FLASH: RE:"Client from hell", what NOT to do.

[David Gary]

Mary Brzys wrote;


>Hi group,


>First before I launch into this sorted tale that hindsight is 20/20,

>and I should have know better.....All I wanted to do was illustrate in

>Flash. I hope no one else has to deal with someone like this, and if

>you come across this company: Xtreme Multimedia you've been warned!


>One day I got this call from a friend of a friend "We have a job for

>you two, it's a Flash Job, for Visteon are you interested?" I said

>sure, love to!  They being Xtreme Multimedia took the job thinking

>they could do it themselves, but they didn't know Flash and so they

>contacted us via friend of ours: Spot-Design


>We had a meeting at Xtreme Multimedia's office in downtown Detroit.

>The meeting went well, they supplied us with a copy of a copy of the

>original storyboards and they gave us the basic rundown on what they

>wanted.The client knew some things about Flash already which was an

>advantage. We were supplied with some source files and an existing

>FLA. We created a new FLA and used their's as reference.


>I created custom Illustration using their source files as reference.

>During the course of this project,  someone changed the design concept

> at least 3 times. Pulling out half the Illustrations and wanting

>different ones in their place. Well that wasn't a problem, the problem

>was they didn't give me different source files to work from.


>There was a deadline fast approaching and it was moved up by 4 days. I

>took it on myself, seeing as I didn't want to miss this deadline, to

>find source files that would make the job work. I also found sound

>files that work as well, they weren't supplied.


>So now we have a new deadline, and we were told this was the design

>that we were going to go with. That was 2 days before the deadline.


> Along comes Xtreme Multimedia with the idea "Oh yeah,  by the way,

>they've changed their mind again, they liked the first idea, but with

>new changes can you change it back? Do you still have the original FLA

>and could you redraw VEMS using this: It's a copy of the manual to

>draw it? Here's some more source files, maybe you can use them" We

>really didn't know what to say after that..........either laugh or

>scream!


>We pulled an all nighter and re illustrated VEMS to their

>specifications and navigation. It ran well, and it looked good. Xtreme

>had asked for the FLA's as backup, so after we talked on the phone and

>via eMails we would ftp it to them. There was a discrepensy with it,

>they said they couldn't open it, and would I send it again, she kept

>saying this....finally I said, "I'll send you the finished FLA when we

>hit the deadline"


>The deadline was changed at the last minute and Xtreme said, that she

>was going with the swf file that I had sent prior to the final

>finished changed swf. I was really confused at this

>point..........This job seemed like it took a lot longer than it

>actually did, I don't know why.

>We learn a lot anyway, a lot about Flash and a lot about some other

>stuff as well.........


>I didn't find out until 3 days after the job was completed that it was

>only suppose to be a consulting job for 3 hours, it blossomed into 88

>hours total. I've have yet to be paid for this job! It's been 91

>days.....



Hiya Mary,


This is a prime example of a situation where the developer had no

control over the project and lack of  professional

direction. Flash is a new medium, but the business side is still the

same and shouldnt change much. The internet has given alot

of people opportunitues that they didnt have before, however more often

than none, they dont research the business side

of the application.


Traditional artistic media has either been handled by an agent, but most

often by a business minded freelance artist.

You _must_  know the business side of your trade, because if you dont

and you handle a client like the example above,

you are hurting the industry as a whole.


First, this client should have been well aware of the developer's

process and should have been sent forms(contract)

on exactly what is expected of both parties.


Second, half(50%) of the project's commission should have been paid for

up front before ANY work was started

(no exceptions, this shows the developer/designer that the client is

serious. If the client refuses, move on, because chances

are, you will have problems getting paid when the project is finished).

30% of that should be non-refundable due to client changing mind,

scrubbing project, etc. This protects the developer and his time spent

and should be stated in his contract.


Clients changing their mind is far from new. Most logo illustrations Ive

been commissioned for require at least

5 to 10 examples, not just one. This is a norm.

In FLash, it should not be a suprise to redesign interface several

times, however, schematics(how things are to work or "the model" and

complex animations should be created as storyboard first, If this step

is overlooked, you can end up with a uge mess and going waaay over your

client's budget.

Storyboarding is a quick way to show your client/agency  the "vision" of

the project and gives them a chance of opinion, which

they ALWAYS have. Storyboarding cuts out "redos" or "start from

scratches"

Storyboarding is something most web designers no nothing about since

they are not animators.

If the client changes their mind from the original agreed upon concept

or  "vision", then the budget changes and

most of the time a new contract is drawn up.


The web is a great way for a creative person to grab opportunity,

however it can also trash the professional standard

of a particular industry if its not handled professionally. It makes it

much more difficult to explain to a client what the standard expects by

the next "professional" that has to clean up an amatuer's mess


The net is 80% people who have Photoshop and a wysiwyg HTML editor

claiming to be web designers and they're usually the people who have no

clue about contracts, legalities or handling online identity campaigns.

This is one reason that there is a stereo type that art and design

should be free or inexpensive.


> it blossomed into 88

>hours total. I've have yet to be paid for this job! It's been 91

>days.....


Not to impune Mrs. Bryz business, but this is a prime example of what

_not_ to do.

I dont care if its your brother in law's friend's uncle's buddy. A

contract should be agreed

upon.


It has also brought up a good discussion for amatuers to learn  Flash

"Business" which is simply non-existent on this list.


-DG-



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