Video Marketing

3D Product CGI Video Examples: 28 CGI Product Videos

Introduction

What a 3D product CGI video shows that a camera can't

Take a photo of your product. You get the casing. The logo. Maybe a port or two.

But your buyer pays for what the photo leaves out. The driver inside the headphones. The cold air inside the fridge. The data moving through the pipeline. No camera can film any of it.

That gap is the whole job of 3D product CGI. And what your buyer can't see decides which kind of CGI you need.

The short answer: the 3D product CGI videos that work show one thing a camera can't. Teardown takes the product apart, so buyers see how it's built. Force Field draws the invisible thing it moves: air, sound, signal or data. Trial Run shows it set up, used or serviced, step by step. Scale Model builds one object that stands for an abstract product. The 28 examples below are sorted by that move.

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28 examples

3D Product CGI Video examples

Move 1 · Teardown

If they doubt how it's built, take it apart on screen.

A watch with a glass back sells the movement, not the dial. Your buyer reads a spec sheet the same way. They want to see what sits under the casing before they trust the numbers.

I call it the Teardown: the casing comes off, and each part gets a label and a job. It's the move behind most 3D exploded view videos. Seven examples.

AMD Radeon RX Product visualization video

AMD's video for the Radeon RX 7600 XT opens with the graphics card coming apart in 3D. Then it cuts to live Starfield gameplay to prove the parts deliver.

What works here:

  • The exploded view names the parts buyers pay for: the GPU die and 16GB of GDDR6 memory. A spec line becomes something you can see.
  • CGI hands off to real gameplay. On-screen FPS overlays show frame rates rising with AMD HYPR-RX turned on.
  • A second buyer gets a scene: a full streaming and recording setup, under the line “Stream and Record in High Fidelity.”

The move: Take your product apart early, then prove each part in use. If a viewer can't name one part after watching, the teardown went by too fast.

GL.iNet CGI router video

GL.iNet's 38-second video for the Spitz Plus router peels the casing back to show what's inside. Then it layers the network features on top.

What works here:

  • An X-ray view shows the internal cooling system and the Qualcomm processor. The buyer sees the build before the spec.
  • The ports and the dual Nano-SIM slots get their own close-ups.
  • Layered visuals carry CAT-12 cellular and Wi-Fi 6 (AX3000), on a plain blue background with short on-screen text.

The move: Show the one internal part that justifies your price. If a viewer can't point to it, they're back to trusting the spec sheet.

ASUS ROG OLED monitor animation

ASUS's video for the ROG PG27UCDM gaming monitor starts at the smallest part: one OLED pixel. It splits the pixel into RGB sub-pixels to show where the sharpness comes from.

What works here:

  • The pixel breakdown turns “Ultra-High Pixel Density” from a claim into a picture.
  • It answers the known OLED worry, burn-in. An animated user steps away, and the Neo Proximity Sensor dims or turns off the screen.
  • An X-ray view shows DisplayPort 2.1a with 80Gbps bandwidth. The line “FOR GeForce RTX 50 Series” names the buyer's next upgrade.

The move: Name the objection buyers raise about your category, then show the part that answers it. If the objection never appears on screen, your sales team still owns it.

ASUS ExpertCenter P500 product animation

ASUS sells the ExpertCenter P500 Mini Tower to businesses. The CGI opens the chassis to show the parts, then shows how easy they are to reach.

What works here:

  • Internal reveals show an Intel Core i7 CPU, up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU.
  • A tool-free disassembly and animated airflow speak to the IT team that has to maintain it.
  • Durability gets visual tests for MIL-STD 810H: high temperature, low temperature, humidity and shock.

The move: If an IT team maintains your product, show the open chassis and the tool-free step. If the upgrade path isn't on screen, buyers assume there isn't one.

HP Engineering visualization video

HP's 35-second video for the Indigo 18K Digital Press shows the inside of the machine without narration. Short on-screen lines do the selling.

