Hi
I am seeking some advice on quoting a flat fee for a project I have storyboarded, but not animated yet(until the contract is worked out and signed). Its a motion graphics piece, a custom slate this producer (:15 actually animated, the first :30 is of a still shot of the company's logo). It's a rather simple animation , or I should say it appeared to be simple upon talking with this guy. I've already worked 16 unbilled hours on the storyboard going back and forth with this guy, and now we've settled on the final storyboard.
At first I quoted $400, (very low) but now he wants an HD as well as an SD version which he is just now is asking me. The timeframe from start to finish of this project is 7 days. I now have to recreate the assets (i'm doing this in After Effects) for the HD version. I want to charge an additional fee on top of the $400 i quoted, but he isn't budging. I want the work, but I've already done animation work for peanuts thing already, and I need to make a decent income including the overhead for god knows how much I've spent on my studio.
Any suggested average rates? appreciate any feedback as I need to proceed one way or the other with this project.
Just give him just what you originally quoted for, unless he pays. If he wants extras he's got to pay extra--it would be the case in almost any other business, so if he's "just asking for something now" then that is outside of the original agreement. Once you started work those were the circumstances by which you both agreed to--your client now wants to change those circumstances.
Don't let him run over you.
Next time, charge more than your lowest amount to cover contigencies like this. The other thing you can do is state that they get 2-3 rounds of correction on the 'boards--after that, they pay extra--but you'll need to do that at the start.
If the client sounds really fickle/finicky then just quote double $800--because, as you said, you do have overhead etc.
"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)