FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
First off, I highly encourage you to contact me to set up a consultation regardless of your budget. The first consultation is free and I will be happy to speak with you about your upcoming project and how we may be able to work together. I'm very experienced with working within a budget to meet a client's goals and expectation. The most expensive solution may not always be the right one for you and I'm perfectly comfortable letting you know when that's the case. Every project is different and that's especially why it's important to discuss your ideas and expectations before offering a quote for your project. In the end, there are three main factors that affect the labor cost of a motion graphics piece: complexity, length, and the number of revisions. The more complexity and detail of a piece, the more labor it will take to complete the project. If the sequence(s) needs to have a long run time, it will also have an effect on the amount of labor spent on the project. If a piece requires many rounds of revisions, it will also be more labor intensive and therefore priced higher. Creating a motion graphics piece can range from $500 for something basic and short to $2300 for something of medium length and complexity. Obviously, you can spend more than that but these are good baseline numbers to keep in mind. If your budget is less than $500, I'm still willing to meet with you. We may be able to work something out. If you're representing a 501(c)(3) organization we can definitely take that into consideration when it comes to pricing. In addition to the labor charges, there may be additional material purchased to create your product: audio, images, fonts, etc. I normally bill these items forward at the price at which I purchased them. Typically, these items are not purchased without the cost first being discussed with you.
- What types of customers have you worked with?
I am often asked to create motion graphic sequences for marketing and communication videos. Typically, these sequences help visualize, simplify, and explain a very complex or abstract technical concept. I am also tasked with creating animated logos for these videos as well. A lot of times, I design the logo but occasionally, I work with something that is already designed. A typical logo animation is 10-15 seconds while other pieces usually fall between 20 and 60 seconds. Sometimes I am asked to create 3D still renderings of products and concepts, create interactive web/kiosk content, and edit video footage.
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
Chances are, you're looking for a motion graphics professional based on his/her creativity and technical abilities. In addition to this you may want to consider a couple other things: Respect for Intellectual Property - There's a lot of great work on the web that can be used for inspiration and ideas. The web also makes it easy to illegally incorporate the work of others into new projects. Does your candidate practice due diligence in securing the proper usage rights for source material? Are you confident that when it comes to an ambiguous situation, he/she will err on the side of caution? Will he/she be confident enough to tell you when one of your suggestions may infringe on the copyright of somebody else? You may avoid a legal issue by asking these questions. Creativity Should Drive the Technical Aspects of the Project - From my experience, I've found that a good motion graphics professional relates to his/her customer through the creative aspects of the project. I've found this to be true at least 90% of the time. When the candidate bombards you with unsolicited technical jargon and details, that's usually a red flag. By keeping the technical aspects of the project under the board, your reviews can focus on the part you're most able to relate to: the creative part! That's not to say that technical restrictions don't sometimes shape the final product but if the designer values creativity over technique, he/she will have more resolve in handling technical issues and the final product will be much better as a result.