Re: Aliens APC - 1/12 - ** 27th update, page 9 **
Keith, guys,
There are some that say that RPF projects, even done for cash, are a hobby. You will never ever hear that from me, and i have never said that. Check all my postings in this thread. I believe that when money is exchanged, it is a job. Period. I mentioned at the very beginning that i would work on this fulltime for two months. I did and stretched it until the phne started ringing again for work, but cannot do that all the time.
This is an incredibly costly project, and the margins are hardly there. First thing i did when orders and payments came in, was buy materials for the project. Thousands of euros went into that alone at the start, and more along the way. I also came to realize as months went by, that the sheer number of hours into this project was staggering, and it's still going up.
I am a modelmaker by day. RPF projects, commisioned sci-fi projects coming from this and other boards are a joke BUDGETWISE. Don't get me wrong here, i take these project serious, and have a lot of respect for anyone single person doing runs on this boards and continueing (sp?) to do so. I am so jealous for anyone doing commisioned scifi projects, and actually getting paid normal fees for it, like Jim Key's Custom Replicas. I love the APC, and started it because i really wanted one, knew others would like to have one as well, so offered it.
In this country and in many others, pro-modelmaking is dead. There is a close to non-existent movie industry, no demand for propbuilders at all, it's all architectural modelmaking. When the crisis hit in 2008, all building projects were halted and many stopped. Out of the big three architectural modelmaking companies, the last filed papers to court in september to sack his workers. About a third of architects in this country have gone belly up, cities like Amsterdam even announced a full stop on future development recently.
Right now every time a modelling project is in the air, everyone is on their feet, everyone fights for the job. I, like all others, lower the hourly rates to a bottom, just to get the job. The client knows it, they play on that next to having to cut their budget anyway to avoid going under themselves. And you work as long as they give you something. They show the hoop, you jump. When there's work, it's when your client calls out, and not the week after. If you say no now, you get passed next time there's anything.
In august the calls came more regularly, and not knowing how long it would last, i took on anything there was. Working basically all hours possible, till or past midnight if can be. And the budgets are ridiculously low. This is how i pay the bills and feed the family. To do otherwise is plain suicide.
The APC has 300+ parts, and the kits go for 399 euro. What you pay for your APC goes straight into costs, and i think it's obviously clear nearly no-one can make a living off of this. If they do, i bow down very very deeply to you. The best one does is add a bit to one's regular income, but not more than that for most garage kitters or parts suppliers. I guess this is why nearly no-one offers big models or kits, why you see mostly smaller models on the market. That realization came to me when i did the numbers a few months ago and stopped taking orders for it.
I understand the frustration with the delay, and everyone involved has every right to whip the stick and speak up. Sure, my planning and expected delivery dates are laughable. But i had expected honestly that by communicating the delay due to work commitments, people would still be aggrivated, but would understand it.
I continue to work on the APC, it's on my mind every single day. But please let me finish it.
All my very best. Chin up. Onwards.
Oh, and sorry for the long post.....
Wasili.