What works here:

  • CGI reveals the internal mechanisms and animates the data flow, under the lines “Greater Efficiency” and “Higher Quality.”
  • Print samples carry “More Versatility,” so every claim has a picture.
  • It ends on an Ace of Spades and the “Ace Press” tagline: one card for winning every job.

The move: Pair each on-screen claim with one internal shot. If a claim has no picture behind it, cut the claim.

Netatmo smart lock animation

Netatmo's smart lock video, made in Italian, takes the lock apart with an X-ray effect. Then it shows the app and smart keys that control it.

What works here:

  • Procedural disassembly shows the security parts: anti-perforation bearings, multi-pin security and encrypted circuits.
  • Access is shown, not described. Guests get access through Bluetooth pairing, and the owner revokes it with a tap.
  • Physical parts and digital encryption share one story, so the lock and the app read as one product.

The move: If your product has a hardware side and a software side, show both inside one shot. If they look like two products, viewers file them as two.

Provisur 3D product intro video

Provisur's 3-minute video for the Barracuda meat separator is built for plant managers and engineers. Ghosted views show the machine working from the inside.

What works here:

  • Animated ghosting reveals the internal screw mechanism, the part that does the separating.
  • One sequence splits raw material into 2 distinct output streams. That's the result the plant manager pays for.
  • Auto-reverse for pump pressure relief and a soft start function each get their own animation.

The move: Show the part that does the work, then the output it makes. If viewers see the machine but not the result, the teardown stopped halfway.

Move 2 · Force Field

If the benefit is invisible, draw it.

But some value isn't a part you can point to. It's air, sound, signal or heat. Open the casing and it still isn't there.

Nobody has seen wind. But everyone reads the arrows on a weather map. Your product's bandwidth, latency or filtering works the same way: invisible until you draw it. I call it the Force Field: the invisible thing your product moves, drawn as light, particles or waves. Seven examples.

Sony CGI product reveal video

Sony's MDR-MV1 video sells open-back studio monitor headphones to sound engineers. It turns spatial audio, something you only hear, into something you can see.

What works here:

  • Cutaways show the “open back acoustic structure” and the “specially developed driver unit.”
  • Put the headphones on, and the studio becomes a 3D soundstage. Bright spheres mark each sound source on a spatial grid.
  • Weight is a number: 223g. With the comfortable ear pads, it makes the case for a “new mix studio” you can carry.

The move: Give your invisible benefit a shape a viewer could point at. If they can't point at it, they can't describe it to a colleague.

SKOPE ReFlex fridge animation

SKOPE's video for its ReFlex Preparation Fridges sells food safety to commercial kitchens. CGI makes the cold air visible.

What works here:

  • Air current simulations show ChillGuard Technology as a blanket of cool, clean air over ingredients in Gastronorm pans.
  • Build quality gets a material, 304 stainless steel. Magnetic-mounted parts come out for cleaning by one person, with no tools.
  • The SKOPE-connect app shows a digital twin, with HACCP food safety monitoring and energy use data.

The move: Draw the thing your product controls. If your viewer has to imagine it, you haven't drawn it yet.

Miele 3D explainer video

Miele's video for the Boost CX1 vacuum turns suction into something you can watch. Particle simulations show its Vortex Technology at work.

What works here:

  • Particles and photorealistic rendering show dust being pulled in, so “extreme suction” has a picture.
  • Glowing white lines follow the “Track Drive” glide, and “Easy Emptying” shows the bagless system.
  • On-screen text adds the claims: “Multistage Filtration” and “99.9% Dust Retention.”

The move: Show your strongest claim first, then put the number on it. If the number arrives without a picture, viewers have nothing to remember it by.

Huawei 5G antenna animation

Huawei UK's “5G in 60 Seconds” video explains the shell around a 5G antenna, the radome. It shows the signal passing through the material.

What works here:

  • Animated diagrams compare separate 4G antenna and RF modules with Huawei's integrated 5G units.
  • Waveform animations carry Huawei's claim: up to 60% higher signal penetrability than conventional shells.
  • It adds a weight cut of up to 40%, in a radome built to stand up to extreme weather.

