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Posted on 29/07/04 12:53:53 PM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7000 Reply  |
Re: I've never done this before...
The question of fees is a tricky one, and negotiating the rate varies greatly from client to client. Newspapers tend to have a set rate for the size of an image, whether it's a drawing or a photograph, so there's little negotiation to be done there. The only real problem is that, for historical reasons, they pay less for colour than for mono - which is a pain, because mono photomontages are very much harder to do. But that's a wrinkle that will take some time to smooth out. Different newspapers pay different rates, and it largely depends on their circulation. If I do a front page illustration for the Independent, for instance, I might get £250 for it. The same image done for the Daily Telegraph, depending on which section it does in, would pay double. The best people of all to work for, from the point of view of bucks per square inch, are Readers Digest and the Radio Times, due mainly to their huge circulations. Magazines are much more open to negotiation, but most work on a basis of around £150 for a small illustration (1/8 to 1/4 page) up to around £400 for a full page, depending on the complexity of the work. I'm talking here about mainstream, news stand magazines, obviously if you're doing work for much smaller publications you'll need to reduce your charges appropriately. The really important thing is to get as much work published as you possibly can, and it's worth selling yourself cheap initially if it's going to help make that happen. There's nothing an art editor will look for more than evidence that you can meet a brief and a deadline. Advertising agency work is a whole different story, and one I find it difficult to talk about without working myself up into a screaming rage. Does that answer your question at all? |
Posted on 29/07/04 1:27:35 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply  |
Re: I
Yes, that is a much clearer picture upon what you can reasonably ask for and I'm surprised that they don't pay as per name (i.e. A maidenart image isn't going to fetch the same rate as a Caplin image I would imagine: as you have made your name and set a standard of quality, even if my first commercial image is an absolutely gem). Even still I see that it must be a bit of a struggle to make a reasonable standard of living unless you are doing montages for several papers/mags per week on a regular basis - selling only one image per week or per month is going to mean you have to have another source of income. I shan't be giving up my home-carer job just yet - 
Thanks for the insight, Steve |
Posted on 29/07/04 1:37:19 PM |
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ryan
Guest Reply |
Re: I've never done this before...
Great job on the montage Steve. Nice to see some of your work up in the readers gallery. When you get those tight deadlines Steve do you not find it frustrating when you need to come up with an idea for the illo but you just cant think of where to start or does this come easy for you. |
Posted on 29/07/04 1:45:31 PM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7000 Reply |
Re: I've never done this before...
Sometimes the idea just comes straight away, other times it can be a real struggle. But with many illustrations, including the one I posted here, I just started it off to see what would happen. I knew I wanted Saddam sitting down, in shirtsleeves, gesticulating, so once I'd found the appropriate bodies for that I build the rest of the illustration piece by piece around it. I wanted a plate with a muffin and a chessboard, since they're mentioned in the text. Once you've got those, you need something to stand them on, which is why the table and box came in. Both needed to have their perspectives changed to fit the scene - the new perspective was set by the angle of Saddam's chair (which was not, of course, the one that body was originally sitting in). After that, the illustration pretty much built itself. As always, it's the shading that really ties this one together. The guy in the foreground is there purely to hold the newspaper, which is mentioned in the text. Actually, this is a Lebanese newspaper rather than an Iraqi one - got it from the excellent Newseum - so I'm expecting a fatwa any day now. |
Posted on 29/07/04 1:48:53 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply |
Re: I
Problem with waiting for fatwas is that you don't see one for ages and then 3 come along at once 
\You can tell my partner's a busdriver |
Posted on 29/07/04 1:52:32 PM |
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trinityofone
Guest Reply |
Re: I've never done this before...
Don't worry, you could always sign up for Celebrity Fatwa Club. (and if that doesn't stop this thread in its tracks, nothing will)  _________________ It must be Thursday, I never could get the hang of Thursdays |
Posted on 29/07/04 1:56:34 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply |
Re: I
Didn't do Salman Rushdie's reputation any harm. From a pretty obscure author to a international celebrity - even if he was in fear of leaving his house for sometime after. |
Posted on 29/07/04 1:59:09 PM |
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Saddam Hussein
* Posts: 2 Reply  |
Re: I've never done this before...
This is no joking matter. We know where you live. |
Posted on 29/07/04 2:01:33 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply |
Re: I
Unfortunately we don't know where you live. The CIA have a package for you just don't open it until your quite alone.
one of my b3ta montages |
Posted on 29/07/04 2:10:14 PM |
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Saddam Hussein
* Posts: 2 Reply |
Re: I've never done this before...
OK, my address is - Hang on, you can't trick me that easily, you know. |
Posted on 29/07/04 2:12:11 PM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7000 Reply |
Re: I've never done this before...
Maiden, you really crack me up. You really should get paid for this stuff! |
Posted on 29/07/04 2:15:05 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply |
Re: I
I know, I know But fame as yet to find me, and I can't remember where I left it last
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Posted on 29/07/04 2:21:18 PM |
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trinityofone
Guest Reply |
Re: I've never done this before...
Talking of Mr. Laden, I've been meaning to post this one up for a while for some critique, it was entered into Freaking News's 'How will the US finally capture Bin Laden' contest. It needs to be viewed in full, so the link is here _________________ It must be Thursday, I never could get the hang of Thursdays |
Posted on 29/07/04 2:53:56 PM |
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maiden
Golden Gif Gagster Posts: 471 Reply |
Re: I've never done this before...
Hahaha - brilliant love the expressions. |
Posted on 29/07/04 3:02:35 PM |
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trinityofone
Guest Reply |
Re: I've never done this before...
Thanks Maiden. I've been in two minds about the image, I'm not sure if it's too subtle. _________________ It must be Thursday, I never could get the hang of Thursdays |
Posted on 29/07/04 3:44:19 PM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 7000 Reply |
Re: I've never done this before...
Absolutely brilliant! Fantastic image, a real tour de force. The expressions, the poses, the way he's crouching down in the first frame - and above all, of course, the skill with which you've placed him behind the perspex. A really stunning job! |
Posted on 29/07/04 3:53:16 PM |
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trinityofone
Guest Reply |
Re: I've never done this before...
Thanks Steve. It was a fun image to make. I'm glad you spotted the top frame, a lot of people miss that. You get some odd looks when you're in a railway station, taking photos of a photo booth _________________ It must be Thursday, I never could get the hang of Thursdays |
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