requirements I don't do characters though since I have no experience and no intention to learn haha
@@renderer You are the GOAT for answering this, because it essentially helps preserve the industry as a viable career option. If everyone started low-balling many clients will just go to the guy who would slave away at this for like 300 bucks because he doesn't know any better.
To be honest I don't really have much experience doing sound design - I just download pre-made effects from either RUclips or other websites for SFX and then align them up in Premiere. I'm not sure I'm the best person to give advice on this haha Also I'm glad you enjoyed!
Very helpful! What do u think about college degree for 3d artist?I understand that it’s not obligatory, but still some ask for it, and it’s easier to become an art director if u have one
Depends what your goal is! I've recently graduated in 3D Environments at university, but honestly it didn't teach me much, and mainly made me not drop projects since grades lol. I'd say uni is more if you're still a bit lost / needing to explore more! Remember many universities allow you to take a gap year after your first year! Or better yet take a gap year now and fully dive into 3D to see where it goes!
Yeah personally I would never go to a university for design because all the information is out there already. Some people learn best with an organized class schedule and stuff so you kind of just have to make that decision for yourself. Also in College, I get the idea that you get set up with a very general set of skills, which helps you get a job at a studio or whatever, but for freelancing, you can just decide what you want to specialize in and get good at that. I have zero experience making characters, nor am I a very good modeler. Fortunately I just don't really need to do either right now haha
Can you talk about method of payments and how to gain the trust with the client so they feel safe paying a big amount without even knowing you, thanks!
I can basically cover this in a comment reply so I'll just say everything I need to say here. If you have a reasonably organized portfolio and you aren't anonymous or refuse to get on a call with a potential client, that should be enough to gain their trust for payment. As for payment methods, I receive 1/2 up front, and 1/2 when I prove the project is finished. I use a payment processor called Square. I'm not sure where you're located but you could probably even use PayPal if you wanted - although I suggest setting up a dedicated business email for that! Lmk if you have any other questions
I have an M1 MacBook Pro for productivity. Totally love it and wouldn't change a thing. Although I try to do all of my Blender work from my PC with an RTX 3070ti. OptiX is sooo nice for Blender. So much faster
thank you, so let me see if i get, 2k is not like and insane price to charge? because like i can render pretty well. i was thinking in charging something like 400 or 500 dollars for like product renders....hm but i was thinking if that wasn't like too much, but you used 2k as an example...so i guess if i were to charge like 1k it wouldn't be like super weird....
Yeah there's a lot to be said about pricing psychology. For me, I almost exclusively work with supplement companies. If a client knows that I've worked with tons of other supplement companies, I'm kind of established as "the best" for that. This kind of reputation gets built over time, but you can also build it yourself too. There are very few circumstances where giving your price will make a client block and ghost you, so if it's a little high for them, feel free to negotiate and even bring your price down if you're willing. I'd just suggest providing extra value first because it can help close that deal. You may be surprised what this skill is worth
@@renderer damn my man is the best in the area, fuck yeah dude, thank you for your advices, i've been a freelancer for about 10 years now, just in other areas. i've learned how to 3D 2 years ago but i exclusively worked with small game designers up to this point, hmm it's a good area as well but i feel marketing and product related stuff can give results faster (muney). anyway that's why i'm so confused about the prices because this is a whole new market for me
I had a client who wanted a single animation showcasing 10 different products, I offered to make 10 seperate animations because I figured I would just model the first one, and edit the rest to match the first. I met my pricing goal, but after revisions and notes to 10 different files, I probably ended doing twice as much work as i would have if i just made one clip.
Great advice! but I would also suggest thoroughly pre-planning to make sure you're not giving yourself too much work just to meet your price goal.
Pre planning everything is so important. Gotta consider all possible outcomes ahead of time
I just saw 6 recent videos of yours. I subbed! You deserve it. You’re one of the very few 3D artists on yt that speaks about what’s beyond the 3D software, and that’s real life struggles. Good job for your valuable words💥
100% agreed
Now this feels like a private niche community, thanks Spencer for building alll this:)
Been waiting for the discord server for so long. But the timing couldnt be better for me. Love your videos, I wait every week for it even tho its a bit inconsistent.
