The pitfalls of CGI!

As seasoned pros in the production and delivery of architectural visualisation, film and VR, we have seen a fair few pitfalls in our time. Some time-honoured classics and some that come straight out of nowhere and take you by surprise. We like to think that we are here, as part of the whole consultation process, to help steer our clients and in turn deliver the best results. So, what are these pitfalls and how can they be avoided?

Pitfall 1: Spending big bucks on film/VR and not doing anything with it. Fortunately, we are seeing less of this these days. There was a time when expensive film/VR was produced, hidden in a marketing suite and only select few got to view it. We make sure we understand our clients brief and how they want the collateral to be delivered. In working to this brief, we produce an end product that our clients can shout about and get the most impact from.

Pitfall 2: Don’t rely on CGI alone. What we do is part of the marketing mix, our work won’t sing without a great looking website, well designed brochure and strong social media campaign. Over the years we have built up good relationships with marketing agencies to bring the full mix together. By working together we aim to produce a well-considered campaign suitable for multiple channels.

Pitfall 3: Make one image show too much. Less is more, as they say! Each image should have a simple message and should be considered in the design process. Often, we are asked to widen cameras and show more in one view. It could be that two images work with two different views produce a better end product.

Pitfall 4: Leaving it too late. Marketing lead images take time, sorry to break it to you! Conceptual images may take 2-3 days, but refined and realistic images need time and consideration. Sadly, we wave goodbye to quite a few projects each year because time frames don’t work. We strongly advise our clients not to rush, quick turnaround images do not stand the test of time and we find we are brought back in on these projects at a later date when the rushed visuals are deemed too low quality for use. All at an additional cost to our clients!

Pitfall 5: Unconsidered design: It can be that the client doesn’t truly appreciate the full design until the VR or visualisation is near completion, at this point a raft of design related questions and feedback ensues. We can allow for this however it comes at a cost and can slow the project down. Full design needs to be considered at the beginning of the project, before visualisation work starts, to make for smoother, quicker and more cost-effective production.

We pride ourselves on being flexible with our working, to always create a flow of communication throughout all our projects and aim to advise clients with best the strategies, in turn aiming to mitigate these pitfalls.