1) I'm not just a sound designer but also a psycho-acoustician. This means, I understand what the audience want, and how we can use sounds to change their brain chemistry, their heart beat, breathing patterns, amongst others, With an M.Sc. in Sound Design from the university of Edinburgh, current PHD in psychoacoustics in media, and currently running a team of 20 odd audio engineers, This seems like a good excessive to give them, while assuring you quality above standards.
When it comes to timing, the information I have from your brief is too little to make a decisive decision. I feel we should talk about it in detail before I can give you an estimate, and justify the cost.
Cheers!!!