How to request - and get - free custom media: A lesson in common sense.
Lets say that someone on the street approaches you and gives you this pitch...
"Say there young fella', How would you like to invest in my new business? I am developing a brand new office building and I need investors. If you invest 100,000.00 dollars, I'll put your name on a plaque in the lobby of the building. So how about it?"
"Well", you say, "I'd like to know more about this building. Where is it? Can I have a look at it? How far along in the building process are you and when do you expect it to be completed? How many people will see my plaque and what kind of people will they be?"
"Oh" the guy says, "I got this great name for it and it's gonna have 50 floors with 50 offices per floor. It'll have a grand lobby and 6 elevators, a restaurant, bank, gym, and daycare inside."
"That's great", you say, "but where is it? Isn't it kind of strange to be asking people on the street to invest? I mean, shouldn't you be contacting lenders or get a loan from a bank or something?"
"Oh I would", the guy says, "but it's my first building and I don't have any experience or collateral." If you're not already running away from this guy, I have some land off the coast of Florida I'd like to sell you.
So... how about it? Do you think you'll invest? What could this guy have done better to get you to invest in his building.
What if he contacted you privately and set up a meeting with you? He shows you a detailed set of plans, drawings and a schedule. He has really done his homework and can show you some pretty intense research, proving the need for such a building, the already reserved and probable occupancy over time, the type of occupants, the rates they will pay and the return on investment. He has the basic structure of the building completed, but needs some investors to finish up the details. Would you feel better about investing now?
Why would you ask someone to spend their time and talents to create something if you're not showing anything. For all we know, you have an idea, and you're asking for someone to spend a few days creating characters for a project that will never leave your mind.
Get your project together, and complete to a stage where you can present it to someone. When you have it to the point where you can't go on without the characters, search the forum for artists that you think can fill your needs. Then contact them with your proposal. When they see that you have put your time and effort into a game that is near completion, and they feel confident that the game will see the light of day, they may feel that the exposure is worth their time. Especially if you've made a great game.
Thanks for taking the time to read my long-winded lesson on requesting and getting free custom media. If you just skipped down to this last paragraph and didn't bother reading the whole thing, then I don't thank you, or I just thank you a little. I cetainly don't expect this to stop all the requests for free media, but perhaps one day, one person will find it usefull and go the extra mile.
It also might help if you can spell character.
Brian.
