Need advice for hiring freelancers

[Aisle5]

I need to hire a 3D modeler and texture artist as a contract worker. I have never done this before and I need some guidance. Is there a standard contract that the industry uses for this? If so, any idea where I can get a copy of such contract?

When hiring a freelancer, do you typically find out what they would bid on a job or do you find it better to set a price yourself and see if anyone is will to do it for that price?

Also, I believe there are companies that would bid on the 3D models that I need. Would this be a better choice than hiring a freelance artist (assuming the work quality is the same for the freelance artist and the company)?

Any other help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Especially any pitfalls that you know of that I should look out for.

[Desktop Gaming]

I need to hire a 3D modeler and texture artist as a contract worker. I have never done this before and I need some guidance. Is there a standard contract that the industry uses for this? If so, any idea where I can get a copy of such contract?

When hiring a freelancer, do you typically find out what they would bid on a job or do you find it better to set a price yourself and see if anyone is will to do it for that price?

Also, I believe there are companies that would bid on the 3D models that I need. Would this be a better choice than hiring a freelance artist (assuming the work quality is the same for the freelance artist and the company)?

Any other help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Especially any pitfalls that you know of that I should look out for.

Pitfall - don't go anywhere near anyone who deals in hourly rates. I'm sure I don't need to explain why, but I'm going to anyway.

You can't possibly be sure that you're paying them for the exact hours they work unless you're bringing them in-house. They could tell you a model takes eight hours, do it in two, thus you pay way over the odds.

Best way - "I want 'X' doing, in 'Y' amount of time, I'll pay you 'Z'". It keeps it all nice and simple.

[Cartman]

Tom Buscaglia has some great contracts that you can get from his Game Developer Startup Kit. It's a little pricey if you are counting every penny, but well worth the cost if you are going to work with freelancers.

http://gameattorney.com/

[datxcod]

Pitfall - don't go anywhere near anyone who deals in hourly rates. I'm sure I don't need to explain why, but I'm going to anyway.

You can't possibly be sure that you're paying them for the exact hours they work unless you're bringing them in-house. They could tell you a model takes eight hours, do it in two, thus you pay way over the odds.

Best way - "I want 'X' doing, in 'Y' amount of time, I'll pay you 'Z'". It keeps it all nice and simple.

A lot of modelers deal with a fixed price per model, depending on if it's high poly or low poly, textured, animated, animation count. On the other hand a lot of world class artists deal in hourly rates. A lot of programmers deal in hourly rates too so I don't see why making business with an artist that does the same thing is a problem. The problem with "I want 'X' doing, in 'Y' amount of time, I'll pay you 'Z" is that sometimes the artist/coder ends up doing more work for the kind of money he's getting paid. It has happened to me as a freelance programmer, "I want a platform game in flash in one month, and I'll pay you X", two months later you're still developing the damn thing due to fixes and changes that the client wanted. In the end you get paid but you wind up working more hours than expected and I think that's a good reason for dealing in hourly rates.

[Qitsune]

I usually make a detailled quote and prefer to be paid a fixed price...I also provide terms of services in case someone doesn't have a contract, they cover all the basics. The quote should somehow describe the project well enough that fixes outside of it have to be paid in addition of the original rate. Sometimes an hourly rate is agreed upon for any revision that is not covered by the original quote, so that there is no last minute surprise if you want a handful of additional pieces. I could provide you with a sample quote if you want, just pm me. I don't deal with 3D but it should give you a good idea.

[Sysiphus]

I'm not a good reference (I don't do regularly freelancing, have an intense job and a personal project) , but in these things I'd never do per hour. I just ask very well the details of the project or thing to do. And then I set a price. But it depends a lot on the type of content. I do 3D (of all sorts, and 2d) , but for me doing a good character animation is quite harder than modelling and/or texturing something.Don't take me wrong, I love animation, but started later on that, and also I think is more complex as a task. (usually a very good rigging is involved, tho is not the toughest part once you have some experience.Rigging is usually left to the modelers, but i prefer to control all proccess since first triangle, every pixel, till last keyframe.Doing a natural, realistic animation without using mocaps, is not dumb easy...Though is doable. )

Problem I see is often people want to pay per 3d model a really very low amount...or some people, I mean. Again, it all depends, a low polygon model , with no animation, is some gazillions easier to do than a Zbrushed hi detailed normal mapped character, with animation and all stuff, AAA quality.

Dunno, offer some fixed quantity that you'd consider honest, not free work, as if so, will not get models, or just really bad ones.

