I got some time to spare,
so I'll explained how I do it.... (I used to do some freelance)


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after discussion with the client and got all the necessary infos..

ask 50% before doing anything...

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1st

start modeling, texturing.....etc.

interior for 1 area, for me took from scratch to final render & touch-up, about 2 days / or 1 whole day (if I don't sleep.. well.. I rarely sleep for days.)
for exterior 2-3 days.

render is really not a problem, with the right settings, for a high-resolution image the longest time it takes is around 1 hour.
I use 2 pc, 1 for render and other one for work (sometimes render when I'm not using it).


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2nd give the client a preview

-for a preview I do a 6 angle camera shots, brought into photoshop and combine all into 1 big image and email to them in jpg.
(no compositing in photoshop whatsoever.... just a normal low-res render.)

low-res render (1000 x 750) x 6 (camera shots) per area

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3rd (estimated time, 1-2 days)

high-res version (5000 x 3750) x 1 (selected angle from client) per area

usually at this stage I rendered the visual and do some touch-up & compositing in photoshop,
for example, an exterior render of a new shopping complex, in photoshop I put some real people, sky, cars, plants (landscaping)... etc.
skip unnecessary modeling for anything you can do in photoshop, those extra polygons = extra render time (and sometimes won't even render).

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4th

second preview. email them the final look (but low quality resolution)

when got an A-okay from the client,

next step :

done. ask the remaining payment before giving the final product. (no money no talk.)


if not, do some correction/alteration... changing idea..? thats gonna cost extra.. (first changes is free)



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well.... different people, different way of doing stuff..

about the payment,
usually I gave them the base price for the service (modeling, compositing..etc) (not including render per piece, that's another price.)
I don't charge according to how many hours/days, and I rarely charge them base on complexity cause I always do my best even for a simple job.
(I hate doing a half-4ss job)


if they say.. "wahhliau weyyy... damn expensive mehh...?"
if that happens, most of the time, I just ask them what's their budget, and we go from there.
(you can always decline the work though.)



wahsaiii... long post already.

anyway, good luck in your job.

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I used to ask them to pay me only after I delivered the final files.
because of that I got cheated twice in the same year...

but I managed to get them to pay me the rest of the money...
(its a long story)

after that I change my strategy.

every time there's a new job, I will always tell them before we even made any deal,
that I will only send them the final files after I received the rest of the payment,
and of course after I showed them the final low-resolution one...
that's just how I do things...

If they are ok with it, then we have a deal...
if not... well.. pls feel free to find someone else.


basically when the deadline is near, I will remind them again, that the final product will only be send after I received the rest of the payment.

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