Estimates

About a month ago someone asked me here about estimating and I wanted to try and answer her questions:
How do you present your estimates?
Do you present the photography bids to the client or compile into your own? Do you show each line item? Do you pad anything on your own?

It really depends on the company I'm working for and how they format their estimates and terms and conditions. Normal practice is the photographer/producer estimates are worked into a separate estimate dictated by the company or the program the company is using. Not all line items are shown unless the client specifically requests it. I usually break the costs into photography fee (creative + usage fees) and then into production expenses (which include everything from crew, talent, and equipment to travel expenses and meals).

To be quite frank I usually will pad an estimate and most art buyers do depending on the project. If there is a strict bottom line we won't go above the number dictated by the client however I usually pad numbers because inevitably additional costs are incurred and if not, well then the costs come in lower. Although I should note I never pad the estimate by an incredible amount and usually will add sales tax (My state is 5%) to the bottom line. The thing about padding is that it is not an exact science and sometimes I won't even pad an estimate. It really depends on the project at hand.

In the event of a competitive bid I will do my own estimate formatting in excel to provide an "apples to apples" comparison of the photographer's bidding and where their line items are comparing. I will provide this if asked but also like to have it in my own files and available to the account executives so that they can answer any questions the client might have regarding the estimate (and use their own discretion to provide it to the client if they choose to).
It looks a little like this:


I also can't take credit for this design.. a friend and fellow art buyer showed me this several years ago and it has remained a great asset to my bidding process ever since.

The main thing to remember when presenting estimates is how do you normally put them together and present them and how/what does your client expect? If you morph the two make sure you have backup that details your break down of costs and then the breakdown of the estimate that goes to the client.

Purchase Orders

In my mind a purchase order is more than an invoice receipt for the agency or client, it also acts as a contract between the artists/vendors and agency/client. The more descriptive a purchase order is, the better it is to protect all the parties involved on the agreed upon licensing and information accompanying it. Some clients or agencies might keep their purchase orders for internal billing only, in that case always make sure there is an agreement in writing, whether it is an email or on the artist invoice.

Here's what I usually include:
- Phone and fax number for artist and rep
- Team working on the project (Art Buyer, Art Director, Project Manager or Account Manager)
- Date of shoot and date of film/digital file due to agency
- Advance paid amount and date paid
- Usage parameters, if the usage is a limited usage and not unlimited I always like to include the date of first use and whether it is non-exclusive or exclusive.
- Shoot description, an outline of all the situations to be photographed and the number of shots expected as well as for final usage
- Outline a mini-schedule with travel, prep, shoot, and wrap dates
- Who is paying for talent/models if there are any
- A rights for self-promotion line for the agency and client
- Include all receipts when invoicing for backup of invoice. This also provides a paper trail of expenses for agency and client as well as proof for auditing purposes.
- Expenses not to exceed "X" amount without written authorization in advance (I find this helps keep track of any overages that occur on set and get client sign-off so there are no surprises.)

- When purchasing stock, whether from a stock house or a photographer, I include the image number, what the image description is, size, licensed usage and cost per image (not just the lump sum).

The other benefit of having paperwork that is this descriptive is that it allows as back-up for someone that may have to work off this at a later date (especially if the main person is not around) and it makes reference for re-use easy because you have all the original information available.

5 things about "Down and Dirty" shoots

These type of shoots have a few names that people call them: down and dirty shoots, guerrilla shoots, no time shoot.. etc. Whatever you refer to them as, normally these types of shoots/projects mean a few things: little money, little time, and big quality.

Here are my 5 likes and dis-likes (strictly in my opinion as an art buyer).

Likes:
1. Think on your toes. While sometimes the production can keep you guessing (or confused) it proves what a good problem-solver you can be. I think it's also an adrenaline rush to get it all pulled together as quickly as possible.

2. The teamwork and collaboration. I have found that even more so on these types of jobs the teamwork and collaboration between the art director/designer, art buyer, photographer, rep and virtually everyone else working on the job really come together to make it happen.

