Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.
Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.
Warren Buffet by way of Benjamin Graham
This is a hard lesson that a lot of our potential clients learn.
In South Africa we, along with a few competitors, are tiered on the higher pricing spectrum for 3D renderings.
In the last week, two potential clients have chosen lower quotes over ours. I know for a fact that our quoted fees were highly competitive and totally fair for the work that needed to go into those particular large scale jobs. I also know that there are probably three companies in the entire country that could pull off those jobs in time, budget and with an acceptable level of quality – and the clients didn’t choose to go with any of them either. The clients informed me that they had gone with much cheaper option.
I fail to see how the quotes could be lower than ours (based on the amount of work that needed to go into them), unless the guys doing it are using pirated software or outsourcing it further to China or India or just doing the 3D at a loss in hopes of securing that client – setting a terrible trend.
That these fly-by-nights are going to screw the job up, or worse provide some really crappy renderings that are not going to sell the project – which ultimately, is the purpose of commercial 3D illustration. Why risk your entire project deadlines, image and quality on a few thousand rand?
Doing the project at a stupidly low fee in hopes of securing the client is the worst of the lot! This precident cannot be undone because you are providing a decent product but at a silly fee and when the client needs more they are going to expect a reduction in price or go elsewhere and will expect to pay what they did before.
Can I blame clients for going for a cheaper option? No, not at all – it’s a free market and they can use whomever they wish. Ask me if I blame the 3D guys charging these stupidly low prices and I’ll give you two big thumbs up.
The worst thing about this latest trend is that the industry is being eroded away LOCALLY. I can understand when clients go off-shore for their 3D, that’s their choice and their prerogative, heck, we do work all over the world. We still charge locally competitive prices to local clients that enable us to stay in business and advance the industry in SA.
For the last ten years we have been creating kick-ass imagery and as software advances and tools get better, the industry has been telling us that 3D illustration is going be killed by in-house software and Sketchup etc.
NO, this industry will be killed by budget 3D artists who undercharge for their work and pull the South Africa archvis market down the tubes.
Before you commit this sin, read this http://www.burnstudio.co.za/blog/how-to-charge-for-your-3d-services/
Chris B May 7th
Something that also grates my cheese is how millions can be spent on the developments themselves, but no extra money goes towards the ADVERTISING.
I know that we have had entire developments sold off the strength of our work, before ground has even been broken on a site, as well as the flip side of the coin, where developments have been near completion, and sales are struggling because nobody wants to buy into them.
Alywhosane May 9th
Dude i totally agree with you..but hey any vacancies in SA, em unemployed but i am too into 3d rendering / viz but hey c’mon i need a living too how can i not charge them anyting atleast i’ll get some pocket change for my ciggies..u know wat i mean anyways whole point is are there any vacancies in SA
..
Kris May 10th
While I understand that in the predicament of being unemployed could lead to the feeling of desperation to get the 3D work; wouldn’t it seem better to make more than just money for cigarettes? By charging the higher fee, you could cover other and even more expenses – like rent, computer upgrades, etc?
I think there are vacancies in SA. And freelance job opportunities too. They might be a little more scarce than they have been in better economical years, but if there is good quality, fast turn around time, and a reasonable (not cheap) price – then there will be work out there. Perhaps I just takes a little searching?
About Author
Nic B
I'm the 3D overlord at Burn. I handle the business and client side of our 3D company.