Many times over the past few years I have thought long and hard about what would be the best way to deal with clients who offer low budget pricing for their production work. So drawing on my experiences networking at conventions, internships and local screenings, I decided to ask a spectrum of professionals, traditional animators, motion graphic artists, illustrators, producers and directors to give their opinions on the following six questions:
1. When is it okay to take Low paying jobs?
2. How to handle clients that are clueless on the going rate.
3. At what point do you stop taking low paying jobs and why?
4. What is the value of freelancing in different states, countries?
5. Thoughts on freelancing in New York City?
6. The Importance of Unions.
1. When is it okay to take Low paying job?
- I feel it is okay to take a low paying job as long as the time spent on the project is reflective of the lower budget.
- Make it very clear what you are going to produce and how long it will take to produce it.
- During quite times when there isn’t much work to keep up the cash flow.
After all, we all have bills to pay.
2. How to handle clients that are clueless on the going rate.
- Everyone asks about a rate when they should be asking, ”What can you produce for the budget I have?”
If a client isn’t prepared to give you a budget it is usually because they’re waiting for you to give them a quote that they hope is lower than what they actually have to spend. So give the potential client a wide price range and explain that a final price will depend on the complexity of the work and make it clear that these costs are negotiable.
3. At what point do you stop taking low paying and why?
- Usually when I am too busy to take on any low paying jobs. Often they can also be the most problematic with the most difficult clients to work with.
4. What is the value of freelancing in different states, countries and the significant differences.
Short answer: When you are single.
Though freelancing in different states and countries can be quite exiting and interesting usually once you have greater responsibilities (family, mortgage etc) it becomes far less appealing and feasible.
I’m sure this is the situation all over the world.
5. Any thoughts on Freelancing in New York.
Yes, learn to hustle and make sure you get a payment upfront. This also applies everywhere, not just New York.
6. The importance of Unions.
- Since I’ve never been involved in a union I do not have any first hand knowledge regarding their importance..
1. When its okay to take low paying jobs?
- When you have no other choice financially or you think it would make a good showpiece for your reel. Make it clear that you don’t usually work for such a low price and you’re not prepared to do a dozen rounds of changes unless you get paid for what you have completed already.
2. How to handle clients that are clueless on the going rate
- Try to educate them about the going rate. If they don’t want to pay the going rate, refer to point (1) above. Some clients like to bounce estimates between vendors to try to drive the final number down as low as possible.
- Sometimes people are genuinely clueless – I once had a guy offer me $3000 for half an hour of animation and he seriously though was giving me a sweet deal. Remember: The rate you quote a new client is the rate they will expect to pay from then on, so choose wisely.
3. At what point do you stop taking low paying jobs and why?
- When I started making a lot more money and received a lot of repeat business I stopped but I started accepting them again when business started to slow down.
4. What is the value of freelancing in different states, countries and the significant differences?
- I can’t answer that question because I have only worked in NYC.
- It’s a big city but a small industry. Don’t step on any toes on your way up it may hurt you on the way down.
- Get a deposit from new clients. Educate yourself on how the Small Claims court works and don’t be afraid to sue someone if it becomes necessary.
6. What is the importance of Unions?
- I truly dislike unions. The freelancer’s union is apparently good for health insurance, but aside from that I wish they’d stay out of my business.
Ok let’s see…
1. When its okay to take cheap gigs?
- In my experience, take lower paying jobs if there is a good chance that it will lead to more on going work. But it should still be reasonable. The Kabbalatoons (which I currently started work on episode #84) is a good example.When I started it, I received basically half of what I normally charge, but they told me it was for a series that was ongoing. So I made the call and did it and got six years worth of work. Always use good judgment. I’ve seen folks tell me that the work was ongoing and I did the job, got paid but then never heard from them again. So use your instincts and know when you can trust someone.
2. How to handle clients that are clueless on the going rate?
- It doesn’t matter how clueless they are. You charge what you charge, period. They should respect that or at least be willing to negotiate with you.
3. At what point did you stop taking lower paying jobs and why?
- I stopped taking low paying/free jobs (by free I mean when you are told that you’ll get paid when the show gets picked up!) when I started getting more and more jobs that were a better use my time than the low paying ones.
4. What is the value of freelancing in different states, countries and the significant differences.
- I’ll say N/A here since I have never freelanced in another state. But due to email and the Internet, it is more possible than ever if the client doesn’t mind you working from home.
5. Any thoughts on Freelancing in New York?
- The only thought that immediately comes to mind is that even a studio job on a show that seems like it will last forever does end and sometimes without any notice. So no matter what anyone tells you, cover yourself. Stay in touch with producers, directors and other animators and stay on top of what projects are around.
6. The importance of Unions. There is one on the west coast, but I don’t know much about it. However, I do think everyone should have this book:
Graphic Artist’s Guild Handbook of Pricing
It is what the union industry standard is for pricing. For years, the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines has been the industry bible for graphic designers and illustrators. This, the 13th edition, continues the tradition with new information, listings and pricing information based on surveys of working designers.
All right Jaron, looks like I’m up.
1. When its okay to take low paying jobs.
- It is okay to take lower paying work if you are really excited about the project, there’s a good chance that you will learn something and meet good valuable people in the industry. Although, I think everyone seems to work on their own projects or lower paying jobs until they can build up enough of a reel to secure better jobs. So if your reel is not yet there, keep taking whatever will help you get there.
2. How do you handle clients that are clueless on the going rate?
- If a job seems problematic and the clients are clueless, I would quote something especially high. Only then is it going to be worth it, otherwise you should be glad to let it go.
- When you need the money, or when you have an enormous amount of creative freedom.
- This is always a pain but keep a calm, clear head and exercises your ability to negotiate and educate.
- When clients start to appear that have real money. Then the lower paying jobs just kind of fade away.
- When the project is fun, interesting and when you need to flesh out something in your portfolio. Also, when you’re trying to break into another genre (editorial illustration for example; it’d be fine to do some cheap jobs for a smaller paper to get experience.)
- I throw the Graphic Artist Guild’s Pricing and Ethical Guideline at them.
- When you are too busy working on actual paying jobs?
- From a strictly financial point of view, freelance from a place that has low taxes? Figure out taxes on overseas projects. Germany comes to mind; even if you’re working from the States, you have to cede 15% of your pay and then wrangle the IRS for it under a double taxation agreement.
New York did indeed once have an animation union, and it ensured that no one worked unpaid overtime, pulled all nighters without pay, or was without health insurance. Since 841 folded, the Graphic Artists’ Guild is a great place to get group health insurance, though it won’t help ensure that you are paid.
@Nancy– Thanks for the info. I had no idea New York had a union at onetime. Why do you think was the main reason they dismantled it