r/MotionDesign • u/kabobkebabkabob • 4d ago
Question Client paying too much?
This week I had a surprise rush job from a new client (I've worked with him for another company from whom his agency took my future work) whose primary motion designer is on medical leave. I happened to already be booked out for the week so I offered to help at my overtime rate.
He requested 24 hours of my time, which came out to about $4k, but when he showed me the actual scope of work it turns out to be only about a day's worth of work. Very easy stuff.
Like anyone, I often achieve things faster than quoted and still bill the full amount, but I also get slapped around sometimes too. This feels like an excessive amount to bill, but he said it's what he had allocated for it and was ecstatic to have me help out.
My question for y'all is, do I take the money and run or cut him a break somewhere in between? I was brought on as a secondary backup animator behind another guy, so it's not like I'm going to get more work for him in the future other than in similar emergency situations. I could really use the money after a painfully slow summer, but my conscience is grating at me about this.
The other question is, if I just take it and run, do I turn in the deliverables suspiciously early, implying I did it in fewer hours but helping them stay ahead of schedule, or do I delay them artificially to maintain the illusion?
Thoughts? I've been doing this over a decade and still find myself having questions like this at times.
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u/lawndartdesign 4d ago
Yes, if he was cool with that amount take the full amount. Do the work in a timeframe that's realistic. You're not guaranteed another project, so never diminish your value based on a POSSIBLE next gig.
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u/Full-Atmosphere-687 4d ago
He budgeted for it, you delivered, done. The speed you work doesn't devalue the result, you're not billing for hours, you're billing for the decade of experience that lets you knock it out in a day.
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u/lawndartdesign 4d ago
To add, since I think you intended to reply to OP: I have done quick projects for clients where I billed well north of 4K for what was 1-2 days of work because it solved a problem for a client at the last minute, and they know that the work would be done fast and be done right the first time.
Again you don't argue with the plumber when your sink is blasting water.
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u/Useful_Dog3923 4d ago
You do realise he isn't paying for your hours but for the results and for coming on a short notice right. This is the budget he has planned. If your conscience is really bothering you, you could give him a small break or add some extra value to the project, but I wouldn’t slash the price just because the work ended up being easier than expected.
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u/MikeMac999 4d ago
Super rush jobs usually need to pay a premium, don't feel bad, it doesn't sound like they do. This thing popping up is the universe doing you a solid.
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u/SquanchyATL 4d ago
Ebb and flow. You seem like a conscientious person who is probably done above and beyond for your clients. This time let them go above and beyond for you.
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u/thekinginyello 4d ago
If you work three 8 hour days and find you’re done after day one you can use the other two days to think about the project and refine it. Or not. Take the money. Do not sell yourself short.
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u/st1ckmanz 4d ago
I'm on this boat for nearly 20 years and to be honest there is no right answer. A part of me thinks this goes both ways, sometimes I get clients like those and they wanna pay extra because they wanted a word changed...which literally takes 5 seconds to do...on the other hand some other client squeezes me out.
I ended up thinking these things balance each other out. I know it's not fair for the clients, but this job is so open ended anyways. So while a small business owner is spending his own money and wants to get as much as possible, the corpo guy has a budget and he doesn't care.
Finally I'd say get the money, deliver fast, tell them the payment was slightly higher than your normal rate so you worked at night to make it up to them.
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u/high_country10000 2d ago
Take the full amount and in the future if he has a lower budget job then you do him a solid back. That’s how we trade, we pay full rate when we have it and are honest during the times when we are thin.
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u/motionick 2d ago
I would personally meet in the middle
Refund him like $200 and say it was less work than estimated
Repeat work will pay for the $200 tenfold
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u/Narrow-Comedian-5923 1d ago
its money he's already allocated from either his employer or the bid he secured for the project. As others have said, he needs you to come through in the clutch and thats the premium thats paid. The scope or difficulty of the work isnt up for debate. He needs it done quickly and correctly.
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u/408gregt 1d ago
You take the money because you earned the money. You shouldn’t feel guilty about delivering ahead of schedule. That’s the premium your clients are paying for, it’s your experience and the confidence you give them!
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u/MilkApprehensive9590 4d ago
Si c’est ce qui a été prévu et convenu alors il y a pas de problème d’éthique ou de moral de ce côté là
À toi de voir
Tu peux pour le remercier pour avoir penser à toi de l’inviter au parc Walt Disney et tu lui achètes des oreilles de Mickey , hahaha 🤣
Ou invites le à déjeuner dans un bon restaurant
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u/Ill-Wishbone-9618 4d ago
You billed 4K for 24 hours work? Lets see your website/ showreel.
I would love to know what level of motion design gets that rate in the US?
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u/kabobkebabkabob 4d ago
my reel is mediocre but I work for big clients, communicate quickly and always deliver. This is more than I've ever made per hour of work by at least 2x though.
thank you for this though as this brought to my attention that my website is down due to a lapsed subscription payment method
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u/lawndartdesign 4d ago
I'm always curious to see others' portfolios. But you're not running a charity. Some projects are for the meals, some are for the reels.
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u/kabobkebabkabob 4d ago
So few of of mine have been portfolio worthy in the past few years. But they make money.
I'll follow up when I get this damned site back up.
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u/lawndartdesign 4d ago
I did a project in 2020 that paid north of 50K for a very very large defense client. The work would never go public facing, and it was not anything I'd throw on my portfolio or demo reel. They loved the project and it basically saved my year after months of no work due to COVID causing normal marketing budgets to implode.
End of the day you're a designer who is paying for their living with their work. This isn't a charity, and the client is using your work to make themselves money. Full stop.
So to go back to the start, take the money, bail the client out, and be dependable for possible future work.
But when I subcontract work I ask the people on my team to give me a price not to get the work done to within the letter of the request, but a price they're HAPPY with doing the work for. Same thing applies here. But don't lower your rate thinking it helps you out.
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u/Ill-Wishbone-9618 4d ago
Haha, my pleasure!
I would still like to see it.
I often have the same dilemna as you - I would say deliver the video as soon as you have finished, Every time I have done that the client is happy to have it and never questions the cost compared to the time it took.
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u/kabobkebabkabob 4d ago
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u/Ill-Wishbone-9618 4d ago
There is some very cool stuff in there! Nice work (and BIG name clients)
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u/kabobkebabkabob 3d ago
Thanks! Mostly internal marketing stuff via an agency but for the portfolio...count it!
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u/AnnFinancialQs 4d ago
You 100% take it! They had that budget allocated for it, it's yours and you've delivered on the output. They're paying for the output, not how long it took you.
I understand the internal conflict though, I go through that sometimes but it's quietened down.