XO3D Studio · Guide

How to Brief a Product CGI Studio.

The information a studio needs from you before it can quote accurately, plan properly, and produce work worth producing.

Send us your brief

A good brief doesn't just help a studio quote accurately. It shapes the quality of the work. When we receive a brief that clearly describes the product, the audience, the intended use and the creative ambition, we can immediately start thinking about how to solve it — rather than spending the first two weeks of a project asking questions that should have been answered at the start.

This guide covers the eight things every product CGI brief should include. It applies whether you're commissioning a simple still image suite or a full launch campaign. The brief doesn't need to be a formal document — an email covering these eight points is enough to begin a serious conversation with any credible studio.

The Brief

Eight things every CGI brief should include.

  1. The Product — what it is and what it does

    Describe the product clearly: what category it sits in, what it does, what makes it distinctive, and what the key physical features are. Include dimensions, materials, and any technical or mechanical elements that matter. This isn't about writing a spec sheet — it's about giving the studio a clear mental picture of the object before they see a file.

  2. The Source Files — what you have

    List what you can provide: CAD files (and in what format), existing 3D models, photography of physical prototypes, technical drawings, material samples or swatches. A well-stocked source file package significantly reduces both cost and timeline. If you don't know what you have, that's fine — a good studio will ask.

  3. The Output — what you need delivered

    Be specific about deliverables: how many still images, what resolution, which film duration, which aspect ratios for social, whether you need a 3D interactive viewer. If you're not sure what you need, describe the channels the content will appear on — website hero, paid social, trade show screen, press kit, investor deck — and let the studio recommend the deliverable list.

  4. The Audience — who will see the imagery

    Is this for consumers buying online, investors evaluating a pitch, engineers reviewing a technical specification, or retail buyers assessing a range? The audience shapes the visual approach significantly. A medical device for clinical procurement looks different to the same device positioned for direct consumer retail.

  5. The Brand Direction — how it should feel

    Share your brand guidelines if they exist. If not, provide three reference images that show the kind of visual quality and tone you're aiming for — ideally at least one from within your category and one from outside it. The question to answer here is: what should the viewer feel about this product in the first three seconds?

  6. The Timeline — when you need it

    Give the studio your hard deadline: the date by which final deliverables must be in your hands. Then work backwards from there — factor in time for your own internal review and approval. If the deadline is fixed by a launch event or a campaign go-live date, say so clearly. Unexpected deadline pressure is the most common cause of compromised quality.

  7. The Budget — what you're working with

    You don't need to give an exact number, but a budget range helps a studio propose an appropriate scope. "We have £8,000–12,000 for this project" allows a studio to construct a scope that works within that range rather than proposing something too large or too small. If you genuinely don't know your budget, the cost guide on this site will give you a starting point.

  8. The Decision — who approves and who's involved

    Tell the studio who the key decision-maker is, who else has a review role, and what the internal approval process looks like. This matters because production schedules are built around review windows. If you know there are three rounds of internal sign-off between the studio's submission and the final approval, that needs to be factored into the timeline.

FAQ

Briefing questions we hear most.

What if I don't have a fully formed brief yet?
That's fine. XO3D's intake process starts with a conversation, not a completed brief form. If you can tell us roughly what the product is, what output you think you need, and when you need it by, we can help you shape the brief from there. We prefer to be involved at the brief stage — the earlier we understand the project, the better the output.
How does the review and approval process work?
XO3D uses Frame.io for all video review. You receive a link, watch the film in the Frame.io player, and leave timestamped annotations directly on the frame — no email chains, no ambiguity about which frame you're referring to. Still image review is delivered as a high-resolution PDF with clearly labelled frames. Two rounds of revision are included as standard on all projects.
What happens between the brief and the first deliverable?
Pre-production comes first. XO3D produces a storyboard (for film projects), an animatic (a timed, moving storyboard), material tests, and lighting direction samples — all shared with you for approval before any final rendering begins. Creative decisions are made here, not after you see the finished frame. This pre-production process is what protects your budget: changes at storyboard stage cost nothing; changes after final render cost significantly more.
Can I brief XO3D through an agency?
Yes. A significant portion of XO3D's work comes through advertising and design agencies who brief us on behalf of their clients. We integrate into agency production pipelines, match agency review processes and versioning requirements, and operate under NDA on all agency-introduced client work. If you're an agency, our dedicated Agency Partners page has more detail on how we work.

Start the conversation

Ready to start a conversation?

Send us the brief — or the shape of one. We'll read it, ask the right questions, and tell you honestly how we'd approach it.

Send us your brief