I just got a quote today that left me feeling stupid. I clearly have no idea how much custom modeling costs and I have been basing my estimates on TurboSquid price times 3 or 4.
i have seen models for sale for $10 to $50 (some of which are pretty decent but are cheap because they are not skinned) but I didn’t expect them to be custom made for like $100 to $150. Nah, I figured a custom next gen character would probably set you back anywhere from $300 to $600. So when I saw models for like $1000 I was like: “Yeah, great if you are making the Lord Of The Rings and have a couple million bucks in your budget and want to buy a few models. Sheesh. Who spends $1000 on a model? Are they mad?”
So far I have had 2 quotes for custom character models. One was more or less in line with what I expected and other made me realize that I simply have no clue how much custom work costs. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure artists need to charge enough to be able to make a living and not die of starvation so that I can have a version of Lara Croft with one boob bigger than the other and 6 fingers on the left hand… but I am just realizing that I have no idea.
I asked for a quote today because I wanted a character and was willing to pay a certain amount, but my ignorance towards pricing just caused me to waste this guy’s time. So now I am curious. I want to get a better idea of how much stuff costs so I don’t waste people’s time again.
Those of you who have created next gen characters, do you always start from scratch or do you reuse existing pieces? How long does it take you on average to create a character? If you can give exact details like “Well, my marine took me 3 days since I only subdivided an existing marine of mine and then added details in MudBox” That would be awesome. How much did you end up selling the model for? Do you ever do next gen models for TS or only on request?
I am real curious to hear from those who have done it themselves…
Thank in advance
An average artist cost about 15-20$ /hour.
A custom, textured (normal, specular maps), skinned and animated model takes lots of time. Which means, lots of hours working and charging 15-20$ /hour. So yeah 1000$ i’ll say is pretty cheap. Outsourcing studios charges 4x-5x that.
Okay, granted, I was not clear enough in my original posting. I meant modeling only. if you created something that was unrigged, untextured, tell me. if you created 90 animations for it before selling it, tell me. I am curious to know what stuff costs. I realize my first post could sound similar to : “How much does candy cost?” and can have a wide variety of answers, but that is what I’m after… If 10 people tell me they sold an unrigged, un-textured model for $10,000 then so be it. If a guy made 100 models for Pixar and charged them $1.99 so be it.
In the words of Jim Rohn: “If you do something often enough, a ratio will appear”
If I can get a couple of ratios of skinned prices vs unskinned prices vs animated vs rigged only, then I will have gained the knowledge I seek. I am not looking for “All next gen models will always cost you exactly $199.95”, I am just curious about general pricing. I definitely don’t want to go up to a guy and say “So, I’ve checked out your website. Your portfolio looks quite impressive. If you can come up with a good enough design for my character I am willing to offer you up to $50 to build it for me”…
Again, i am curious about how much prices fluctuate for the same level of “completeness”.
aleuus: Yeah, laugh it up mate. I’ll make you an offer some time
See, this is what I meant:
TatoForever claims $1000 is cheap,
Says I can expect $4000 for an outsourcing studio (I actually think I saw a price tag like that somewhere once…)
qw_zzz quotes up to $300
That’s a huge price difference. From 300 to 4000. Same thing. Now I don’t feel so stupid any more for being clueless lol
Says it all right there. Perhaps a better way to do this would be to just soul-search and decide what you want visually for a character and then find artist that grasp that style and quality and ask them for quotes. Cgarena, Ralph3d, CreativeHeads are a few good places to find some talent. You will have better luck finding cheaper prices with students who are building up portfolios. Who knows maybe you will stumble upon a diamond in the rough who hasn’t yet been discovered and swept off by an AAA studio.
I am really curious to see how the poll turns out.
Yeah, the poll so far is most definitely quite undecided at best… But a ratio created by 3 people is still small… Quite curious
Oh, how about this idea: I start a website where people drop their character designs for all artists to view and then all artists can first build the model then compete with each other for the lowest price to sell to the original poster! Yeah! That would work! :roll:
Actually, they have a few websites that do that for contracting… not specific to 3d but I have seen a few 3d and general graphic design contracts bid on before. I can’t remember the exact url but if it comes to mind I’ll link you. Correction: they don’t first create the asset, they first bid and the lowest bidder that passes for the clients expectations (portfolio quality) wins the contract.
I’m actually signed up with a site similar to that. When coding jobs become available we are informed and we can place our bids. I signed up ages ago but not interested in freelance a.t.m. so I just delete, hence don’t know the name. Don’t recall if they do modeling, though…
Actually, I was being sarcastic when I said it. had my :roll: actually worked, that would have been clear, but I completely forgot about that site… they actually exist… Incredible. So, people, I want that minotaur from Ralph3d. Place your bets. First one to charge $20 or under gets the contract
In my book, a custom model is a model that someone orders with thier own design… if they were to ask me to personally just make whatever I pleased then, I would A) have a lot more fun with contracts B) be the happiest artist alive because I would be paid to make whatever I wanted and C) charge next to nothing
aleuus: NOW! you tell me… I might have to make you an offer, now
I am looking for some creatures to inhabit a planet. They are the dominant species and are half human, half animal. For example, the lead female character is a real sexy woman who later reveals she has a mouse tail…
Other characters can be as human-like or more beast like as you like… Go nuts. Contact me when you are done
P.s. “next-to-nothing”, that means “cheap” right?
Glad to be the one to make you the happiest artist alive
Hmm, as far as the artist is concerned: it shouldn’t matter what is done with the model after it is paid for and handed off. What difference does it make if the client then resells it a million times or just ten or uses it to make a 3d print to put on his mantle above the fireplace? The same effort goes into the model in all scenarios. So what I am trying to say is who and how many times the client wants to sell the model is up to the client… he pays for it and the rights to it so it is theirs to decide the fate of (granted, it is nice to know where a product will end up for the artist). I think the specs, style, quality and time that weigh the most in factoring the price of a 3d asset.
XD I think you misunderstood me… well actually I don’t think… you did. What I meant was: you come to me and say make me a 3d model and I say okay… and come back 2-3 weeks later with a model I felt like making. Then since it was so fun for me I charge next to nothing. lol a female character who is half human half creature wouldn’t be the first thing I would think of modeling in my free time
