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  • Client FAQ

    An interesting theme emerged from the "Client Demands" thread - that clients often have no idea what is involved in our line of work, and thus have no basis for their assumptions other than what you tell them. I thought it might be a good idea to note down some of the questions and answers that they can understand!

    Q: I need an 10x3m image at 300dpi.
    A: Generally nothing over A3 is produced at 300dpi. What you're after will probably be printed at no more than 100dpi. We can certainly render that for you at 300dpi, but the cost will be a lot higher and it may be worth finding out from your printers exactly what resolution they'll be printing at so we can produce what you need.

    Q: I love the animation! Can we get some of the frames as stills for A3 renders? Wait, what? They're an additional cost?
    A: When we make an animation we make it at a size suitable for TV/DVD. The size needed for an A4 or A3 print is anywhere from 4 to 8 times that size. We also like to add some more detail and finishing touches to stills so there is definately extra time involved.

    Q: Can you guys make HD animation? Why does it cost more?
    A: Yes! We've made a few before. The difference between normal TV and HD resolution is about a 4-8 times size difference, and because of that we need to pay more attention to detail because you might see things that you wouldn't see at standard TV resolution.

    Q: We've made this great Revit/Sketchup model - can you make it look good?
    A: We generally use supplied models as reference rather than the actual model. Making a 3d model for marketing vs. one that has been created for development is a different process and the end result may look similar, but important things have been done during that process to make it look good. It's great that you have the model though, it's good to have it to look at with the elevations.

    Q: Well that's it for the changes. Can I have the high-res render this afternoon? Why not?
    A: As soon as these changes are done, it's about a 24 hour process to get you the high-res render. So we'll be able to provide this to you either by close of business tomorrow or the next morning. The high-res render is about 16 times the size of the WIP renders we've been sending you which is why it takes a bit longer.

    Here's a rare one:
    Q: Why will it take this long? I've been using Sketchup for 5 years and it's pretty quick.
    Q: My son has 3d Studio Max and he says he can make a house in a day.
    Q: So do you just extrude the plans or what?
    A: In order to make the final image look as good as it can, we usually model the building from scratch, paying attention to details such as not having things go through each other - which is fine in the concept stage but not for high-quality stuff. The difference between a simple Sketchup model and the finished product we make here, is like the difference between a sketch of a building and the working drawings. We need to ensure finishes are correct and so on.
    Last edited by duke2; 12-09-2009, 07:08 PM.

  • #2
    awsome little writeup. ive gotten many of those questions asked

    ---------------------------------------------------
    MSN addresses are not for newbies or warez users to contact the pros and bug them with
    stupid questions the forum can answer.

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    • #3
      Another to add

      CLIENT:Will the High res Renders be ready this afternoon?? [after just asking you to make ANOTHER 50 changes]

      High resolution renders take a lot longer to produce than the drafts you have received. A high resolution render has higher quality settings & has to perform billions upon billions of calculations and this usually takes at least 24-36 hours.

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      • #4
        After everything is said and done and you deliver the final product.

        Q. Thanks these stills looks great, can you also just quickly do one where you swinged the camera around so I can see the other side of the room?
        Well it wasn't in the original brief so we "cheated" only half the room do deliver you the product faster and save cost. If you want to see the other side of the room we have to build it depending on what is in the other side of the room it could be another cost and time as the one we just completed for you. (I'm sure I mentioned that when we initialy spoke before the 1st brief)

        Q. That wood doesn't look like cherry. Look at these samples my supplier gave me.
        Well yes it depends on lighting conditions and age of the wood as well as if it is stained or not. When just installed the wood will never match any existing panels, it have to "age" even if stained. (Where were your samples when I asked you for it in the original brief)

        And for some reason I get A LOT of these:
        Q. I have a small simple basic reception for you to do. It shouldnt take you more than 2-3 days. I only need 2 views or so. Can you give me a price NOW over the phone?
        OK thanks for sending the plans over. I see you didn't mention on the phone the small simple and basic reception with flat ceiling is in the middle of the building and surrounded by glass partition facing the rest of the openplan office, some of which is double volume.

        Q. Can you do me these renders at A3 300DPI? I heard from a friend that is a good size for these things.
        Yes sure we can do it that size. Will you be printing it yourself or sending it to a printing house?
        Client: We never print it. we just stick it in a powerpoint to show our clients

        And suprisingly A LOT of these from decorators (NOT designers)
        Q. I have this house of so and so famous person to do. Can you do me a walkthrough of all the rooms, kitchen, bathroom etc in about 3 weeks. The whole project is worth about US$ 2.5mil. I'm doing the project on risk, if you do it for me on risk I'll give you a percentage of the job.
        OK after I killed myself trying to finish all that work in 3 weeks and worked on "risk", tied up my renderfarm so I can't render my "paying" jobs, just how much work did you do and equipment did you use for a project that has about 1% chance of actually happening. After the client sees the initial design(or decoration) there are bound to be changes and his wife will redesign the whole thing anyways and they will do the job themselves. And by the way, why don't you even have plans of the house?


