What Makes My Idea Special

Many companies, individuals, and organisations sell ZBrush sculptures for 3d printing, and many Artists are streaming their creative process. For example, a Fiverr search with the terms “sculpt 3d print” brought up 543 results (Fiverr, 2020), and across the last 180 days, the Twitch category “Art” has had an average of 680 daily live channels; a number which has been steadily increasing and has more than doubled in the past year (SullyGnome, 2020). Yet, despite these incredibly high numbers, I’ve struggled to find many channels that offer streamed commissions.

While searching for a channel pursuing the same business model as me, I’ve come across only a few similar examples. Possibly the most comparable is a streamer named Mankej_. He creates clay sculptures of fantasy characters as commissions for companies and individuals. Mankej_ has been streaming on Twitch for eight years, and streaming his sculpting is his full-time job. It is hard to say how much money he makes from this as he doesn’t have public commission pricing or monetary statistics for his Twitch, such as subscriber count. However, we can assume that he makes enough income to support his lifestyle; otherwise, he wouldn’t have continued this career for eight years. (Mankej_, 2020)

While my idea may not be unique, it certainly falls into a niche that is not very populated with streamers that produce 3d commissions while live streaming. To make my content stand out, I will pursue a high level of detail in my models, similar to the level of detail that Mankej_ puts into his work. Streamers that I have found, who are offering digital 3d commissions live-streamed, generally have a lower quality of work than I’m able to offer, with my current skill level. I have an eye for 3d shapes and forms and can easily sculpt a figurine from a simple 2d reference; this is due to a skill that I have been developing for many years to visualise shapes and forms in my mind. These visualisation skills are something I likely inherited from my Paternal side, as my family on that side mostly consists of artists and sculptors. While my visualisation is very developed, my sculpting and technical skills can still use some work. I will continue improving over time and eventually raise my prices as my skill level increases.

Someone who has skills with creating 3d models, and a good work ethic, can be successful in creating commissioned work, as seen when inspecting various creators on Fiverr. Comparing these individuals can give me a good idea of what I should be charging and the kind of business numbers I can expect. Below are some examples from Fiverr of Artists at various skill levels, sorted from the highest skill and complexity to lowest, with their prices and number of reviews on Fiverr (not completely indicative of the number of orders):
Tsipiskypriotis – Basic: £118.53, Standard: £221.25, Premium: £474.10. Reviews: 69, Average: 5.0*. (Tsipiskypriotis, 2020)
Void33 – Basic: £79.02, Standard: £158.03, Premium: £316.07. Reviews: 77, Average: 4.9*. (Void33, 2020)
Alexieyy – Basic: £31.61, Standard: £158.03, Premium: £316.07. Reviews: 43, Average: 5.0*. (Alexieyy, 2020)
Nadeera3dfree – Basic: £39.51, Standard: £150.13, Premium: £308.17. Reviews: 73, Average: 4.9*.(Nadeera3dfree, 2020)
Juliapla – Basic: £39.51, Standard: £59.26, Premium: £94.82. Reviews: 77, Average: 4.9*.  (Juliapla, 2020)
Rnzki3d – Basic: £63.21, Standard: £94.82, Premium: £118.53. Reviews: 28, Average: 5.0*. (Rnzki3d, 2020)
Elena3d – Basic: £15.80, Standard: £51.36, Premium: £71.12. Reviews: 32, Average: 5.0*. (Elena3d, 2020)
Carvmad – Basic: £15.80, Standard: £27.66, Premium: £55.31. Reviews: 103, Average: 5.0*. (Carvmad, 2020)

My current skill level is just below that of Juliapla, who I believe is underpricing for their skill level; I would therefore likely price my premium package at £150. It is important to note that none of the artists above offers a live stream or recorded service of their work; as this is something extra I can provide, I am raising my price slightly to reflect this. As my skill level increases, I will also be able to increase my rates; within two years, I could be around the skill level of Void33 and Alexieyy.

This research also indicated to me how important it is to be a good communicator and have a good work ethic, as Artists who had sub-par reviews were often docked stars due to lack of good communication. However, I don’t think this is something that I will struggle with, as I have a lot of passion for the industry and want to produce my best possible work. I am also working hard to keep up to date on social media and always reply to clients’ messages.

References:

Alexieyy, 2020. Fiverr. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fiverr.com/alexieyy/sculpt-3d-model-for-3d-printing
[Accessed 21 November 2020].

Carvmad, 2020. Fiverr. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fiverr.com/carvmad/make-3d-models-for-your-low-or-high-poly-game
[Accessed 21 November 2020].

Elena3d, 2020. Fiverr. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fiverr.com/elena3d/create-an-amazing-3d-model-for-you
[Accessed 21 November 2020].

Fiverr, 2020. Fiverr. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fiverr.com/search/gigs?query=sculpt%203d%20print&source=top-bar&search_in=everywhere&search-autocomplete-original-term=sculpt%203d%20print
[Accessed 19 November 2020].

Juliapla, 2020. Fiverr. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fiverr.com/juliapla/model-a-3d-character
[Accessed 21 November 2020].

Mankej_, 2020. Twitch. [Online]
Available at: https://www.twitch.tv/mankej_
[Accessed 20 November 2020].

Nadeera3dfree, 2020. Fiverr. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fiverr.com/nadeera3dfree/sculpt-3d-models-for-3d-printing-and-rendering
[Accessed 21 November 2020].

Rnzki3d, 2020. Fiverr. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fiverr.com/rnzki3d/sculpt-dungeons-and-dragons-miniature-for-3d-printing
[Accessed 21 November 2020].

SullyGnome, 2020. SullyGnome. [Online]
Available at: https://sullygnome.com/game/art/365/summary
[Accessed 20 November 2020].

Tsipiskypriotis, 2020. Fiverr. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fiverr.com/tsipiskypriotis/sculpt-and-prepare-a-miniature-for-production
[Accessed 21 November 2020].

Void33, 2020. Fiverr. [Online]
Available at: https://www.fiverr.com/void33/sculpt-3d-model-for-3d-printing-or-other-purposes
[Accessed 21 November 2020].

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