fco3d

Hello every one, I know that it may be other thread like this one but, just let me vent my anger

I been working for a comp as contractor for almost 3 years, now that company close down, like 3 month ago and I been Freelancing from Home since then. It is nice being at home and all that, but you know how hard it is to get business and deal with clients,
Lately all this market it been really slow, we all know that, and try to get a client it is ever hard, plus all this over seas offers....hard to compete with those prices.
Now I did this projects and I have not receive any money from them. this really kill me.
I been looking in several website such, Enlace.com, Guru.com, freelancer.com
do you guy have work with this websites??
I see that the prices of the projects are very low (compared with American prices) but maybe if you get a bunch of those it may compensate.

It is worth to sing up on those??, fill applications, answer 10000 questions and then compete with some really cheap designer in Chine or India..no offenses but we all are in the same boa then

How you guys get customers now and days?? emails?? flayers, just call random architectural companies trow business cards under the door???

I feel very frustrated really, I think my product is good enough to charge more than $500 per image, but outside most of the time they tell me that they can get a render for $300 or less

Fco.

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"My English is not good but my ideas are clear......I think :P"
Finally I have a decent Computer!!!
www.fco3d.com

Bubbaloo

I'm in the same boat as you now. I've gotten a few nice jobs, mostly using local contacts I've made over the years while working at an architectural firm. But it's not enough to support a family! So I'm looking for a full time CAD job, with 3D on the side.

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Brian Looney
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Models and Textures
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SkylineArch

My side work has all but dried up, along with the industry. The only work I've been getting over the past couple years have been from past clients. I've had my website for years and years, and only got 2 jobs from it (not paying for itself). Although I haven't updated it in years either, so the search engines probably don't even list it.

It sucks. I do the daily grind and try to keep doing side work for a break from the insanity, in hopes that one day I can do it full time again.

Either way, hang in their guys.

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I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

simplychen

embrace outsourcing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYaZ...feature=channel

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Bubbaloo

Funny! Yet not too far-fetched.

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Brian Looney
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Models and Textures
Free Webhosting!!

hot chip

Hi

I think a new time is coming, with new technics and results. A normal Archivz Still, can do a student or a architects self. A single Freelancer have not the chance to create the new technics, you need a team. What is the new Technics in Archviz....

- Stills with real Peoples (you must casting the peoples, look at the clothes and more )
- Stills in Giga Pixel Format for 360-Views (68.000 Pixel and more )
- Online Realtime Rendering (with Reality Server, look at City Engine)
- Achviz as a movie ( the classic )

PS: China, India or Timbuktu is not a real revarly. In germany is the communication, between Viz-Studio and Client, too intensitiv. You must speak german, you must understand the german client in very short time. A normal Freelancer Price in germany is 200,-Euro - 500,-Euro for each day.

mfg
hot chip

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infinity-vision / Photo Studio

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alkyon

You know foc3d I wake up everyday with the same question...and ok I may not have children yet but contributing to your family budget is certainly THE priority...truth is I dont know how to answer this...we have discussed this again and again In personal time but the truth is that someone else is decides for our future...at least not where i live at the moment .And I don't mean planet earth this time.
I see young people, people my age struggling to get a job, or even people who worked their whole life to get a pension and now they treat them like animals.WHY?because some beings - not human- have decided that they should make their fortunes even bigger?and what there gonna do with all this money when they die?Well i know the answer but its not appropriate to mention...Don't want to say more cause this is a long discussion but yeah...that doesn't mean we wont stand up and just give up the fight. And I dont know whose at the end of this but I do know it starts from bloody politicians who we choose from the so called democratic procedures every now and then all around the globe. I hope one day we wake up and make this joke stop

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JeffPatton

Up front most people are only concerned with the initial cost. Later in the project they may run into communication or delivery issues with the cheaper solution and that's when they will appreciate having a reliable, local contact.

I guess what I'm getting at is that none of us here in the USA can compete with overseas rates. All we can do is charge an amount that is fair to both us and the client. When asked why we charge more then explain that we have to pay taxes, software renewals/upgrades and various business expenses PLUS make a marginal profit to survive.