The move: Show the invisible thing before and after, side by side. If viewers can't see the difference, the percentage won't land.

Philips Kokoon sleep headphones animation

The Philips and Kokoon video sells sleep headphones in 44 seconds. CGI shows the noise masking and the sensors nobody could film.

What works here:

  • Fit comes first: the “world's thinnest sleep buds,” shown in lifestyle scenes with side sleepers.
  • CGI animations illustrate Intelligent Noise Masking and the biosensors that monitor sleep.
  • The Kokoon app adds personalized audio, so the earbuds and the software read as one product.

The move: Cut between real life and CGI: real for comfort, CGI for the technology. If every shot is CGI, viewers forget a person uses it.

Intel Arc technical product animation

Intel's 16-second “Well hello there Intel Arc” has no time to explain. Light trails do the job, showing processing power as energy moving through the GPU.

What works here:

  • Flowing light and pulsing energy stand for data moving inside the Intel Arc GPU.
  • Shifting RGB light on a stark background gives the hardware a look buyers will recognize later.
  • Fast camera moves, component close-ups and an electronic soundtrack carry the mood.

The move: In a 15-second slot, draw one force and nothing else. If you need two sentences to describe the video, it's too much for the slot.

AWS Trainium3 chip CGI video

AWS's 46-second video introduces Trainium3, its first 3 nanometer chip, and the Trn3 UltraServers built on it. Clean 3D hardware and kinetic type carry every claim.

What works here:

  • It opens on the buyer's need: “Next generation agents demand the most capable infrastructure to run on.”
  • The claims are numbers: 2 times the performance of Trainium2, with 4 times better energy efficiency.
  • NeuronSwitch doubles the bandwidth. One UltraServer scales to 144 Trainium3 chips, for context windows beyond 1 million tokens.

The move: If your product runs in a data center nobody visits, render it. If viewers can't picture the chip or the server, the numbers float.

Move 3 · Trial Run

If they doubt they can run it, show it set up, used or serviced.

Seeing it work is one thing. Picturing your own team running it is another.

Flat-pack instructions show hands, not just parts. Your buyer's ops team wants the same: who does what, in what order. I call it the Trial Run: the product set up, used or serviced on screen, one step at a time. Most 3D machine animations earn their budget here. Seven examples.

Wastecorp Pumps 3D maintenance video

Wastecorp Pumps' video for its DDMK Series Sludge Pro Double Disc Pump sells serviceability. The pump rotates on screen, so you see how maintenance gets done.

What works here:

  • The Guide Pilot Rotating Frame turns the pump 90 degrees for clear access.
  • Disc replacement happens from a horizontal position. The maintenance team can picture the job.
  • Direct drive, premium efficient motors and VFD options cover performance, with narration and on-screen text in a clean CGI space.

The move: Show your product's hardest maintenance task, done in a few steps. If viewers can't count the steps, show fewer of them.

KUKA 3D product demo video

KUKA's video shows the KR QUANTEC HC robot for medical devices. Blueprint overlays map where the arm can reach before it takes on medical tasks.

What works here:

  • Kinematic animation and blueprint overlays show 6 degrees of freedom and a 2,700 mm maximum reach.
  • Safety is shown, not claimed. A ghosting effect reveals double brakes on key axes, plus a rescue system.
  • On-screen metrics give a 300 kg payload and 0.05 mm positioning repeatability. Then simulations show precise medical procedures.

The move: Map your product's working range before you show the task. If buyers can't tell whether it fits their space, the task comes too early.

RIIFO CGI product rendering video

RIIFO's 53-second video for the F6 Push-Fit fitting sells easy installation to plumbing pros. The CGI takes it apart, then pushes a pipe in.

What works here:

  • An exploded view labels the spacer, the grab ring and the double seal rings.
  • It's shown working with both PEX and multilayer pipes, so one fitting covers both jobs.
  • A visual indicator turns from red to green when the pipe is fully in. The installer gets a clear “done” signal.

