01 / DEFINE THE SCOPE
A useful bid starts before the numbers.
A VFX bid describes the work, the assumptions behind it, and the resources needed to deliver it. Before estimating a price, give the production and the vendor a shared understanding of what is included.
Record the project or episode, edit version, delivery dates, frame ranges, resolution, and available reference material. Identify dependencies such as plates, scans, photography, or creative approvals. Flag anything that is still undecided.
Use OpenBID Client to prepare production-side breakdowns and compare vendor responses. Use OpenBID Vendor to estimate the work and prepare a bid for a client.
A helpful habit: separate confirmed requirements from assumptions. A short note such as “camera locked; no foreground roto included” can prevent a very different interpretation of the same shot.
02 / BUILD THE BREAKDOWN
Give every shot and asset a clear identity.
Use a consistent shot ID and one description of the requested work for each line item. Link references and assets so a reviewer can understand the estimate without tracing an email chain.
| Field | What to capture |
|---|---|
| Shot ID | A unique, consistent identifier used in the edit and bid. |
| Work description | The visible result, key tasks, and exclusions. |
| Length and format | Frame range or duration, handles, and delivery resolution. |
| Assets and references | Required builds, linked reference, and reuse assumptions. |
| Complexity | Roto, tracking, simulation, or other factors affecting effort. |
| Dependencies | Missing inputs, approvals, and dates that affect the work. |
Keep reusable asset builds distinct from shot work. If an asset appears across episodes, make its original cost and later reuse explicit so it is neither missed nor counted repeatedly.
OpenBID includes Shot and Asset Bid Breakdown tabs. For production data captured on set, the Camera Report template gives your team a shared place for camera and lens information.
03 / ESTIMATE THE WORK
Connect creative complexity to effort.
Break the work into the departments that will actually do it. Consider the time required for tasks such as asset creation, animation, lighting, compositing, and roto or paint, then apply your own rates and assumptions.
OpenBID Vendor provides a Bid Rates tab and reusable Shot Templates. Use templates as a starting point, then adjust for the specific shot. Similar descriptions can conceal very different requirements for camera movement, interaction, detail, or revisions.
- Check which costs belong to an asset build and which belong to a shot.
- Document revision assumptions and what would trigger a scope review.
- Account for rendering or other project costs where relevant to your workflow.
- Review quantities and repeated shots before trusting the total.
Rates, margins, and the amount of contingency are decisions for your team. A spreadsheet organizes those decisions; it does not replace a supervisor's review.
04 / COMPARE VENDOR BIDS
Compare the assumptions, then the totals.
Send each vendor the same breakdown and reference version. When responses return, compare individual shot and asset lines before comparing the project totals.
A lower number may reflect different scope, excluded assets, fewer revision rounds, or a different schedule assumption. Resolve those differences before making an award decision.
- Check that every requested line has a response.
- Confirm the currency and which costs are included.
- Review outliers and clarify exclusions with the vendor.
- Record the bidding round so previous estimates remain traceable.
OpenBID Client supports shot- and asset-level bid comparisons, vendor breakdowns, and bid history. The help centre covers new bidding rounds and alternate bids.
05 / PLAN CREW AND CASH FLOW
A bid needs a delivery plan.
Translate estimated effort into a crew plan across the production schedule. Review department availability and the order in which work can happen. A total number of artist-days does not tell you whether the right people are available at the right time.
Compare the payment schedule with planned expenditure. OpenBID Vendor includes crew planning, a payment schedule, and cash flow tools. Vendor Portfolio helps bring multiple Vendor spreadsheets together for a broader view of staffing and bids.
For episodic work, start with one episode or production block per spreadsheet and use a portfolio to bring the plan together. Confirm asset reuse between episodes rather than copying the original build cost into every sheet.
06 / PREPARE THE HANDOFF
Make the bid easy to review and revisit.
Check missing entries, duplicate IDs, formulas, and assumptions before sharing. Review the summary alongside the detailed breakdown, and keep a dated record of the bid and the scope it describes.
OpenBID Vendor offers a client-ready summary and PDF export through Google Sheets. Review the exported file for completeness and confirm that it contains only the information you intend to share. Hiding spreadsheet tabs is a presentation feature, not an access-control boundary.
Keep the discussion connected to the project with OpenBID Chat, and return to the same breakdown when scope changes. A clear record makes the next bidding round easier for everyone.
Ready to try the workflow?
Make a free copy of OpenBID Client or OpenBID Vendor, then work through the sample data before using a live production. Setup and troubleshooting answers are in the help centre.