Friends

Sooo, on a lark I decided to answer a posting for an animation job on Craig’s List. I’m thinking it was a mistake or at the very least kind’ve what I expected. The fellow I sent my reel and resume to loved my stuff so much that he literally called me back 20 min. after I emailed him the material. 

Turns out he wants 30 seconds of character animation (multiple characters, w/ sound & visual FX) and 2 high-grade professional looking studio logos. This is fine, not a problem …Till I tell him what it will cost. I lowballed it at around $28K. When you factor in that each second of animation will cost around $800, the logos would run approx. $1000 for the first one and $3000 for the 2^nd , based on their respective difficulty levels.  I thought these were fair numbers.

This was definitely not what he wanted to hear. I gathered he was looking to spend maybe only $1500 tops.  FOR THE WHOLE THING!

He then asked if I would give him a free sample of what I would do with his material so that it could give him an idea of what I could do. I told him I already gave him an idea of what I could do when I sent him my 2 demo reels and that I would charge him per my hourly rate for any mock-ups he wanted me to do. He was nonplussed and after explaining that he was hoping to get either me or someone who would work on this during their spare time.  Time I have, I explained. It’s just not free. 

I wished I’d asked him if he ever went to a garage and asked the mechanics if they’d work on his car but as a sample so he could see how well the repairs would be.  Why do people think that professional artists will work for a song went the reality is that we are as well trained or more so, than most tradesmen or other such skilled laborers?