CGI COMMERCIAL
PRODUCTION PIPELINE
From client brief to final delivery. Every stage of a real CGI commercial production, documented from 15 years of agency and brand work. Two complete case studies included.
READING
THE CLIENT BRIEF
The first document a client sends is the most important document in the entire project. Most artists read it once and start working. Professionals read it three times: once for what the client is asking for, once for what they are not saying, and once to identify every question that needs answering before production begins.
A CGI commercial brief typically contains the product or subject, the intended use, the deadline, and a rough visual direction. What it almost never contains is the specific technical requirements, the revision allowance, the approval chain, and the final delivery specifications. Your job before quoting is to find out everything that is missing.
Every project problem I have ever had traces back to something that was unclear in the brief and was not clarified before work began. An hour of questions before quoting saves days of revisions after delivery.
QUOTING AND
BUDGET
CGI commercial pricing is project-based, not hourly. Clients in advertising do not buy your time. They buy a deliverable with a specific quality level and deadline. Your quote reflects the value of that deliverable to their campaign, not your hourly rate multiplied by estimated time.
The most common quoting mistake: underestimating revision time. In commercial work, client revisions easily add 30 to 50 percent to total project time. Quote for this from the start. A project with two revision rounds included in the price is not more expensive than a project quoted without revisions that then requires three.
| Project Type | Scope | Rate Range |
|---|---|---|
| Product viz, still | Single product, 1 to 3 hero angles, no animation | $800 to $2,500 |
| Product viz, animated | Single product, 10 to 30 sec spot, agency client | $2,500 to $8,000 |
| Full CGI commercial | 30 sec spot, multiple environments, brand client | $5,000 to $20,000 |
| 3D explainer | 60 to 90 sec, industrial or technical subject | $3,000 to $10,000 |
| Usage rights premium | Global broadcast, 12+ months | +50% to +150% on base rate |
50% deposit before work begins. 50% on final delivery. Non-negotiable. Every project, every client, regardless of size.
STYLEFRAMES AND
CONCEPT
A styleframe is a 2D visual that represents the intended look, mood, lighting, and composition of the final render without any 3D work involved. It is made in Photoshop using reference images, stock photography, and rough compositing. The purpose is simple: get client approval on the visual direction before a single render is produced.
Skipping styleframes is the single most expensive mistake in commercial CGI production. Without approval on the visual direction, every render you produce is a guess. Clients who have not approved a direction will reject renders based on undefined personal preference. Styleframes make the direction explicit and create a reference point for all feedback.
No production work begins without a written styleframe approval. This is not a formality. It is the document that protects you from subjective feedback after the render is complete. Every hour of render time after approval is billable. Every hour before approval is a risk.
PRODUCTION
PIPELINE
Commercial CGI production follows a specific sequence that cannot be reordered without causing problems. The sequence exists because each stage depends on decisions made in the stage before it. Lighting depends on camera position. Camera position depends on composition. Composition depends on the model. Skip the sequence and you will redo work.
CLIENT REVIEW
PROCESS
How you present work to a client determines the quality of feedback you receive. A render sent as an email attachment with no context produces feedback like "can we make it more dynamic" or "it does not feel right". A render presented with a brief explanation of every visual decision produces specific, actionable feedback that can be implemented directly.
When a client says "it does not feel right", your response is: "Can you point to a specific element, the lighting, the angle, the background, the product colour? And can you share a reference image that shows what you are looking for?" Vague feedback cannot be implemented. Your job is to convert it into specific, actionable direction before touching the scene.
RENDERING FOR
BROADCAST
Broadcast CGI has specific technical requirements that differ from portfolio renders and social media content. A render that looks correct on your monitor can fail a broadcast quality check, be rejected at delivery, and require a full re-render. Know the specifications before the first pixel is rendered.
| Specification | Standard Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 minimum / 3840 x 2160 for UHD | Confirm with client before rendering |
| Frame Rate | 25fps PAL / 29.97fps NTSC / 24fps cinema | Region-dependent. Middle East uses PAL 25fps |
| Colour Space | Rec. 709 for broadcast / sRGB for online | Render in linear, convert on export |
| Codec | ProRes 422 HQ or DNxHR for delivery | Never deliver H.264 for broadcast |
| Safe Zones | Title safe 90%, action safe 93% | Keep all key elements within safe zones |
| Luminance | Legal range 16 to 235 for broadcast | Avoid superwhite and superblack |
| Audio | Separate from video, WAV or AIFF | Never embed audio in CGI deliverable |
FINAL DELIVERY
AND HANDOVER
Final delivery is not sending a file. It is a professional handover that confirms every agreed deliverable has been provided, in the correct format, at the correct specifications. A clean delivery builds the trust that generates repeat business. A chaotic one, multiple emails, wrong formats, missing files, does the opposite regardless of how good the work is.
SAMSUNG
GALAXY S21 ULTRA
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra project came through Box of Art, a creative agency. The brief was product visualisation for the S21 Ultra, emphasising the camera system, the premium materials, and the distinctive design language of the flagship device. Timeline was one week from brief to delivery.
Product visualisation for a flagship smartphone is one of the most technically demanding CGI tasks in commercial work. Every surface, every radius, every reflection must be accurate. Samsung's brand guidelines specify exact colour values, material qualities, and presentation standards. There is no room for approximation.
The timeline was tight at one week. The project delivered on time because the brief was fully clarified on day one, the styleframe was approved before any rendering began, and each day had a defined deliverable. No time was lost on undefined work or rejected renders.
PDO OMAN
3D EXPLAINER
The PDO Oman project was produced at Framezen, a production studio where I was the lead 3D artist. Petroleum Development Oman, one of the largest oil and gas producers in the region, required a 3D explainer visualising their infrastructure and operations for a corporate communications context.
Industrial and architectural CGI for the energy sector operates under different constraints from product visualisation. Accuracy is paramount: clients in this sector know their facilities exactly and will notice every error. Scale must be communicated clearly. And the atmosphere of the environment, in this case the Omani landscape, must feel authentic rather than generic.
| Factor | Product Visualisation | Industrial CGI |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy priority | Brand guidelines, material finish | Engineering accuracy, site fidelity |
| Scale communication | Human hand reference | Landscape, vehicle, figure scale |
| Lighting approach | Controlled studio environment | Real-world exterior conditions |
| Atmosphere | Clean, no particulate | Dust, haze, heat shimmer |
| Reference source | Manufacturer photography | Site photography, engineering drawings |
| Client feedback focus | Visual appeal, brand accuracy | Technical accuracy, process correctness |
The Omani desert environment is defined by specific atmospheric conditions that must be represented accurately. High ambient light from intense direct sun. A warm dust haze that progressively desaturates and lightens distant objects. Heat shimmer at ground level in full sun conditions. These are not aesthetic choices. They are the visual signature of the location and the client expects to see them.
Product visualisation teaches you precision at small scale. Industrial CGI teaches you to communicate scale, depth, and atmosphere at a completely different magnitude. Both disciplines improve each other. The material accuracy from product work makes industrial assets more believable. The atmospheric depth from industrial work makes product environments more real.
CINEMATIC
WORKFLOW GUIDE
The complete 3D art production workflow. Reference to final Photoshop composite. 10 chapters, 12 render passes, Maya Redshift and UE5 covered in full.
GET IN TOUCH
Available for CGI commercials, product visualisation, environment art, and consulting. Based in Karachi, working globally.