        Sorry that last one was more venting than an actual response.
        Last edited by Morne; 13-09-2009, 02:57 AM.
        Kind Regards,
        Morne

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        • #5
          re: the last one. i haaaate those kinda clients. and they seem soooo confused as to why we would turn down this "awesome" opportunity.

          ---------------------------------------------------
          MSN addresses are not for newbies or warez users to contact the pros and bug them with
          stupid questions the forum can answer.

          Comment


          • #6
            A bullshit detector definitely helps in this business. If you're offered that kind of work, it's really up to you whether you take it or not, but I recommend going with the attitude that you want to help them out by doing it for them at a lower cost than usual. IMO it makes anyone look unprofessional to take on speculative work for nothing - if someone comes to you and they want to do that, fine, but it's their risk - if they've got the confidence in it then they can put up or shut up.

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            • #7
              Q. We need an image/animation of St Mary's High School. All pupils (age 6 through to 1 need to be in full school uniform - this is very important to us.
              A. (from prison cell) Please find attached latest draft of school with latest changes now implemented. As you will see, only half the kids are in uniform as I was arrested whilst taking photographs with my 28-300mm lens from outside school gates.
              Kind Regards,
              Richard Birket
              ----------------------------------->
              http://www.blinkimage.com

              ----------------------------------->

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              • #8
                lol, had the school one before.

                The number of times I've had people ask me what I was doing even though i'm on public land when taking pictures...

                A bank manager came out of a local bank here and said some of his customers had asked why I was taking pictures of the bank (I was taking elevation pictures of all the buildings in the street to model in 3d). Not only that, but I was using a 10-22mm lens, so anyone inside the building wouldn't have been tiny anyway and the windows were darkened! Christ some people are paranoid! I could understand the school one though

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by tricky View Post
                  Q. We need an image/animation of St Mary's High School. All pupils (age 6 through to 1 need to be in full school uniform - this is very important to us.
                  A. (from prison cell) Please find attached latest draft of school with latest changes now implemented. As you will see, only half the kids are in uniform as I was arrested whilst taking photographs with my 28-300mm lens from outside school gates.
                  Very funny and also a sad reminder of how paranoid society is these days because of a minority group and of course the media blowing things out of proportion.
                  Regards

                  Steve

                  My Portfolio

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                  • #10
                    I've been stopped outside of Government Center here in Boston for taking photos of a building I was working on.

                    Security guards came running out and questioning what I was doing. It also doesn't help that I look Middle Eastern. Thankfully, I was able to point to my blonde-hair, blue-eyed girlfriend who was waiting impatiently nearby as my "co-worker" (I had to speed up the interrogation process.)

                    They took one look at her and said, "oh okay" and left.
                    LunarStudio Architectural Renderings
                    HDRSource HDR & sIBL Libraries
                    Lunarlog - LunarStudio and HDRSource Blog

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                    • #11
                      Q. I have this house of so and so famous person to do. Can you do me a walkthrough of all the rooms, kitchen, bathroom etc in about 3 weeks. The whole project is worth about US$ 2.5mil. I'm doing the project on risk, if you do it for me on risk I'll give you a percentage of the job.
                      I also commonly hear in every person calling up, "we are looking for a partnership" or that "there is more potential for work down the road."

                      I've learned to take these comments lightly.

                      I will also never do anything on "risk" alone - my free-time is much better spent elsewhere.
                      LunarStudio Architectural Renderings
                      HDRSource HDR & sIBL Libraries
                      Lunarlog - LunarStudio and HDRSource Blog

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by jujubee View Post
                        I also commonly hear in every person calling up, "we are looking for a partnership" or that "there is more potential for work down the road."
                        It also usually involves you doing a lot of work while they do very little but have a lot to gain. All you get out of it is a 'chance' to do another rendering.
                        www.dpict3d.com - "That's a very nice rendering, Dave. I think you've improved a great deal." - HAL9000... At least I have one fan.

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                        • #13
                          Anti terrorist renders

                          Once a maturish short Welsh lady I worked with was taking photo's in the Swiss Cottage area of London for a BG pic, she stepped back to get a better shot and suddenly was surrounded by armed police. They asked her if she hadn't noticed the bollards she stepped 'over', "No" she said. "didn't you realise this marked out a 'politically' sensitive street" they stated, "No" she answered.
                          She was then arrested under the anti-terrorist law, a phone call was made to my boss who confirmed who she was and why she was photographing in a public place and then un-arrested on confirmation and after the police had checked the preview images on the camera.

                          A true story

                          laters

                          spike

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