HIRING MIKE

Preliminary Input. Any and all input is only provided up-front, before any work begins. Alterations or revisions are not made after work has begun, unless it is a prototype for production with work billed at an hourly rate. Mike needs photos and ideas on how the figure should look. Good head shots and full body shots suffice. Minor instructions are acceptable: no more than 1 paragraph, 4 lines of text, or 6 sentences, whichever comes first.

In-Progress. A preliminary sketch can be done as a courtesy, not to be used for approval or contingency to book a potential commission. No other progress reports or in-progress photos are otherwise communicated while the project is being done. If progress reports or photos must be sent, labor to execute requests for additional work is billed at $45/hour. If your response occurs more than 4 hours from when Mike sends these in-progress reports or photos, your feedback is voided and work on the project continues unabated.

Price Ranges for Custom Sculptures and Figures. 3 to 7 inches (7-18cm) tall: $1,500 to 2,400. 8 to 10 inches (18-26cm) tall: $2,400 to 4,900. 11 to 12 inches (26-30cm) tall: $4,900 to 7,500. 12 to 24 inches (30cm-61cm) tall: $7,500 to 15,000. 24 to 48 inches (61cm-1.3m) tall: $15,000 to 30,000. Please specify which you are interested in with your correspondence. Other design projects, options and sculptures are also available to hire.

Payment. A 50 percent non-refundable deposit is required for any project to start. No work begins without a deposit, including expedited work. Prices above can include a glass dome or hand-made display for shelf or wall mounting. Prices are based on the figure's size, complexity, and accessories. Once a size has been chosen, a price is quoted. Final payment, as any difference owed after the deposit, is due in full within 3 weeks or 15 business days, which begin as it is notified that the piece is finished. All effort will be made to communicate the expected date of completion in order to plan for payments. If a final payment is not made, all ownership and intellectual property rights of the piece is relinquished. Payment installments can be arranged by special circumstance at $200 minimum per payment, so long as the final payment is made before delivery of the finished piece. PayPal or check payments are accepted. PayPal payments go to leavittmichael (at) gmail (dot) com

Pictures of Finished Pieces. Unless extenuating circumstances or extra payments provide for 'In-Progress' reports as described above, photographs of a finished piece are not sent before delivery of the piece or final payment. When the piece is finished, it is shipped and delivered before images or photos are released. If pictures are sent as a courtesy before final payment, they are not used as a contingency to delay or hold final payment. Photos that Mike takes of the finished piece will be sent to you after the piece is delivered and the final payment is made. Intellectual property rights to these images are outlined below under 'Reproductions'.

Deadlines. Depending on scheduling and the piece's complexity, 16 to 20 weeks can generally be expected for a piece to be done and delivered. Exact delivery dates may be arranged by special circumstance. If delivery is expected for a specific event, the piece will be done and delivered well in advance. Requests for in-progress updates on meeting these deadlines are not accepted. If less than 12 weeks lead-time is expected see 'Expedited Deadlines' below.

Expedited Deadlines. All expedited deadlines of 16 (sixteen) weeks or less cost 2X (double) to 4X (quadruple) the 'Price Ranges' listed above. This extra cost may be determined after completion depending on the piece's complexity and my work demand at the time of the project. Please note: I only work on a 1 (one) month or less deadline with an automatic $3,500 urgency fee added to the intitial deposit before Mike starts work. This non-refundable $3,500 is added to the expedited deadline cost above and all other fees or costs associated with hiring me for a project. Projects with less than a 2 (two) week deadline are only possible under extenuating circumstances and billed on a case-by-case basis. Projects with less than a 1 (one) week deadline are not possible.

Shipping and Delivery. Do not use U.S.P.S. for mailing checks. UPS or Fed Ex ONLY. You pay all shipping costs. This is added to the total project cost. All efforts are made to reduce shipping costs. Extra shipping costs may be necessary for insurance, fragile packing or expedited delivery. If in the Seattle area, Mike can offer delivery of the piece in person.

Repairs, Maintenance and Alterations. Repairs, maintenance, and alterations can be done on a piece already delivered. Labor is billed at $50/hour. The buyer/commissioner pays for all shipping costs, to and from. Buyer/commissioner assumes all responsibility for any damages in transit to deliver the piece for repairs or alterations.

Editions. Mike can create an edition up to 3 (three) mutiples, though each piece is individually priced at full cost according to its labor. He only has two hands. Mike has no interns, employees or contracts with Chinese manufacturors. Unfortunately Mike is not the person for large editions of plastic or vinyl toys. He is only an expert at sculpting one, singular prototype to be reproduced by someone else.

Reproductions. As commissioner, you own, and are responsible for, certain intellectual property. Mike’s artistic depiction of a subject holds different intellectual property than the subject itself. The rights to any 3-dimensional or 2-dimensional reproductions of the piece - including photos, prints, castings, or machine-manufactured multiples - are negotiated separately, or purchased outright. This cost to license the reproduction rights varies depending on the application of the license. For example, a licensing fee is higher if you're hiring me to sculpt a prototype for a large product run to sell at retail outlets. As another example, a licensing fee is lower if you're hiring me to sculpt a portrait of yourself to photograph for a few family calendars or t-shirts. The more editions to be made, the more labor for design and quality control to make these editions. This additional licensing cost for a large run generally starts at $2,000, or an extra 20 percent to 2X (double) the prices above for a small production run. A royalty percentage can also be negotiated to share, use, or acquire intellectual property rights of my work. Royalties range from 5 to 30 percent of sales. To quote the exact royalty or licensing fee, you and Mike will discuss the use of the reproductions. Mike’s rights are shared indefinitely to use images of the piece in promotional, educational or other non-commercial materials as part of his artist portfolio and archive.

END • Updated Spring 2022