How do we sell creativity?
There exists a real problem with any form of creative expression that is available as a commodity in the commercial world.
What price do we place on a piece of artwork created by an individual or in a lot of cases with 3D animation, a team’s collaborative effort?
Perhaps we should take a step back here. Do we really consider a medium, like 3D animation to be art? The definition of “art” as described in dictionary.com, when expressed as a noun includes the following:
1. The quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.
2. Any field using the skills or techniques of art: advertising art; industrial art.
3. Skilled workmanship, execution, or agency, as distinguished from nature.
4. The principles or methods governing any craft or branch of learning: the art of baking; the art of selling.
I think with any reasonable person would attest it’s not too difficult to see how the various disciplines involved in 3D animation fall under some, or perhaps all, of the definitions listed above.
So, if we are all in agreement, let’s move on.
Perhaps the initial problems come from valuing art when we presume that it can be sold along the lines of a conventional business. Let’s take the most basic commodity we know…food as an example. As a society we presume we can buy food, with an acceptable tolerance for quality and convenience, at more or less the same price.
Art on the other hand, no matter the discipline, is never the same twice. The creative interpretation of different artists, or team of artists, ensures this.
I think the real issue comes when artists, or artistic companies, attempt to make their art conform to commercial parameters. Here’s an example. Last week I met a company who wanted an animated visualization of their product. The device was neither interesting nor particularly impressive to me, but I’m sure it’s taken several years and a lot of money to develop. Once the marketing manager explained it to me, I appreciated the engineering that created the device and the role it performs. The marketing manager was also very kind with her compliments about my company’s portfolio.
Then the inevitable happened…art meets business.
The question was…how much does your company charge for a creative interpretation of my company’s device?
Translated…what do you think your creative interpretation is worth?
It turns out that my valuation of my company’s creativity was far higher than the prospect’s valuation.
Here’s an interesting thought. Perhaps it was not the prospects valuation that derived the price she was looking for, it was her appreciation or understanding of 3D animation as art. As a consequence, a specific dollar amount was placed upon her project and any 3D animation companies she was prepared to see had to conform to those parameters.
What if none of them did? What if no company was prepared to value their art at the kind of low price she was looking for? Many times I have been to see prospects that are serious about a 3D animation project but someone, somewhere (most likely the accounts department) has placed a value on a service, irrespective of the supplier, they neither understand nor appreciate.
Tough right?
Can I say that I think this is a little like attending an art auction, however rather than going with an open mind, I take the view that I am going to purchase an original, one of a kind, impressionist painting and I am not going to pay more than five thousand dollars and I don’t care who has created it.
Two things would happen. I will either come home with a really bad painting made by some student, or the art aficionados will laugh at me for being an ignoramus.
Back to the story…
It turns out that another company was prepared to value their art at a price far lower than mine; in fact this company’s valuation was even lower than the client’s allocated budget.
It’s no longer art meets business…more like stupidity meets ignorance.
When I was told of the result and the alternative valuation I was momentarily speechless. How on earth can a company make money when producing work so cheaply?
Looking within, this is my fault. There is another very important element of doing business that I didn’t apply…never leave the office without qualifying your customer…or metaphorically speaking…never try sell a Mercedes to a bus driver.