The move: Show the moment your user knows they did it right. If your product has no “done” signal, the video can't show one either.

ASUS V400 AiO how it works animation

ASUS's video for the V400 all-in-one PC walks through daily use: the screen, multitasking, ports and privacy.

What works here:

  • The NanoEdge display comes with its numbers: 100% sRGB, a 93% screen-to-body ratio and 178° wide-view technology.
  • Animated port diagrams label each connection, including USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C and HDMI.
  • The retractable camera handles privacy, with facial recognition login and AI noise-canceling for calls.

The move: Label your ports and controls on screen. If an IT buyer still needs the spec sheet to know what plugs in, the video skipped its job.

ASUS Vivobook S product CGI video

ASUS's video for the Vivobook S 14 OLED moves fast through a slim laptop: design, AI features, screen and sound.

What works here:

  • Camera moves trace the slim aluminum chassis under the line “Simply slim, simply striking.”
  • It shows a real task: an AI-accelerated presentation, built on the Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and its AI Boost NPU.
  • The 3.2K 120Hz OLED display and Harman Kardon and Dolby Atmos sound make the entertainment case.

The move: Put one real task on your product's screen. If the AI feature is only named, not used, viewers won't remember it.

Logitech Product explainer animation

Logitech's 15-second “Dance of Collaboration” moves between work settings. Its peripherals make the meeting work wherever the person sits.

What works here:

  • The scene changes do the explaining: different places, the same easy setup.
  • It sells the outcome, clearer and more productive meetings, ahead of the hardware.
  • The YouTube title marks it as a 15-second, 16x9 cut, so it holds one idea.

The move: In a short cut, show your product in 2 or 3 places your buyer works. If one place makes the point, cut the others.

RS PRO Product simulation video

RS's “PRO-BOT” video uses a small animated robot to tour RS PRO products. It travels from a home office to a warehouse floor.

What works here:

  • The robot gives a catalog a story. You follow one character, not a list of parts.
  • Each product appears where it's used: ergonomic desk stands, industrial lights and network components.
  • The setting widens from the desk to the warehouse, and the range of buyers widens with it.

The move: If you sell a catalog, give viewers one guide to follow through it. If the guide visits more than 3 places, split the video.

Move 4 · Scale Model

If the value is abstract, build an object that stands for it.

And if there's nothing to hold at all? No casing to open. No air to draw. Just software, data or an idea.

An architect sells a building that doesn't exist yet with a model on a table. Your data pipeline or your security layer has the same problem: no shape. I call it the Scale Model: one 3D object that acts out what an abstract product does. It's the move most SaaS product explainer videos need. Seven examples.

Deloitte DataHub 3D technical animation

Deloitte UK's video introduces DataHub, a cloud-based solution that collects, validates and processes data. The data becomes capsules you can watch move.

What works here:

  • It opens on the problem: scattered data and manual processes.
  • Translucent capsules run through an automated sorting mechanism. Each stage stands for collection, validation or calculation.
  • Scattered capsules come out as streamlined, color-coded outputs, ready for reporting.

The move: Turn your data into one object and follow it from mess to report. If viewers lose track of the object, the pipeline is too long for one video.

Nalco Water OMNI Analytics CGI video

Nalco Water's video sells OMNI Analytics, software that predicts problems in industrial heat exchangers. CGI puts the machine and the dashboard side by side.

What works here:

  • It opens on the money: what an inefficient heat exchanger costs.
  • Mechanical, operational and chemical data become color-coded dashboards, on laptop and mobile.
  • It names what sits behind the software: 3D TRASAR digital insights, 24/7 monitoring and expertise at the plant.

The move: If your software watches a physical asset, render the asset next to the dashboard. If viewers can't link the chart to the machine, the insight is lost.

Expleo CGI product explainer

Expleo's video presents ExpleoNóra, which it calls the world's first anti-smishing solution for banking apps. 3D phones give a background security product something to show.