Very happy to hear you're enjoying the Discord! Also thanks! Not sure how long you've been around but I got super burnt out making videos weekly and took a break for like 9 months. Having a schedule made me really dislike making videos. Motivation is back, and now I try to make one at least every two weeks or so
Great video! The part where you talked about undercharging (especially with smaller clients) really resonated with me, and I'm realizing that I need to cut myself a lot more slack with these projects. Thanks for sharing all of this insight, your channel is incredibly valuable. Also thanks for fixing that autofocus issue haha.
Perfect! Getting more and more in to the 3D renderings! I really like animating stuff.
Thank you lad, Take care out there~!
Thank you taking the time to make this! :)
Great video maahn, u really are the goat when it comes to the business side of 3D, thankz for the discord server too
Appreciate it bro, thank you
Thank you for making these video's. It is really refreshing and iam happy i found your channel at the beginning of my blender journey. i joined the discord server aswell.
Fantastic video, I was dying for this sort of advice regarding my graphic design career.
Eye-opening. Thanks so much! 🙌
good advice i just touched my first m thank you bro youre my goat
Great video again, the discord community is an ace idea! Been mentioned by someone there but will ask it here too (boost that algorithm), is it possible to get a video on branding ourselves, the showcase/portfolio topic.
Have a great day!
Yeah, lots of people are asking that. I think I'll do that next
Although I do understand that services need to be paid, I always felt bad about charging for providing 4K renders, renders with transparent resolutions, or other kinds of "few clicks and done" processes. I usually just provide that for free on demand, but I think you're right for pricing up, especially if 3D is your main source of income. For a spinning animation asking for several minutes/hours of rendering however yes even I would ask for a little bonus.
I totally understand the "feeling bad" thing. That's something you'll grow out of. Not everybody can afford your services and that's okay. The same way you can't buy every clothing item or car you want. It truthfully does take extra work and 80% of clients will have no problem asking for a bunch of extra small things from you that aren't specified ahead of time. It is okay to value your time as an artist.
I like to charge a higher price, but include everything. Just like those resorts in Cancun that are like $1,000 per night but have unlimited food, drinks and activities haha
Thanks dude! The process you shared of charging more and providing more is quite the opposite of what I was doing when I started my freelance😅 Would have done it the way you recommended it if I were to start fresh
providing little extra services is a good point. I've had this idea in my mind for a long time but it's not always the case. According to you example you've found the ways to do easy tasks for extra money but if the spended time equals its payment then it could be easier to get more orders instead. I've worked with clients that would ask mad amount of tweaks and revisions for free so trying new stuff with permanent clients like this is controversial.
I should have been more clear - offering little free things is only a good idea if you've worked with the client a few other times. Not usually worth it the first time
You are grooooowing man, but no suprise, if you were a stock i would have invested
Great video again, one question btw. How to do this 360° degree view thingy some websites have? My client asked if I can do that.
Depends. Either via a glTF file and modelviewer.dev/ or you can pre-render a 90-frame .mp4 file
This is a great video! What service do you recommend for accepting payment? I know a lot of them can have lots of fees and it would be great to hear your feedback
If you're in the US, Stripe/Square invoices. For RoW PayPal/Crypto/Wise/Payoneer are all options I've used
@@renderer Thanks!
A client DMs you, and they want a 10 second animation for their social media of a stylized character walking into a kitchen scene, picking up a snack product, having a bite then smiling.
How much in USD do you tell them that costs? As 3D Artists it would be vital to at least know approximately how much this is worth.
When 3D Artists charge too low they not only hurt themselves a lot, but they start to damage the whole industry, as more and more clients start to expect getting renders for max 150 - 300 dollars.
I personally would do that for no less than $3-5k depending on complexity and other requirements
I don't do characters though since I have no experience and no intention to learn haha
@@renderer You are the GOAT for answering this, because it essentially helps preserve the industry as a viable career option. If everyone started low-balling many clients will just go to the guy who would slave away at this for like 300 bucks because he doesn't know any better.