[Sysiphus]

hey, man , went to your site, and tho hadnt in mind giving an advice, I thing this details would help the site:

The images of screenshots may be loading as full size image, perhaps is better a flash(or just an image and some js) preload screeny or anim per image, but that table fill it with real reduced thumbnails. In my connection it took very long to load all them, and rest of content wasnt filled till ended last screenshot load.Ie: the background rounded corners quad.

Also, it may be my font setting, but in IE6, the text goes bellow that quad, and top text also is off.. In firefox displays correct.

Also, every image seems to be a jpg of like 560ks...for that size, even a PNG could have been smaller...I mean, you can loose some quality in those jpgs and still not be really noticeable, and leave them in 100, 200ks, I think.

maybe the drop shadow of the main content quad, is a bit cut in the upper part, when reaches the game title.

Sorry I seem to not be able to keep these things to my own when I see any site...sorry...

BTW, I like the main house image.

[arcadetown]

#1 advice... smell a flake from a mile away to avoid them plus pay well otherwise you'll end up being a flake generator. A contract is only as good as the people signing it. If they don't come off as professional from the very start then run away fast!

[gosub]

Under American copyright law, you must have a signed contract or else you don't own the work. As long as you clearly spell out what the freelancer is doing and who owns the work, an informal contract you write yourself is fine. My contract is one page and covers the following points:

1) Description of the work
2) It is a work for hire commissioned by me
3) I own the work after I pay for it
4) Freelancer actually did the work and has the right to sell it
5) Freelancer will pay all the taxes due on the commission

For #1, it's best if you can paste a picture of the models in the contract. I didn't sign any contracts until the artists delivered, although I sometimes did pay them in advance without a contract.

ArcadeTown's advice is dead on.

-Jeremy

[Aisle5]

Thanks for all the advice!

Jeremy - I appreciate you listing all the points you put in your contract. I believe this is the solution I needed for putting together a contract. I was basically lost on where to begin with a contract.

Cartman - Thanks for the link to Tom Buscaglia's contracts. I think his Game Developer Startup Kit has more than I need but there is still a ton of useful info on his site.

GfK - I think you are right. I'm going to stay away from hourly rates. That could get ugly!

Again, thanks for all the help!

[Aisle5]

Sysiphus - thanks for the feedback on the website. I had no idea it was displaying wrong for some viewers. I use IE7 and it displays correctly. I am not a web designer by any means. This site was put up out of desperation to sell our game. I think I will hire someone to put it together correctly. Anyone know of a good web person that wouldn't mind taking on this smallish task at a reasonable price?

[MiceHead]

I need to hire a 3D modeler and texture artist as a contract worker. I have never done this before and I need some guidance.

Here's my procedure:

1. Hey, I need some 3D artwork done!
2. Write up a job posting.
3. Post it to various forums (here, there, everywhere), send it to artists I've worked with before, and ask colleagues about their favorite freelancers.
4. Request bids. Toss out the highest ("I'll model your blue cube for $1,000!") and the lowest ("One hill orc, normal-mapped and animated? 15 minutes! $12 should do it."). The "right" price for the job becomes pretty clear based on the bids I receive.
5. Request references and portfolios.
6. Pick one.
7. Have them sign standard NDA.
8. Write up the actual independent contractor agreement. Have them sign it.
9. Let them work their magic!

Especially any pitfalls that you know of that I should look out for.

If your gut's telling you that a particular contractor isn't right, just don't go with him/her. On the other hand, sometimes there are a bunch of good artists you'd like to work with, but you only need one. Keep the others in mind for future jobs. I also like to test out new artists with small (<$200) contracts and see if we mesh well.

Is there a standard contract that the industry uses for this? If so, any idea where I can get a copy of such contract?

Nolo (http://www.nolo.com/index.cfm) sells a book of contractor/consultant agreements that has formed the basis of contracts I've been using for years. I don't recall which product I'd purchased (perhaps this one?), but it's saved me a lot of time and money. It can't hurt to have a lawyer skim over your agreement the first time out, just to make sure you know which t's to cross and i's to dot. Subsequent contracts then become a piece of cake.

Good luck!

[Sysiphus]

Hey, just to mention...Nobody should be worried in what relates me..lol..I'd never go and claim for graphics already paid, let alone use them or sell them unless I was told to be allowed...But I see the point of the contract, there are surely people that do that. I prefer my way of small tasks and all based on trusted people.. So, no big dangers (am an artist). But I understand the point.

("One hill orc, normal-mapped and animated? 15 minutes! $12 should do it.

grrr...yep, seen things like that.

@Aisle5 No worries, this happens really very often, and is easy to fix The site is quite correct.

[Game Producer]

One thing to add: I usually offer "fixed price" + "bonus if you do a very good job". The fixed price must be something both parties are happy with, and then the additional bonus may motivate the other party to finish faster, make things faster etc.