Bidding Process

Q:

I’d love to know your good ideas on how overages are handled and if and when they occur? Layout in bid ahead of time so everyone is clear? How spelled out should/can this be without seeming too nickel/dimey?

A:

Overages can be simple if your estimate states what the bid includes. I would not worry about sounding too “nickel/dimey,” but too much unneeded info only prevents the needed info from being read. Less is more if we want to be heard. State on the estimate form job description and listed in your email when sending in the estimate what is included and what is not included. Things like retouching, shoot hours, variations, stylists, which props, how many locations, etc., should all be stated, so it’s easy to get overages approved before they occur. Remember, “before they occur” is extremely important as clients need to be a part of the process before granting a financial overage approval.

Q:

Is it expected that I deliver a treatment when an ad agency requests a bid?

A:

Yes, treatments are the norm now and I definitely recommend sending them in on every bid. Why not? Other than them taking a lot of time, they really sell the photographer and can help you get that job or future jobs with that client. Take it as one opportunity you should not pass up even when they don’t ask for a treatment. 

One tip: Work with a designer to get your treatment template looking like your A+ style!

Overtime is tricky because even if you think the client will be expecting it, don’t take any chances. They hired you as the director, controlling the day, offering strategic steps to look out for their best interest. Bring it up before it’s too late.

We have to talk about overtime. If you’re on a job and you see yourself heading towards overtime, talk with the client. Check in with yourself at lunch time, or early in the day. Ask yourself, “Where are we?” Are you falling beyond or you’re not getting all the shots done in the 10 hours. Overtime was probably already discussed with the client in an email and it’s on your contract or even talked about on the phone, but don’t count on that. Talk to them or have your producer talk for you or your rep. The client has to know in advance because they might not have the budget and it’s your responsibility. Even if they’re trying to add shots and you’ve said ok. Also, the amount of overtime has to be approved, such as how many hours of overtime and for how many people. You don’t want any surprises and you never want to hand it to your client and say, “Surprise!” You have to protect yourself.

Q:

I wonder if you have any insight on “collaboration.” I reach out to brands to collaborate and they perceive that I want to create content with them for free. Maybe my approach needs to be retooled or the word “collaboration” means “free.” Any help would be appreciated.

A:

“Collaboration” has become synonymous with “free” in the Instagram age, so utilizing an alternative to that word will probably be a good start. If you do reach out to agencies and clients, know that they are not used to having ideas given to them, so your collaboration could come more in a discussion. I’d suggest DM’ing the creative director or art director or designer to start sharing your passion for your idea. If you have good ideas, I’m sure they want to hear them. Make it a discussion vs a collaboration. Request a Zoom chat once you have a conversation on DM started.

Q:

What questions should be asked when figuring out costs for projects?

A:

This could be the most important part of estimating a job. Get the info you need so you understand what they are looking for, otherwise you risk not being covered ($) for something they expected you to cover. The other risk is you will be either too high or too low and not get the job. Ask for their budget (I doubt you will get the answer), get the shot-list, a layout or mood-board creative deck, what is the usage they want to license, and are they handling any of the production. After you see their deck info- ask the specifics about the day count, remote or on set, location, talent, props, backgrounds, surfaces, live casting or not, and any part of the production they are handling. You then have a sense of your approach and their needs to get your estimate started.

Navigating the Unknown Episode 11 is now live on YouTube! This week we speak to Art/Content Producer Kay Gautraud, and Producer Michael Klein about how to navigate estimates for a project in today’s climate. 

Guests:

Kay Gautraud – Art/Content Producer https://www.kaygautraud.com/#/

Michael Klein – Producer, Circadian Pictures https://circadianpictures.com/

Navigating the Unknown is a Q&A series in collaboration with APA-LA where we speak to different members of the photo community about all aspects of the commercial photography business. https://la.apanational.org/

With Co-Host: Photographer Hugh Kretschmer https://www.hughkretschmer.net/

We are all curious about ESTIMATES.
My top 5 tips for every estimate:

1. Start it off with the amount of final images you have agreed on. 
2. No variations included. 
3. This bid is based on information provided, any changes may incur overages. 
4. 10-hour shoot day. 
5. No overtime is included.

What do we need to include to help a photographer secure a job based on the estimate? Today, I’m going to share my top five points for creating an effective estimate:

1. Job Description: Always include the number of shots at the top of the estimate. This is important because clients might want to add shots later, so clearly state how many shots are included and emphasize that there are no variations.
2. Information and Overages: Add a line stating, “This bid is based on information provided; any changes may incur overages.” This protects you if changes are made to the scope of work.
3. Hours: Specify the number of hours the shoot is based on. This helps set clear expectations.
4. Overtime: Indicate if there is no overtime included in your estimate. Mention this in the email as well so clients know up front if additional hours will incur extra charges. Typically, estimates are based on 10 hours.
5. Usage Rights: Note that usage rights are granted with full payment. Usage becomes legally theirs only once payment is received, so make this clear.

These are my top five points, plus one extra on usage rights. See you next week for the “Navigating the Unknown” webinar, where we’ll discuss this further.

Q:

When a job is awarded to another photographer, how likely is it to get feedback from the client and to find out who the photographer they chose is?

A:

When another photographer gets the job, it’s really difficult to get the info of who they are or who else bid on the job. I am not sure why it’s such a big secret. I do my damndest to always find out who got it to help educate us, but it is a challenge that is hard to make happen. We get one opportunity to ask for this info so I wait a week or so when the information is not so top secret.

*WARNING*

When you are asked to revise a specific cost on your submitted estimate, you can only change that cost. Do not be tempted to change other costs and assume they will read through it all again. You can get your client in trouble and it’s a sneaky move.

There’s one part of bidding we’ve noticed that you should be very careful about. When we’re asked to revise a bid, we need to only revise that specific line item that they’ve requested to change. It’s very tempting to change other line items because we might hear from their tone that our budget could have been higher or perhaps we’re a little low on craft services and should have put in more for meals. We cannot make those changes, because once we submit the bid, we have to assume when we give it back, they’re not going to read over the whole bid again. It can be really sneaky, even if we didn’t mean it in that way and we can get someone in trouble. Only change the revision that they asked for.

Q:

If a client asks you to be tested on your own before a shoot, can you charge a fee for the time? Not everyone lives in cities where testing is really easy to come by, and lines can be long. (Example: I am in Vermont right now for a month and have to drive an hour to get a test for a shoot in NY Tuesday), I know we are all just excited to get jobs at the moment, and I don’t want to rub anyone the wrong way. Of course if there is a fee they should pay, but what about for time? Like a mini travel day and mileage? I’m not stressing this type of fee, but just figured it might be something a lot of us hopefully start dealing with when going back to work so could be good to see how people respond. 

A:

Right now getting tested before a job is a standard requirement. If you charge extra for it because of your location, this may turn into a detail about you that can hurt you in the future. If you are getting jobs out of NY I would not suggest making this more of an “issue” that the client has to pay for. You can always add a little more to your shoot or prep fees if you think there is room to do so, without calling it out as a Covid test fee. A side not to this is that I am noticing photographers paying their crew to get tested. Sounds like a fair idea to me.