Absolutely. I think it should be standard practice to first educate the client about the massive work involved so that:

1. You get a feel of the client's attitude towards animation, animators and the job itself. Matters a lot to me. Do they care to try understand and more importantly, after appreciating what is involved, VALUE the sheer amount of effort and sacrifice involved?

2. You manage the client's expectations so they don't ask for Disney/Pixar results from a tiny 1-3man team at 1/100,000th the budget making you feel like you did nothing yet in reality you moved MOUNTAINS.

3. The client can agree to a realistic schedule. Even with iClone, its really really ambitious and possibly unrealistic to try delivering a 30second pitch-ready trailer in one month especially when there's nothing to start with and the team is just one person. 

This project is probably going to take 2-3 months minimum. If it takes 3 months, that's just $300 a month. At that budget, you're doing it for love - not money.
Etc etc...

I feel your pain bro! It's a challenge many of us enjoy which is why many of us do it.  That aside sometimes there's a business side, when a small studio takes a hit, or gets taken for a concept, design, and great deal of time, it can be devastating..

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So many great replies.
GrannyJ added more great items to consider.

I recently had the privilege of working with some people who needed some iClone work done.  They were considering learning it and doing it themselves, however they wisely realized their time would be better spent working on the business (their strength) and having someone else do the animation work.

The point is, sometimes a person comes in having little-to-no idea what they're really asking.  If they've never been involved in animation work, directly or even indirectly, they don't understand the steps and the effort required to achieve that first frame of animation.  Characters, rigging, textures, props, sets, lighting, and so on, as previously discussed.

The first frame alone could easily be a $1,000 frame.
The next five-hundred frames might cost 20-cents each.  Maybe even less.

A challenge we face is, how to educate and inform, without sounding negative or uncooperative?  That first dance can be awkward.

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@mdgmpa
Your proposal could still use a bit of further clarification - you are more likely to generate interest with specific requirements and deliverable benchmarks.

You say "2D is ok" - are you looking for a 2D or 3D result?  Are you just looking for a professional animator or do you require a developer to create assets?
If 3D, do you already have 3D facial-ready rigged characters or are you expecting the developer to create/supply these? 
If expecting the developer to include facial animation - are you supplying the developer with the scripted dialogs per character in mp3 format?
Do you already have the film stages (props, terrains, etc.) ready or must the developer create those as well?

Your proposal should stipulate clearly: 
#1 - What format (avi, mp4, wmv, mov, png sequence, etc) & size (HD 1280x720, 800x600, HD 1920x1080, etc) you desire the final result to be AND what, if any, assets the developer would be required to build/rig & which assets, if any, would the developer retain the rights to; and which assets you would require the developer to assign all rights over to you.
#2 - what, if any, scripting will be supplied or is the developer to create same based on a general story outline. Detail specifically what you will supply & what the developer will be responsible for.
#3 - specific delivery benchmarks (example: film stages & rigged characters to be delivered within 30 days of proposal acceptance; initial raw footage scenes 1 thru ? to be delivered within 60 days of proposal acceptance; final post-edit film delivered within 90 days of proposal acceptance, etc.)
#4 - payment schedule based on deliverables as outline in item #3
The more clarification you supply, the better to ensure that all your requirements are crystal clear to anyone interested. It also generates a reference point for negotiation and/or change orders.

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I wouldn't mind getting $1K assignments, although I'm not a fit for this particular one.

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and fortunately we have both audiences here,  they can show you everything from short cuts and ez buttons for youtube,  to how to spend a few million on a render farm with state of the art workstation designs lol :D

it's what makes this particular forum so unique. The pros here look out for their young ♥

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I think 1K with zero "skin in the game" will not attract any of the pros here. Unless you have a "name" or some other connection that increases your odds for signup/distribution?

Sorry if I come across as a pessimist but pro can just as well make something and pitch directly to content buyers to get higher upside potential (far more than 1k) including residuals... and reuse assets for other projects.

However a student or hobbyist doing it just for fun, credits or experience might be up for it.

Am out but Good luck & wishing you Success!