What works here:

  • It opens on the threat: a hacker sending millions of fraudulent text messages worldwide.
  • Then the mechanism: inbound message URLs are checked against the organization's blocklist.
  • Privacy gets its own scene. Processing is client-side, so messages never leave the phone, which supports GDPR compliance.

The move: If your product works in the background, render the device it protects and show the moment it acts. If nothing visibly happens, viewers assume nothing does.

Lendi CGI product animation

Lendi's 30-second TV spot sells home loans, a product with no shape. A 3D house on wheels drives through a city and carries the message.

What works here:

  • The metaphor does the explaining. A house that moves is a loan you can switch.
  • Billboards in the 3D city carry the claims: “easy online application,” “4K+ home loan options” and “answers in minutes.”
  • Crisp rendering and confident narration make a financial product feel modern.

The move: Pick one object that acts out what your product does. If the object needs the voiceover to make sense, pick another.

Ubiquiti CGI product video

Ubiquiti's video introduces the UniFi Dream Machine Pro Max. A glowing stadium stands for how many devices it can manage.

What works here:

  • The stadium makes capacity a picture: client devices and hundreds of UniFi deployments.
  • On-screen text puts a number on routing: 5 Gbps with Deep Packet Inspection and the Intrusion Prevention System turned on.
  • “Shadow Mode” high availability and 24/7 phone support answer the uptime question.

The move: Pick a place your buyer already knows the size of, and fill it with your capacity. If they still need the number to feel the scale, pick a bigger place.

Opera Animated product show

Opera's 33-second video sells dynamic browser themes. Each theme becomes a change in the world: frost melts, greenery grows, rain falls.

What works here:

  • A “cold” theme shows melting frost. A “warm” theme shows lush greenery.
  • The switch from light to dark mode arrives with rain, and aurora-inspired themes follow.
  • Photorealistic CGI turns a settings menu into something you can almost touch.

The move: If your feature is a setting, show what the setting feels like, not where it sits in the menu. If the shot is a menu, it isn't a model yet.

Tiffany & Co. HardWear CGI video

Tiffany & Co.'s HardWear video sells a 1962 design through one idea: New York as a “city in flux.” Abstract 3D architecture turns into a glowing heart.

What works here:

  • The gold necklace is rendered inside a softly lit, abstract architectural landscape.
  • Shapes shift and figures blur, then come together into a heart: love that takes on new meaning and lasts.
  • Poetic narration and film-style camera moves carry the feeling in 31 seconds.

The move: If your brand stands for one idea, build one 3D shape that turns into it. If viewers can't name the shape afterward, the idea won't stick.

Pick your move

Which move does your product CGI need?

The short answer: ask what your buyer can't see in a photo of your product. How it's built, what it moves, how it's run or what it even is? The answer picks the move. One move per video. If two are loud, make two short videos instead of one long one.

If your buyer can't seeUseDo thisExample to copy
How it's builtTeardownTake the casing off and label each partAMD Radeon
What it movesForce FieldDraw the air, sound, signal or dataSKOPE
How they'd run itTrial RunSet it up, use it or service it, step by stepWastecorp Pumps
What it isScale ModelOne object that acts out the abstract productDeloitte DataHub

Now go back to the photo of your product. It shows the casing and the logo. Every video above earned its budget by showing something that photo couldn't.

The move: take a photo of your product, or a screenshot if it's software. Write down the one thing your buyer needs to see that the picture leaves out. That's your first shot.

A camera films the box. CGI films the reason to buy it.