Can you please share some tips and information about Music & Sound Design for your animations? Thanks for the great content.
To be honest I don't really have much experience doing sound design - I just download pre-made effects from either RUclips or other websites for SFX and then align them up in Premiere. I'm not sure I'm the best person to give advice on this haha
Also I'm glad you enjoyed!
Like where and how you learn about Blender? And all other programs that you use for final results?
I started with Blender Guru's donut tutorial for Blender 2.8 but if you haven't learned the basics, check out his Donut Tutorial for 4.0
Damn $2000 for six renders plain background? I get $1500 monthly for multiple renders AND Listing design for different products and styles 😢
Now you know what to do my guy
Discord link says "invite invalid"?
Should be fixed now. Not sure why it wouldn't be working!
What’s your stake in regards to Artificial Intelligence and the value our manual work?
I was thinking of making a video on this... Coming soon
Very helpful! What do u think about college degree for 3d artist?I understand that it’s not obligatory, but still some ask for it, and it’s easier to become an art director if u have one
Depends what your goal is!
I've recently graduated in 3D Environments at university, but honestly it didn't teach me much, and mainly made me not drop projects since grades lol.
I'd say uni is more if you're still a bit lost / needing to explore more! Remember many universities allow you to take a gap year after your first year!
Or better yet take a gap year now and fully dive into 3D to see where it goes!
Yeah personally I would never go to a university for design because all the information is out there already. Some people learn best with an organized class schedule and stuff so you kind of just have to make that decision for yourself. Also in College, I get the idea that you get set up with a very general set of skills, which helps you get a job at a studio or whatever, but for freelancing, you can just decide what you want to specialize in and get good at that.
I have zero experience making characters, nor am I a very good modeler. Fortunately I just don't really need to do either right now haha
Can you talk about method of payments and how to gain the trust with the client so they feel safe paying a big amount without even knowing you, thanks!
I can basically cover this in a comment reply so I'll just say everything I need to say here.
If you have a reasonably organized portfolio and you aren't anonymous or refuse to get on a call with a potential client, that should be enough to gain their trust for payment.
As for payment methods, I receive 1/2 up front, and 1/2 when I prove the project is finished. I use a payment processor called Square. I'm not sure where you're located but you could probably even use PayPal if you wanted - although I suggest setting up a dedicated business email for that! Lmk if you have any other questions
New video idea: Mac or PC for 3D
Both. Design/LookDev on Mac. Heavy lifting/simulation/rendering on PC.
I have an M1 MacBook Pro for productivity. Totally love it and wouldn't change a thing. Although I try to do all of my Blender work from my PC with an RTX 3070ti. OptiX is sooo nice for Blender. So much faster
thank you, so let me see if i get, 2k is not like and insane price to charge? because like i can render pretty well. i was thinking in charging something like 400 or 500 dollars for like product renders....hm but i was thinking if that wasn't like too much, but you used 2k as an example...so i guess if i were to charge like 1k it wouldn't be like super weird....
Yeah there's a lot to be said about pricing psychology. For me, I almost exclusively work with supplement companies. If a client knows that I've worked with tons of other supplement companies, I'm kind of established as "the best" for that. This kind of reputation gets built over time, but you can also build it yourself too. There are very few circumstances where giving your price will make a client block and ghost you, so if it's a little high for them, feel free to negotiate and even bring your price down if you're willing. I'd just suggest providing extra value first because it can help close that deal. You may be surprised what this skill is worth
@@renderer damn my man is the best in the area, fuck yeah dude, thank you for your advices, i've been a freelancer for about 10 years now, just in other areas. i've learned how to 3D 2 years ago but i exclusively worked with small game designers up to this point, hmm it's a good area as well but i feel marketing and product related stuff can give results faster (muney). anyway that's why i'm so confused about the prices because this is a whole new market for me
you guys charge $2000 for 6 product renders? I do like $200 💀
Raise your prices a bit and see how it goes!
Wait, you guys are getting paid?