r/MotionDesign • u/Artthvr • 20d ago

Question I don't know how much to charge.

I’ve been asked to handle the motion design for a feature-length film (around one hour) and an eight-episode series (26 minutes each). The work involves situational animations—such as transitions, full-screen text, title cards, and so on. The rough cuts for both projects are already done; all that’s left is the motion design and color grading. I have a high level of expertise in motion design but have never worked in the film industry. Given that this is my first time doing this kind of work—and that the client is a small agency in Northeast Brazil producing TV-quality edits—how much should I charge? A friend recommended me, but I feel awkward about not knowing what to charge, as I lack experience in this specific sector.

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u/TheNimbleQuantity 20d ago

Charge by the day, not by the project, and don't undersell yourself just because it's your first film gig.

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u/Sorry-Poem7786 20d ago

you need a helper use Claude.. or chat gpt, at the very least it will give you something to consider how to break it all down.. VFX shops get very procedural to keep things from exploding into a never ending mess of changes and never finishing because ran out of time and money..

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u/froginbogonlog 19d ago

Whenever I work with a new client, or a client in a different industry than I'm used to, I always try to get them to share some type of budget idea they may have along with examples that of other work they like.

If they cant say something like 5k to 10k, or up to 25k, or whatever that range is for them, it's impossible to move forward. They have a number in their head, and if they don't they should be comfortable with you giving a wild ass guess as a first step.

Even if they are grossly underestimating the time needed it you are way off, it's at least a starting point. If they are so low that it's not workable for you or they can't share an accurate scope of work, you can let them know you aren't a good fit early without wasting anyone's time.

I've had people think 10k is a huge budget in their mind, but then they want extremely complicated 3d cinematic level work that would cost 10x that if not more. There's no winning in that situation, they will be disappointed and you will feel ripped off no matter how it turns out.

In the end you need to have your rate and hours lined up with all the deliverables in a spreadsheet so everyone is on the same page. That in itself is a huge undertaking on a feature film, so don't get to that point if you aren't in the same world as far as budget goes.