FAQ

3D Product CGI Video Examples FAQ

What is a 3D product CGI video?
A 3D product CGI video is a product video built from a computer model instead of a camera. The product is modeled, lit and rendered in 3D, so the video can show what filming can't: the inside, invisible forces, or an abstract product as an object. AMD's Radeon RX 7600 XT video, for example, takes the card apart in 3D.
When should you use CGI instead of filming the product?
Use CGI when the thing your buyer needs to see can't be filmed. That means parts inside a sealed casing, air or signal, a machine too big to film cleanly, or software with no physical form. If a camera can show it, film it. Mix both when you need real people and hidden parts in one story.
How long should a 3D product CGI video be?
Most of the examples here are short. 13 of the 28 run under a minute, and 24 of 28 run 1:30 or less. The shortest is Logitech's 15-second cut. The longest is Provisur's 3:01 machine breakdown, made for plant managers and engineers. Let the number of things you need to show set the length.
Can 3D CGI work for software products?
Yes. Software has no casing, so CGI builds an object that stands for it. Deloitte turns DataHub's data into capsules on a sorting line. Expleo renders the phone its anti-smishing product protects. Nalco Water puts the heat exchanger next to the OMNI Analytics dashboard.
What is an exploded view in a product video?
An exploded view pulls a product apart along its axis, so every part floats in its place with a label. RIIFO's F6 video uses one to name the spacer, grab ring and double seal rings. It works best when the buyer's doubt is about build quality or what's inside.
Does a 3D product video need a voiceover?
Not always. HP's Indigo 18K video runs on on-screen text with no narration. That suits feeds where people watch on mute, the way most silent video works. Use a voiceover when the mechanism needs a sentence of explanation, as Wastecorp Pumps does for its rotating frame.
How much detail does a 3D product model need?
Enough for the closest shot in the script. A macro shot of a pixel or a seal ring needs a detailed, high-poly model. A wide shot of a stadium or a city can use simpler geometry. Decide the closest shot before modeling starts, so nobody pays for detail the camera never reaches.
Can you reuse the 3D model after the video?
Yes, and plan for it. The same model can feed product stills, short social cuts, sales decks and product pages. That reuse is one of the main benefits of 3D product models. Ask for the source files and render settings in the contract.
Should you mix CGI with live action?
Mix them when the story needs both proof and people. AMD cuts from an exploded graphics card to live Starfield gameplay. The Philips and Kokoon video cuts between side sleepers in bed and CGI of the noise masking. Use live action for the feeling and CGI for the technology.
What's the difference between 3D product CGI and 3D animated content?
3D product CGI centers on one product and what it does. Broader 3D animated content can tell any story: characters, places, processes or a brand idea. If the product is the main subject of most shots, it's product CGI.
How do you show specs in a 3D product video?
Tie each number to a picture. KUKA puts its 2,700 mm reach on a blueprint overlay of the arm's range. Ubiquiti puts 5 Gbps routing next to a glowing stadium of devices. A number on a plain card is easy to forget. A number on a moving part is easy to check.
How do you cut a 3D product CGI video for social?
Cut one force or one part per clip. Intel's Arc video does it in 16 seconds with light trails alone. Logitech's runs 15 seconds and holds one idea. Short CGI video ads work when the render reads at phone size in the first seconds.

Patterns from the analysis

3D Product CGI Video Best Practices

These counts come from the written breakdowns of all 28 videos above, plus the full AWS transcript. They count what each breakdown describes, not a frame-by-frame review. Read them as what these 28 videos did, not as market data.

Peel Back

How often do 3D product videos show the inside?

Observation
Sony uses cutaways. Netatmo, GL.iNet and ASUS's ROG monitor use X-ray views. RIIFO and AMD use exploded views. Provisur and KUKA use ghosting. ASUS's ExpertCenter P500 shows a tool-free disassembly.
Data
9 of 28 breakdowns describe a cutaway, exploded view, X-ray or ghosting effect.
The move
If your price depends on what's inside, open the casing on screen. Pick the one part that justifies the price and label it.
Visible Air

Do 3D product videos animate things you can't see?

Observation
SKOPE draws air currents. Miele uses particles, Huawei uses waveforms and Sony uses spheres for sound sources. Intel uses light trails. Kokoon animates noise masking. Deloitte and HP animate data flows. ASUS animates airflow in the P500 and light beams for the ROG monitor's proximity sensor.
Data
10 of 28 animate something invisible: air, sound, signal, energy or data.
The move
List what your product moves that nobody can see. Give it one visual form, and keep that form the same in every shot.
Metaphor Prop

How do 3D videos show products with no physical shape?