3. Creativity. This goes hand-in-hand with the collaboration as well as thinking on your toes. Sometimes these shoots allow for more creativity because of the timing and nature of a project like this, the team doesn't have time to sit and stare and mull over the project. And I have found that photographers especially have great ideas and solutions on the fly that the art directors and designers are more willing to be avant-garde with or experimental.

4. Production Value. While this could also be in the dislike category, because yes the production value does suffer some, I feel it fits nicely here and touches on all the points above. We are still able to pull off a good shoot/project with the right production and elements. It requires effort and finagling but it can be done. I think a good shoot is achievable even with the constraints as long as people/team players are willing, problem solving and creative.

5. No matter what, it always comes together. It can start out as the craziest project with the worst timing and absolutely no budget and for whatever reason (mostly the effort of the whole team) it always comes together and it always works out. The thrill of pulling it all together and having beautiful work come out of it is so rewarding. I feel like it's more energizing knowing the hoops everyone had to jump through.

Dislikes:
1. No budget or small budget. The no budget thing kind of puts a damper on the production value. It's tough for the photographer/producer to potentially call in favors, it's tough for the art buyer to explain to the photographer there's little budget and to the account team the importance of certain spending on certain production items, and it's tough for the client to understand why a shoot costs about the same amount as an employee's yearly salary.

2. Complaining. I think complaining doesn't get you anywhere. It's about getting the job done and trying your damnedest to get it done right and to get it done well. As an art buyer I totally get that down and dirty shoots are tough on both sides, for the photographer as well as for the agency. (And none of these dislikes are thought of as complaints.. more like speed bumps to the process of a normal production)

3. Post-production costs. In my experience (most of the time) when these types of shoots are completed and the high res artwork is in-house, they actually require more post-production time and money than normal. Sometimes the weather wasn't right on that day and the sky needs to be cloudier, sometimes the logo placement and cropping wasn't thought of correctly, sometimes in the rush to get a location there's a building the client wants to come out and trees to be put in... there are a few factors that aren't taken into consideration and once it's all said and done it usually needs a bit more work.

4. Timing. I've had different timelines with these types of productions.. some have been 2 days, some a week. It never fails that time ends up being my worst enemy on these down and dirty shoots. The hardest part is making sure that you've gotten everything done (casting, locations, permitting) and it has still gone through some sort of approval process and it's ready to go on the day of. (Doing casting and approvals in one day off headshots is always a crap shoot.)

5. Process. No one really likes the word process but there's always some sort of process or organization that goes into pulling a project together. When fast projects come up, inevitably something slips through the cracks. It could be an advance or PO doesn't get out soon enough, it could be that the location wasn't approved (or permitted correctly), it could be that the money allotment was put against the wrong job or project, it could be a number of things. We all just hope it's a small thing and preferably only one and not several.

Advances

Almost everyone knows an advance is essential to the production of a job. Sometimes there there is a client or a higher up (insert CFO here) who doesn't quite understand the necessity behind this. If it's a client that doesn't understand the importance of an advance it's a bit easier, because then the agency can front the advance check for the project.

I'm assuming that most understand what an advance is but for definition sake here you go: pay someone a monetary amount before a final date/billing invoice. The advance is normally 50-75% of the production expenses. This is essential to the photographer or producer working on the project in order for them to pay for anything immediate needed and even pay the crew on the day of. This way it's not all out of pocket for the photographer/producer.

When an advance is not paid prior to the start of the job most people have clauses written in their estimates that detail a markup will be charged or a percentage of costs per dollar amount will be charged. If you don't have this written in, you probably should. And if you're the person purchasing/negotiating for the project, keep an eye out for these clauses and make your client aware so there are no snags after you get the go ahead.

Advances are an unwritten and understood rule that we assume everyone knows about and most certainly should understand as part of the production process. However there are the few people that don't agree and if all the explaining in the world doesn't change their mind, you should make sure you're protected in some manner.

The Changing Face of Production

Creativity Magazine published their summer edition about production. In it they have an article dedicated to "The Changing Face of Production". It's not necessarily about who is new on the scene but rather how the role and view of production is changing.

For digital/interactive producers it's not just traditional production elements, it's weaving in creative execution and client interface. For interactive producers it also means being able to produce print photo shoots as well as video shoots.

