I think i can really understand Dominique situation. I’m afraid it’s quite becoming a ‘trend’ in this region. There is always someone / some companies charging for less AND faster (and sometimes somehow they render GOOD also… ). 
luckily it hasnt become as competitive where i live and there is a shortage of people who can do this work here…so things are still good here. we still have very short deadlines though from some clients…but if they pay well and the works good, then its worth it!
I think that in your situation, initially you may have to work cheap to get the reputation for doing better quality work than the competition for a small amount more, then increase it as clients start coming back more often.
$9.50/ hour?.. i don’t see how anyone can run a business with legit software for this rate. We charge almost 20x this amount from our regular clients because we have worked with them long enough that they ask how much to budget for the 3D in their fee proposals. new clients typically are less profitable and more demanding for us as they learn the process.
still i think you shouldnt sacrifice sleep for doing this work because you will burn out like i said. These businesses charging low rates will come and go…
i am totally agree with you paulison, i’ve been thinking about it and i think i am on the edge of sanity. quite true if i keep continue doing this stuff, i only collect money from client and transfer it to my future hospitalisation. i gotta think fast how to solve this problem.
you guys out there please if you have this kind of problems before and you solved it, shed some lights here, thanks.
or maybe i should go stay in london. i heard they pay like 1200 pounds a piece.
I think that quality of you work must have very very high price and totally agree with paulison about this, but keep in mind that you health is most important thing to do this fabulous job…
For me you are one of the best 3D artsit…and people shuold pay that very much!
I wanna respect for 3D that we make with lot of sacrifice…
Alex
thank you alex for your compliment.
hopefully i can live up to that.
i am gonna give it a thought on this problems.
hopefully i get some positive solution.
I love these images, the bathrooms are incredible and the pool looks very inviting. I really want to live in a place like this.
2 dominiquelaksmana
I know what means work a lot and to be payed little, i understand u as well some areas can’t permit to work to high prices…
…
but
work night and day for low money make clients thing that to do that works is really neededonly 10 or 12 days and their idea that this works is made by pc by simple clicks become more strong.
Who works in CG know how is difficult to get a nice image, perfect materials, reflections, lights and so on andu should fight to work less and for more money and to make people understand how much work is needed to get thise images
THAT’s my modest opinion
I hope u’ll get high price for your images (photos) 
I’ve got a simple solution for you Dominque.
Move to Sydney and join my studio. You’re work
is very good.
On a more serious note, the way way to get around the
price problem is to push a higher level of service. I manage
to ignore clients who want botom dollar by targetting clients
who want the best quality and are wiling to pay for it and
understand that it takes time to produce the right images.
SunnyC
ivolve studios
On a more serious note, the way way to get around the
price problem is to push a higher level of service. I manage
to ignore clients who want botom dollar by targetting clients
who want the best quality and are wiling to pay for it and
understand that it takes time to produce the right images.
Absolutely agree…
Further to the previous email:
It does take time getting ahold of the clients with the right attitude but they do exist. You need to present yourself in a highly professional manner and ensure that customer satisfaction comes first. We have the same ‘under-cutting’ issue here. Whenever I hear about these types of competitors these days its’ because clients are complaining about their service.
In fact I quoted on a project 3 months ago and was undercut by one-third the cost and one-quarter of the time. The client chose the competitor. That was 3 months ago. Now I receive a call from the client saying how pissed they are and have engaged us to redo the job…from the beginning. I’ve kept the fees at exactly the same price I quote originally and the same timeframe. The client is learning a painfull lesson the hardway.
I believe it’s the 3D communities responsibility to promote ourselves as a whole. We need to increase the value of our collective work, not devalue it. There’s more than enough 3D work going around for everyone to make a living from.
SunnyC
ivolve studios
I’ve got a simple solution for you Dominque.
Move to Sydney and join my studio. You’re work
is very good.On a more serious note, the way way to get around the
price problem is to push a higher level of service. I manage
to ignore clients who want botom dollar by targetting clients
who want the best quality and are wiling to pay for it and
understand that it takes time to produce the right images.SunnyC
ivolve studios
Dear Sunny, i wish i was as mobile as four years ago, now that i have a wife and a little tail that restarts my machine everynow and then, keep on asking me wheter he can press this button or that button and draw a massive line with pencil on my lcd panel :lol: so i can go aussie and join you. Thanks a lot, i treat that as a very nice compliment.
this passed few weeks i’ve been rejecting cheap blood sucking brain draining low fee clients. and it’s been feeling kinda good. i keep the descent fee clients although the timeline is kinda abnormal. there’s a no no to argue about deadline here, but on the price we can still negotiate. i will practice this, hopefully to guard my health so it wont be so bad like last year. so i am opening a new leaf and hopefully we can set the standard everywhere, cheap or expensive, slow or fast, that 3d visualisation is somehow a form of art to it’s creator, and not some mass production like toothpaste or teacup. hopefully this will work.
for pengo and visumporec, thanks for all your concern. i have started changing a little bit, so i won’t be burnt down by exhaustion.
cheers mates! and good luck!
I hear you Dominique. At any rate, keep up the good work.
By the way, do you have a website?
SunnyC
that is one that i don’t have. for a single fighter like me, it’s quite difficult to get my hands on that one. (you know most of the work is a rush work, i need to amend a bit here and there for “rush” defect). but hopefully, these next to months, will be up.
cheers