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

[Russell E. Unger]

I've purchased a great book...It's something like "The Business Side of

Creative".  When I get home tonight I'll send you the exact specifics.  It has

a lot of business examples, forms, etc. that should really help you out!


Russ


Olympic Health Management Systems wrote:


> David & everyone....can someone supply or at least point to a good resource

> of a "general" contract that can be used in such situations. Like you said,

> many of us are so concerned with the artistic aspect of design, that

> legalities, etc...sometimes are not addressed fully. I would like to learn

> more about this and have a look at some generic, if not actual contracts

> being used. Thanks in advance for any help...Tom

>

> At 01:08 PM 3/19/99 -0800, David Gary wrote:

> >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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> >

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

> thomas.moeller

> webmaster/marketing-specialist

>

webmasterohmsystems [dot] com

> www.ohmsystems.com

> ICQ#31009345

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

>

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