As for traditional producers, whether is it print or broadcast, they're starting to need to know and understand interactive and how their portion of the production incorporates the interactive side.

The other thing that many of us - producers, agencies and photographers/illustrators/reps - are hearing is that the budgets are shrinking. Many clients want more "bang for their buck" but what does that mean for the production value? It is very understandable that clients want to keep costs down as much as possible however it also depends on the complexity of the project. In addition as Christine Beardsell states in the article: "The goal is to create a quality of content to reach and connect to the relevant audience."

Sharing Information

A fellow art buyer posted the following question on a forum that I thought I would share here. How do you feel about reps asking "Who else is bidding the job? And what other photographers are we bidding against?"

There were differing opinions. Some felt it was fine to share and be honest, others felt it was better to keep it to themselves until the job is awarded (thinking more photographers and reps will be more competitive in their bidding).

Another comment was that "it should be an even field, they should be estimating/bidding based on the project, not who they are up against."

The reason why some art buyers will not share the information is because they are looking for a true competitive bid. Some feel that photographers might pull out of the bid process if they feel they have a disadvantage with people they are bidding against(which has and will happen). Another buyer mentioned "not sharing this information at the beginning of the process can help assure that production budgets are not being compromised or shared between competitive photographers/reps before a final award decision."

Here's the deal... Most art buyers will be honest with you in the bidding process because while we are working for the agency and ultimately the client we are also an advocate for the photographer. Whether or not the art buyer is comfortable sharing the competitors information is a side note. We'll give you the budget up front if we know we have a number that we have to hit. Otherwise it's a normal bidding and negotiating process. What we normally won't share is where the numbers are coming in between the competing bidders.

As for my opinion, I don't see any harm in sharing the information of who is also bidding on the job as long as the parties are responsible with that information.

Food Stylists

I was watching the Food Network Challenge show yesterday and the show was about superstar food stylists competing for a prize. This prompted me to write a post about food stylists and their talents (and why we love to have them on the set for a shoot).

Food Stylists are masters of making food look amazing for the camera, whether for print or video. They tweak, doctor and enhance the food while still making it appear natural and most importantly appetizing. It's very much about the form and the color that comes through on film. As one of the moderators on the show (Alice Hart) mentioned "We eat with our eyes. So if it doesn't look good, it probably doesn't taste good. It's all in the detail - the meticulous, fine, patient work - and that's where the art of food styling lands."

Food photographers, art buyers, creatives, and the client depend very heavily on the food stylist to make the product amazing and keep the ingredients alive and fresh looking. I love working with food stylists because they always have fun nuggets of information and tricks of the trade. Some things I've learned from food stylists I've worked with: Less is more and deliciousness is in its imperfection with drips and crumbs.

The best part is that food stylists understand food, ingredients, and how it comes together with photography.

Some resources:
Still Life With... - a food stylist and food photography blog
Food Styling for Photographers - a step-by-step book with instructions to create mouth-watering photographs
Food Stylist Directory - A comprehensive but not complete list of food stylists in the US, Canada, and Australia.
International Conference on Food Styling and Photography

File Delivery

Anthony Georgis from Portland, Oregon sent me an email last week about what I thought about file delivery. In his words specifically:

I've had a lot of issues with file delivery and maybe you have some thoughts on the subject. My personal preference is to deliver a final custom image from client selects. I make a point in bringing that up early in the conversation about the job and have very specific delivery terms and turn around times listed in the estimate. The most common problem is that the client calls and needs a final image RIGHT NOW and I have to scramble to prepare an image and FTP it. (This usually happens when I am on vacation)

As a precaution I usually hand over a back up drive to the client at the end of the shoot with whole job on it. I have mixed feelings about that because once the files are out of your hands you have no control over what they look like or how they get used.
Is handing over a drive is becoming an industry standard thing that art buyers expect?

File delivery is always a little difficult and sometimes can get overlooked if the photo shoot is a big production. Everyone worries about everything that needs to get done for the shoot that the delivery comes last. Repeating myself from a prior post - microwave society - we expect things to be instantaneous. Many clients and several agency people assume that if the photo shoot is being shot with digital that it should automatically be ready to go when the last shot is taken. It's a simple fact of being very up front with all parties in the beginning and building into the estimate and the schedule the necessary steps for the post production process.

