Warning: U.S.A. Rendering service pyramid scheme!
Okay, clickbait title, but I have been meaning to write this for a while. Technically, it is not a pyramid scheme in the official sense, but the name aptly describes what is happening. What is it?
First, I will share an example of an email I receive frequently. It starts like this.
"I hired someone who sounded legit, I liked their example images, and they seemed to know what they were talking about. They promised unlimited revisions, a 100% guarantee, and no upfront payment, all for a low, flat fee per image. BUT! Their deliverable was nothing like their examples; it took far longer than expected. When I explained that I was not happy, all communication ceased, and I never heard from them again. The deadline was missed, and now I am behind schedule!"
The red flags are "unlimited revisions", "100% guarantee", "no deposit", and "low flat fee". If you hear any of these phrases, this is what is happening:
You talk to Mr. Rendering, and he sells you on a too-good-to-be-true deal (the first step in the pyramid). He then sends your project overseas to a render sweetshop (step two of the pyramid). They send the word out for the next available person, regardless of skill (third step in the pyramid).
The first step is for Mr. Rendering to charge you $600 per image (example). Step two is the overseas guy charges Mr. Renderng $200 per image, and step three is the poor guy, usually in an overseas internet cafe, gets $25-$50 per image.
A business cannot run on empty, and a deposit keeps fuel in the tank. A credible service will want a 50% deposit. Unlimited revisions are easy when the person doing the work has no say, and $25-$50 might feed their family for the month, and they are desperate. A 100% guarantee is also easy. The first two steps in the pyramid are not out of anything; they did not do anything. The person at the end, who is doing the work, is the one who is out, and the first two steps do not care, since they have no clue who the third step is.
A few years ago, I received emails and phone calls from legitimate Mr. Render men, who wanted to know if I was going to start sending my work overseas. We were all getting bombarded with mailers, emails, and texts about us sending out work to them for 10 cents on the dollar. I recall one Mr. Render man saying he is going to do it, he cannot work forever, and it seems like a no-brainer.
I never took the bait. I love creating, and it is more than just the money for me. The idea of putting my name on the line and having no control over the process would keep me up at night. I have had peers email me on many occasions, after seeing my work on someone else's site, claiming it as their own. My peers are familiar with my work, which is important; you know what you will get - there will be no surprises. Today, AI-generated images are populating people's portfolios, so the scams are getting better, or in your case, worse.
So, please listen for the red flags, know when something is too good to be true, and understand that the cheap often comes out to be expensive. Consistent, high-quality work, on time and budget, is worth investing in. Find someone you trust and stick with them, and always be cautious of pyramid scheme-like practices.
Shame on the first two steps, and my heart bleeds for the person at the end, who is doing the work. Sweetshops are nothing new, and please understand that this is what is happening. Imagine working for days, for $25-$50, without the necessary skills, on outdated hardware, using pirated software, and putting money in someone else's pocket who is taking advantage of you.
Do not be part of the problem, be part of the solution!