Will Lack, Prodoto Managing Director, talks about the rise of CGI and why it works for furniture.
Computer generated imagery (CGI) production for the furniture industry has seen significant improvements in recent years. Brands no longer have to accept flat lifeless objects placed in a simple room. Photorealism is possible in today’s marketplace at an affordable price.
It’s easy to see how CGI has become popular for furniture brands. Assets can be kept on file for editing in the future to swap the product or change colours. There’s greater accuracy with the use of lighting and there’s no restrictions due to studio size. CGI can also be more cost effective.
Maybe the biggest advantage to CGI is the ability to visualise products before they’re produced. So, what happens when a team of expert interiors photographers that have shot on traditional room sets for years apply their skills to CGI?
That’s what Prodoto Photographic Studios has done. They offer brands all the benefits of CGI technology, but with images created through a commercial photographer’s eye.
Will Lack, Managing Director of Prodoto told us: “We’ve seen more clients favouring CGI for its benefits and ease of production. So, we invested in the technology and trained our creative team to deliver the highest quality CGI.”
The Yorkshire based studios bring a rare perspective to CGI, having photographed furniture in built sets since 2006. They’ve worked with top brands such as The Branded Furniture Company, Duresta and SCS. Will says this gives their work a creative edge.
“We understand how to get the best out of the technology to help brands sell furniture through aspirational lifestyle images.
“We do this by being creative with camera angles, depth of field, natural lighting, nuanced textures, styling, and propping with attention to detail.
“Our team create beautiful window views, true reflections, light bouncing off objects, plus purposeful imperfections.”
Will’s perspective and experience provides clients with photorealistic images set in seemingly real homes that appeal to customers. “The key to CGI is to build a customer’s trust. They need reassurance that the image of the product matches the real thing they’re committing their hard-earned money to.”
Prodoto’s production team spends time understanding brands and works with a network of stylists. Their 3D modellers place products in realistic rooms, quickly changing designs, colours, and textures to produce a variety of images. This is perfect for highlighting the versatility of a product or to display a range.
For brands that prefer photography, Prodoto has an in-house set build team that constructs interiors in their large studio.
“We’ve not abandoned our roots, as we know some of our clients favour authentic photography using a set. We’ve simply added to our services, seeing an opportunity to apply our 18-years of photography experience to the latest technology to produce realistic lifestyle CGI.”
Prodoto has embraced new production techniques to become a one-stop-shop for brands looking for professional images that drive sales.