So I tell clients something like this: From a business stance I can understand outsourcing the project to save money. I hope they understand that due to the expenses of running a business here in the US I simply can't price match with some of these other countries. With that in mind if you run into problems with the outsourced company and/or want to support a local business please feel free to contact me again.

I think the bigger issue coming down the pipeline is the one touch render button. As hardware & software become faster & more efficient I don't think we will be needed as much.

IMHO the people that can create a unique/specialized look with animations will still be able to find work. However, for things like typical still frame renders I think it's going to become increasingly difficult to find work when anyone can apply a canned material, hit the render button and make something realistic appear.

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Jeff Patton
mental ray materials & blog | My Portfolio | My Website

SkylineArch

I agree with you Jeff, that the "render button" is going to hurt our industry, but there is still some artistic skill and knowledge required to create something nice. If any of us took a model and used all the default materials and lighting systems we would have an OK image, but nothing spectacular, and hopefully it stays that way.

I do think we all need to diversify some, whether it's animations, brochures/literature, CAD or web, having a broader skill set is a must.

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I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

JeffPatton

Very true...and sounds like it would make for an interesting future render challenge...render a scene using only preset materials & preset render settings.

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Jeff Patton
mental ray materials & blog | My Portfolio | My Website

germX

Globalization, to me, is all about the race to the bottom...I can't wait until the day they tatoo a barcode on my forehead, get rid of governments entirely, and corporations finally rule.

That way I can get to live in the new Microsoft slums, or Apple's Underground warrens.

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fco3d

For me this is one of my biggest fears coming true, if you check the latest version of REVIT, Auto CAD, CAD Architecture, CATIA or so, the render engine is pretty good, some with mental ray included, not talking that even within 3DMax is getting really close to “just click here button.”

also more and more architects are using Sketch up so they can create a decent presentation and they are happy with that. I know there is a world difference between that and what we do, but seriously there is a lot of people out there that get happy with that simple render.

I lived something very similar when I used to work as web designer, the new open market, over sears services, very easy software to do websites, really kill the business.



Like Jeff and Hot Chip mentioned, I feel like we or I need to evolve, look for something new or related with our field for me I don’t see a long life for Arch Viz business model as we know now.

I feel that I need to move to something related with my 3D skills, learn something like Game modeling or developing or FX animations to get work in other industry such TV or just forget about it and be a CAD monkey and wish for the best, nothing bad with CAD work, but the artist side will die for sure.

__________________
"My English is not good but my ideas are clear......I think :P"
Finally I have a decent Computer!!!
www.fco3d.com

JCAddy

I agree with most everything being said here, it's kind of creepy to think of the way the industry will be in the near future. I really think that gaming engines and real time rendering is the future at this point. It's so feasible now a days, and especially with engines like UDK and UNITY being available to the average joe, it's opened up an entirely new door.

So with that said, it's up to us to turn our heads in a new direction and stop worrying so much about the outsourcing issue, because it's inevitable. It's sad, but inevitable.

I would honestly like to get into a more design type job. Like interior design or furniture design, if not 3D. Maybe branch something together to make myself more useful?

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Jason Addy
www.jaddyportfolio.com
www.jasonaddy.blogspot.com

usoniani

The US market is a big problem because was always profit driven!
In Europe except Greece and maybe Italy its quite different, here the quality of the projects and building is much better especially in Western countries like Germany, Switzerland, Benelux countries, Nordic etc. Usually is paid per hour because of design development and negotiation with the client.
Sorry guys but we here pay gas and food much more than in States!
Not to mention that local language skills are important.
Of course many of offices do renderings in-house probably 80% of them!
But employing chines or Indian freelancer happens usually with big projects for some presentation or such!
For instance in Switzerland you charge around 800 euro per image, Germany is a bit cheaper, but be prepared for a lot of changes big or small!
To resume US market is corporate and very dynamic one!
Bad quality residential (US homes are under any standards comparing to EU ones) and extremely corporate other markets. But the fuel is cheap, this is what counts!