It is also the art buyer's job to work with the print producer and traffic manager on the project and make sure there is an understanding for all parties of when the final layout needs to ship and back out the schedule from there. However there are quite a few cases when the client does request the image ASAP (usually a positive thing because it means they love the image so much they want to bump up its insertion date) and this is when everyone needs to scramble.

I have found the normal process usually goes as follows:
1. Photographer and art director review all images from shoot and their respective selects.
2. Art director and account manager present selects to client (sometimes in rough comp form)
4. Client gives feedback
This can sometimes go for a few rounds and can make timing tight depending on the feedback. The timing may not allow the photographer to do retouching as he/she might like but there should be collaboration between the art director and the photographer.

As far as handing over a hard drive this is starting to become an industry norm but not expected as of yet. I have worked on several shoots where we have brought our own drive along, the images all get copied over to it, and the art director leaves with it to make selects. More often than not the team is walking off the set with the images. This is a double sided coin though. While it works out great for the agency and the client, it doesn't necessarily give the photographer enough time to tag all the images or catalog them as he/she would like. The turnaround time for the agency is becoming shorter and shorter and having this drive is a huge help so the art director can start editing immediately.

However a downfall for the photographer is being able to track those images and make sure that the correct usage is being adhered to. In all the shoots I've worked on most of the time when we left with a drive there were only low or medium res jpegs and not camera raw files. It is also very important to have the conversations ahead of time with the agency (art buyer, art director and/or account manager) and get the agreement/usage license in writing. I'm not saying you should not trust your art buyer or your client but you also need to protect yourself. Handing over a drive with all the shots requires a leap of faith and mutual understanding.

Timing for shoots is never an exact science and we all know days get cut or added on. The best thing is to have a few buffer days built in for file prep and delivery... especially if the photographer wants to color correct/retouch the image. Keep an open conversation with the art buyer or whoever your contact is and make sure they know about how you like to work and your timeline, but compromise if necessary.

check out Anthony's work and his blog (he has some fun posts) over at anthonygeorgis.com

Production Booklets

It may seem like an unecessary or time consuming step to some but it's all in the details. Having a production booklet is a huge help to art buyers, creatives and the client. It's also much better than just a simple call sheet.

Most big production shoots have a line producer or production company working to pull everything together on the photographer's end and will normally have a production booklet. For the smaller jobs or for photographers who decide not to pull in a producer it's a big help to the team you are working with.

On several projects that I have been the art buyer on, I have been the one to do the production booklet, which was fine by me (I actually like doing it). Not all agencies will do this however. If there is not a producer on set/location it's the photographer who ends up being responsible for putting everything together why not have it in a concise booklet for all parties.

Normally what I include in my packets is the general contact info:
Client
Agency
Crew
Studio or location address with a map and directions

Then more specific information:
Shot list
Schedule
Talent (if any) with headshots, wardrobe info (if already chosen) and sizing info
Location info (if any) with small jpegs and address information
Any layouts or product information (specs, images, etc.)

I also like to include any travel and hotel information (just in case).

I have found that the small detail of pulling this together has been immensely helpful prior to and on the set... especially for the client and the creatives. It's concise and all the information you might need is in one spot.

Not Your Typical Talent Agency

Ugly Talent is perhaps the most innovative idea to hit the commercial print market in the last few years. The company was founded in London in 1969 by two photographers who saw a need for talent in the print advertising market who were not traditionally beautiful. Ugly Talent was brought to New York in 2007.

Ugly Talent is a tongue in cheek phrase, they're all about real people and finding all shapes and sizes that may not be your typical model.

Clients want to market their product and brand to average people. With clients looking for more and more street casting and "real" people this is a great talent agency to look into. They have found a perfect niche in the market.

They offer to their clients faces from all walks of life focusing on the "real" element - whether it is average to what one might consider bizarre. The Ugly roster includes a sumo wrestler, several tattooed talent, overweight individuals, and average people you might pass on the street. Check out the roster and the company at uglyny.com.