Penniman

[glorybound]

Interiors were not my favorite, but I am learning and I am enjoying myself. I used the same couch and rug in a previous project, so I'll probably change that out. I sent this off for feedback today. From now on I am signing my work until I get paid. I have 15 projects waiting for final payment and some are going into months.

[OPEN_RANGE]

Looks great. I put my logo on everything. I have it stipulated I. My agreement that it must appear or if not a side credit must appear. Just like photographers.

My logo gets gets cropped off all the time and almost one ever asks. I'm not planning to ever do anything about it. Professional graphics artists, illustrators, etc require this. They charge extra if their signiture or copyright is removed. The Graphics Artists Guild is very informative about these best business practices.

[glorybound]

Looks great. I put my logo on everything. I have it stipulated I. My agreement that it must appear or if not a side credit must appear. Just like photographers.

My logo gets gets cropped off all the time and almost one ever asks. I'm not planning to ever do anything about it. Professional graphics artists, illustrators, etc require this. They charge extra if their signiture or copyright is removed. The Graphics Artists Guild is very informative about these best business practices.

How about everyone else? Logos or no? It gets me when people rush, rush, rush and when it comes to paying upon completion they get really relaxed.

[OPEN_RANGE]

What I dislike more than most of the typical runaround is " We are waiting to paid by x and then we will pay you." Get that from architects and some others. I always hear that as, " If we don't get paid..... then.....you don't get paid." I have language about this in my agreement now. Bet no one reads it or cares.

I said to an architect who I have done a number of projects for, and who did this dance on the last one, "I told my dentist that I would pay him as soon as you paid me. He did not agree to that." Nevertheless I'm starting a new project for said architect this coming week....or as soon as they have there plans and etc together.

[glorybound]

I just got this email

Hi Bobby,


Our client would like to move forward.

Typically with our vendors, we receive an invoice after the work is completed. This is something my boss is requesting, as he typically does business this way.

Thank you,
Nikki

[hoppergrass]

Low res, watermarked every time, they get the final hires un-watermarked images once the money is in my bank. Its stipulated in the contract and re-iterated in an email when I send the final draft images. That's the glory of direct deposits into my bank, no waiting for that elusive cheque. It may seem aggressive but at the end of the day once they have a hi-res, un-watermarked draft image, that's as good as complete, what leg do you have to stand on to get any further payments?

I have had situations where the project manager refused to pay me because the project didn't get council approval. I asked him to point out anywhere in the contract where it states that payment is conditional to council approvals and why would I ever agree to such a stupid term. In the end I had to write off 40% of the fee, just to get any sort of payment. A few months later he came back with a revised scheme. I told him to take a hike (although not as politely), after much negotiation he agreed to 50% deposit and the rest for final delivery. Got paid with no further fuss. Since then I wont do business any other way.

[glorybound]

Low res, watermarked every time, they get the final hires un-watermarked images once the money is in my bank. Its stipulated in the contract and re-iterated in an email when I send the final draft images. That's the glory of direct deposits into my bank, no waiting for that elusive cheque. It may seem aggressive but at the end of the day once they have a hi-res, un-watermarked draft image, that's as good as complete, what leg do you have to stand on to get any further payments?

I have had situations where the project manager refused to pay me because the project didn't get council approval. I asked him to point out anywhere in the contract where it states that payment is conditional to council approvals and why would I ever agree to such a stupid term. In the end I had to write off 40% of the fee, just to get any sort of payment. A few months later he came back with a revised scheme. I told him to take a hike (although not as politely), after much negotiation he agreed to 50% deposit and the rest for final delivery. Got paid with no further fuss. Since then I wont do business any other way.

Good business sense. If it is on the contract then it isn't anything personal. I had a guy not pay the balance for about 6 months. He stopped responding to any emails, until he lost his final image and when he went to the link I originally gave him it was dead. He emailed me asking me to resend it. Really, what nerve. I told him to pay his balance, with all the late fees and I would send him a new link Needless to say, he paid up.

[prateekvishwa]

Good business sense. If it is on the contract then it isn't anything personal. I had a guy not pay the balance for about 6 months. He stopped responding to any emails, until he lost his final image and when he went to the link I originally gave him it was dead. He emailed me asking me to resend it. Really, what nerve. I told him to pay his balance, with all the late fees and I would send him a new link Needless to say, he paid up.

haha! this is really awesome!

[OPEN_RANGE]

There are 2 separate issues here. I put my logo on everything including final images. It's my copyrighte notice and attribution. It's in my agreement that it must appear. If it is not on the image an attribution must appear alongside the image. For me this is my only and best form of advertising. It's also standard practice for illustrators, photographers and etc. Many of these charge more for each separate usage and if unlimited usage is required. More yet if copyright is removed. In practice my logo gets cropped off and no attribution is given quite often. I have mentioned it but never acted on it.

Some of the comments above are referencing using a "Wafermark" to make the image unusable until final payment is received. Watermark is different than copyright attribution in this regard. Often the two are used interchangeably, but there is a difference.

The Graphics Artists Guild is all about this. I don't know of any other source offering more comprehensive info. Pretty much the source.

[hoppergrass]

Totally agree, for me the watermark is just a way to hilight the fact that the image in work in progress. It is ghosted enough not to be intrusive to the image yet noticeable enough to be seen and positioned in a way that its difficult to crop out.

It is a sad truth that most of us dont have the resources, time or legal savey to pursue copyright breaches, as such get taken advantage of.

[JezUK]

I don't put logos on my images but you're all right, it's another bit of free advertising and what freelancer can afford to turn that away. But I'd always thought that clients would never want to see my logo on an image they are commissioning me to do for them.

And regarding payments, deposits etc, I have to say, you guys do have some stories ! Mine (touch wood) are pretty uneventful - sometimes I ask for a deposit (depends on how small the client is, where they are located and how I'm feeling) - but for a large, well-known organisation based in my country, they won't entertain such a demand from me (it's usually 'we pay 30 days from invoice' which often ends up being in 2-3 months time......).

[OPEN_RANGE]

My logo is pretty small and unobtrusively placed. Most are happy to include it. Recently I learned from client that Sotheby's International Real Estate does not allow watermarks on any images on their web site or published materials. Apparently, to Sotheby's, a watermark is the same as copy right notice or logo/signature. I sent them a set without logo and asked that image attribution be included in the caption. That's what they say they are going to do. Meanwhile I've seen The images printed in the local real estate stuff without logo or attribution. Plus, whenI was looking into this I noticed and pointed out that,currently, on the Sotheby's site there are two other renderings of mine. Neither show my logo or give attribution. In those cases I was not asked it just was done that way, despite clear language in written agreement. Typical. I complimented the client and their realtor for asking me about this in the most recent instance.

I invoice 50% to start, balance on completion. Often have project completed before getting deposit. I put small logo in corner, do not watermark to make unusable until final payment received. I have completed renderings for 100's of clients. Never been stiffed. I do know a lot of the clients or have been referred by mutual connection, that helps.

[prateekvishwa]

nice renders! especially the last one. watermark is very good aswell.. i was using watermark on my drafts earlier but my clients strongly objected.. i agree with their concern too as our service is mostly B2B.. specially when we are doing interiors. how can an interior designer present his design to his client with my watermark? risk is always there.. as interior designers mostly use 3d image to show their concept to their clients.. they rarely use it for advertising or prints.. in that case resolution of image doesn't matter.. i have a client who comes up with small interior projects.. and most of the time his designs get approved from clay renders itself!

[hoppergrass]

I am sure most of you have read the "Business in Arch Viz" series on cgarchitect, the latest one about contracts is quite relevant here