Observation
Lendi uses a house on wheels. Deloitte uses data capsules. Ubiquiti uses a stadium. Opera uses frost, greenery and rain. Tiffany & Co. uses a heart. HP ends on an Ace of Spades.
Data
6 of 28 build a metaphor object to carry the main idea.
The move
If your product is software or a service, pick one object your buyer already understands. Then let it act out the one job your product does.
Hard Spec

Should a 3D product video include a number?

Observation
Sony names 223g. KUKA names a 2,700 mm reach and a 300 kg payload. Ubiquiti names 5 Gbps. AWS names 144 chips per UltraServer. Huawei names up to 60% higher penetrability. RIIFO, Opera and Tiffany & Co. give no product number.
Data
14 of 28 breakdowns name at least one hard product number: a weight, a size, a speed or a percentage.
The move
Put one number your buyer can check on the part it describes. A number floating on a card is a claim. A number on the part is proof.

How to plan

Where to use your 3D product CGI video

Put each cut where its question gets asked. One render can serve several places if you plan the cuts up front.

  • Product pages. A Teardown or Force Field cut above the fold, where buyers compare specs.
  • Sales calls and decks. A Trial Run clip that answers “how hard is this to run?” before procurement asks.
  • Trade show screens. A looping cut with on-screen text and no voiceover, like HP's Indigo 18K video.
  • Paid social. A 15-second cut that shows one force or one part, like Intel's Arc video.
  • Support and service docs. Maintenance steps rendered once, so nobody has to film inside the machine.

How do you plan a 3D product CGI video?

Eight decisions, in order. Each one narrows the next.

  • Buyer. Engineer, IT lead or end user. Who's watching decides how deep the teardown goes.
  • Hidden thing. The one thing a photo of your product can't show.
  • Move. Teardown, Force Field, Trial Run or Scale Model. One per video.
  • Script. Write the last line first. Then the first line. Then the middle.
  • Closest shot. It sets how detailed the model has to be.
  • Numbers. Pick one or two your buyer can check, and the part each one sits on.
  • Mix. Decide where live action carries the feeling and CGI carries the technology.
  • Cuts. Plan the long version and the short social cuts before rendering, not after.

Teams that sell physical products often pair this with hardware demo videos filmed on real units.

What to send your CGI team

A CGI team can only render what it understands. The brief decides whether the first draft is close or a restart.

  • CAD files or detailed reference photos from every angle.
  • The spec sheet, with the 2 or 3 numbers you want on screen marked.
  • The hidden thing, in one sentence: “show the air over the pans,” “show the pipe locking in.”
  • Brand colors, materials and finishes, so the render matches the real unit.
  • One or two reference videos from the list above, with the move you want named.

For products that are hard to explain in one sentence, look at how 3D tech explainer videos scope the story before the render.

3D product CGI production process

Every 3D product video runs through the same three stages. Knowing them keeps a project from drifting.

  • Pre-production. Set the buyer, the hidden thing and the move. Then the script, the storyboard, the budget and the timeline.
  • Production. Build the model, add materials, light it, animate it and render it. This is where most of the time goes.
  • Post-production. Composite the shots, add on-screen text, music and sound, get feedback in one round, then cut a version for each platform.

If the product needs more explaining than showing, the same steps apply to technical animation videos.

About the author

About Jai Ghosh

Jai Ghosh
Video Producer at Advids · LinkedIn

Jai Ghosh is a Video Producer at Advids, where he has planned and produced videos for B2B software and technology companies for 7 years. He works on product demos, explainer videos and brand videos, from the first script to the final cut, for clients from startups to enterprises.

Before Advids, Jai spent over 11 years in freelance media consulting, after starting out in digital journalism. He writes the Advids blog's breakdowns of product and demo videos, sorting real examples by the question each one answers for a buyer.

  • Focus: SaaS product demos, explainer videos and brand videos
  • Experience: 7 years at Advids, over 11 years in media consulting
  • Background: digital journalism

Connect with Jai Ghosh on LinkedIn