Might even have a competition for the best Safety Goat Character image. How could I do a competition for that? With members in this forum?

Great questions! First rather than replying to everyone I'll post to all.

I have purchased much of the real software so I am struggling through but am so impressed with the possibilities of it all from crazy talk to iclone. I have a couple of projects that I am working on and yes I am on a budget but I will be willing to pay as fee for services but if the work is excellent certainly would be dumb not to include in future work.

Before I go into detail I would like to make a proposal, have you guys ever considered working together to create an evolving production studio team that can share on projects, split work according to talents and time, and do friendly competes for images and animations? If not, why and do you want to? I would be in to help pull the group together and setup a site. Would require a bit of discussion but might be worth it. Back to the project,

The Budget Initially is $1,000 fee for service for a completed pitch ready trailer with a more simple Phineas and Ferb type of look, motion, and feel to it but customized  around the characters and settings with open creativity. Need characters and images to be in format/file for future use and animation. I am not a subject matter expert so please excuse my ignorance's in this arena. If all of you as a team want to collaborate dividing the work, the budget can be split.
1. Please share example videos showing what you mean by "sick animations kills" and also one or two links to you-tube videos similar in concept to what you have in mind.
Someone whose work is capable of creating a pitch ready cartoon quality trailer that reflects the intent of the work with the possible of adding high level animation as needed.
2. I see you are a newbie, what videos attracted you to iClone community? Post link please.
I actually purchased a lot of the software just have not had time to really learn it and want to move the project.
3. Whats your budget for the animator? 
$1,000 fee for service for completed pitch ready project. Future opportunities may be offered depending on work.
4. Do you already have the creative elements in place (characters, scripts, sets, voice etc)?
Yes. Safety Goat (tm) is the main character, Leo the Boxador (tm) will be telling the story with a potential additional narrator, the trailer will introduce Safety Goat in GoatZville (tm) where Safety Goat demonstrates his super powers as will be discussed upon NDA with individual or the group. I'll write the trailer from scripts already written. I need a character created as safety goat which will be apart of the fee for service. I will use my puppy for LEO. A voice over similar to that of the honest trailers guy might be good.
5. Do you need an all-round jack of all trades person  or will you have people in charge of major departments (set design, cinematography, character dev, etc)
I'm open to an individual or team with budget split.
6. Will your client expect 100% exclusive ownership of the main character(s) - so it has to be based on unique artwork?
I will be keeping 100% ownership thus fee for service, however, I would certainly entertain those who help get it started being apart of a studio or production team as appropriate.
7. Are you planning to use motion capture technology? or will you buy motions and mix/match best fit or will there be a lot of keyframing?
I can't speak intelligently about this item.
8. What is your expectation regarding timelines for the project?
Flexible, result is more important than speed. I would say a month maybe more but again I have a learning curve on process and standards.
9. Do you have a  credible escrow for payment assurance (freelancer.com can do for example)?
I don't mind paying through a service or paypal.
Do you "underpay" the person making the trailer, in exchange for the promise of follow-on work where he or she can now efficiently leverage those assets?  Or do you pay "full price" with no promise of who gets the future work?

On that thought... what if a studio does like it, but wants to buy the rights to it and make it themselves?  Does the trailer-maker share in those riches, since he wouldn't be getting and of that future work?
Trying to do fee for service in case it goes nowhere. I don't want anyone to feel cheated. If the trailer goes nowhere and the animator wishes to partner to do an independent production, I could go with that as well. I think that there are many different approaches from kids books, to videos, to educational content, to corporate training and even commercials. From tee shirts to skate boards and even candy.

What if you're not happy with the results?  Expectations to preview (and "direct") work-in-progress? Think these two go together. I would want to certainly work with the animator on characters and would like to see the scenes as built. I could be wrong but the 2d type of cartoon should be much simpler than the amazing high level real type of animations I have seen!

Hope this answers the questions, let me know if my expectations are realistic.

I'm hearing crickets from the OP's corner. Oh well, some very good points have been made for sure...I've been burned a bit in the past too.
Is it wrong to want to get paid for my "sick" skills!!!:P:P:P



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