Question about paying recruits?

[inkbrush]

Hi lemmasoftians!

So, I was wondering about how you go about payments for the people you hire to do stuff for your game. To be more specific: going about payments when the money you would be paying people with would com from Kickstarter. (Of course, this is assuming you make your funding goal.)

For the project I'm working on currently, I'm going to need certain people such as artists, voice actors, etc.

Should you inform these people of the risks if you don't get the money? (I mean, obviously you should tell them that you plan on doing a kickstarter and all, but, yeah.) And if you go make your funding goal, pay them then?

Or should I save some money out of my own pocket to pay for the work they do before the Kickstarter?

[Mogwai]

I guess (But, at the same time, I'm pretty sure) that depends on who you hire, and under which terms.

I'm sure there's people who (if convinced) will take the risk of Kickstarter, and that there's some people who won't.

But, make sure they know the risks, so they may work with you again even if the project fails.

If you are going to take the risk, you may find harder to find collaboration, but there's people willing to take the risk if you show them that the risk is worth taking. (Risk everywhere!)

Suggestions for that last point:
1) Work harder than anyone else. If you show them that you are working harder than them, they'll know that you will do as much as you can so the project doesn't fails.
2) Don't press them too much. They'll be working practically for free. They may get RL problems (Even financial ones) and don't be able to finish the work in the expected time. Be patient, and do care for them.
3) Show them goals, and a well planned project. People may not join if they see things are a mess, cause many games doesn't launch because of this.
4) Do not promise things you can't accomplish. Be realist, you won't fool them, and, if you do, you'll lose them when they notice.
5) Make paying them your priority. Even if you end without nothing, the first money your game produces needs to be for them. This way, for the next game you do, they'll be willing to work with you again.

This is my point of view in the topic. I may be wrong, but as far as I know, some people don't really need the money, and may be willing to work if you make their work entertaining and not stressful.

Good luck with your project.
Mogwai's out.

[Mad Harlequin]

If your intent is to pay people, it's best to agree to a contract with them, in writing.

[Deji]

I'd suggest paying them with your own pocket money before the Kickstarter if you can; I see it as an investment on your own project and it shows you are serious about it.
You can always get the money back by adding it to the considered sum for the KS goal, or afterwards after you release and sell the game (if that's your intention)

[Caveat Lector]

I'd suggest paying them with your own pocket money before the Kickstarter if you can; I see it as an investment on your own project and it shows you are serious about it.

Seconding this, and adding to this: Before you start hiring anyone, or turn to any crowdfunding, take a look at their costs, and then try to calculate how much all that would add to in total (in theory) and if you're still not sure, just ask, then calculate. Do not launch yourself into a $1000 budget project when all you have is $500. Look before you leap.

Also? If your artist is charging absolutely any kind of money for their work at all, be it $5 or $50, pay your artist. If your crowdfunding campaign is a success, pay them. If not, pay them anyway.

[papillon]

Should you inform these people of the risks if you don't get the money? (I mean, obviously you should tell them that you plan on doing a kickstarter and all, but, yeah.) And if you go make your funding goal, pay them then?

Or should I save some money out of my own pocket to pay for the work they do before the Kickstarter?

Please do not promise to pay people money that you don't have.

(I'm not saying you were necessarily planning that, but the quoted bit can be read as "Do I have to tell people that I may not be able to pay them for what they've done?" to which the answer is YES, YOU DO HAVE TO TELL THEM THAT.)

Whether you actually have to pay them upfront depends on what you agree to with them, and contracts are a good way of being sure that everyone knows what they are agreeing to. Some artists might be willing to do work with conditional only-if-the-kickstarter-succeeds payment. Others are going to insist on being paid whether the KS succeeds or not. After all, they still did the work.

[SundownKid]

I'd suggest paying them with your own pocket money before the Kickstarter if you can; I see it as an investment on your own project and it shows you are serious about it.
You can always get the money back by adding it to the considered sum for the KS goal, or afterwards after you release and sell the game (if that's your intention)

I second this... if you are unable to invest in it, then you probably shouldn't do Kickstarter. If you fail to produce a project people will be awfully angry if you cannot offer refunds for it because you already used the cash on commissioning people.

I think the latter is the best idea. Pay out of pocket, then do the Kickstarter to recoup costs on it.

[Juno]

I'd suggest paying them with your own pocket money before the Kickstarter if you can; I see it as an investment on your own project and it shows you are serious about it.
You can always get the money back by adding it to the considered sum for the KS goal, or afterwards after you release and sell the game (if that's your intention)

This is also what I was going to say. Save up some money first to pay people, then try to get the money back through KS.

[Mad Harlequin]

Please do not promise to pay people money that you don't have.

(I'm not saying you were necessarily planning that, but the quoted bit can be read as "Do I have to tell people that I may not be able to pay them for what they've done?" to which the answer is YES, YOU DO HAVE TO TELL THEM THAT.)

Whether you actually have to pay them upfront depends on what you agree to with them, and contracts are a good way of being sure that everyone knows what they are agreeing to. Some artists might be willing to do work with conditional only-if-the-kickstarter-succeeds payment. Others are going to insist on being paid whether the KS succeeds or not. After all, they still did the work.

I'd like to add one thing to this as a sort of addendum to my previous post: don't offer to pay someone unless you have a formal contract with him or her. Without a formal, written contract, you risk exploiting your partners. You won't be required to pay them unless they can prove in court that you had an oral contract (which can be tricky), but let me tell you, it's really shitty---pardon my language---to put someone in that position, because then you're saying that person's efforts aren't worth compensation.

I've had this sort of experience before because I didn't demand a formal contract (I thought I would be offered one if I did quality work, but I was wrong), and it is honestly one of the worst things that's happened to me in the search for employment. I still lose sleep over it. Don't do that to people, and don't do it to yourself. You'll end up regretting it.

[inkbrush]

Thank you for the responses, lemmasoftians~ I've luckily got some extra money coming in next month so I'm planning on paying for the work done and then trying to get it back with the Kickerstarter!

I find it unfair to anyone to do lots of work, with only half the promise of getting paid. So, at least this way, they're not getting completely cut short if I don't get the funds needed.

Again, thank you for the responses!