XO3D Studio · Guide
How to Choose a Product CGI Studio.
Eight questions that reveal whether a CGI studio is right for your brief, and what the answers should sound like.
The studio behind this guide
Eight questions to put to any studio
Choose a product CGI studio by putting the same eight questions to every supplier, including who the named Creative Director on your project is, what happens in pre-production before final rendering, how materials are matched to your actual finish, and who owns the work at the end. XO3D, a director-led product CGI studio in Stevenage, UK, describes how it works further down, so you can hold that against anyone else you are speaking to. A studio that will not answer one of them plainly has already given you its answer.
How XO3D compares to the other five supplier modelsChoose a product CGI studio by checking how it will handle your product, your approvals and your final deliverables. A finished frame shows the visual standard. The evidence behind it shows how the studio reached that result and what you will need to agree for your own project.
These eight questions give you a more reliable picture of how a studio actually operates, and what it will be like to work with them on a project that matters to your brand. To see how XO3D answers them, visit our 3D product visualisation studio.
Before you compare
Start with the same brief.
Answers can only be compared when every studio is answering the same thing. Send each one the same brief, with the same assumptions, and ask them to say where they would change it. Four points matter most.
- Product and source
- What exists today: CAD, drawings, photographs or a physical sample, and which revision.
- Audience and message
- Who the work is for, and the one thing it must make clear.
- Deliverables and destinations
- Films, stills or interactive, and where each one will run.
- Deadline and approvals
- The date the first asset is needed, and who approves each stage.
Use the CGI brief template to write it, and the briefing guide for what each section needs. For a significant project, three quotes is a reasonable benchmark rather than a rule.
Reading a portfolio
Read one project, not one reel.
Follow the AUAR MicroFactory project from shot planning to final frame.
- 36s
- Product film
- 24
- Campaign stills
- Landscape + vertical
What this shows: a disclosed process, from planned shots through a grey pass to the final frame. What it cannot show: the budget, private client feedback or any measured result. Ask every studio the same about their own examples.
A showreel collects the best moments from many projects. One complete case study shows how a studio works. Take one requirement from your own brief, such as a mechanism that must read clearly, and trace it through a past project: the input, the storyboard or grey pass, the review, and the final asset.
Look for two things. Consistency: does the product read the same across the film, the stills and the vertical versions? Disclosed decisions: does the studio say what changed between stages, and why?
Here is that reading applied to XO3D's own AUAR MicroFactory project. AUAR supplied the model, movement references and brand guidance, which informed the storyboard. Every shot was composed in a grey pass first, and materials and lighting were added once the camera and staging were locked. The case publishes a 36-second film, 24 stills, and landscape and vertical versions of the same shots. Apply the same reading to every studio on your list, including us.
What to collect
The evidence behind each question.
Each of the eight questions below has evidence you can ask for, and something that stays uncertain however good the answer sounds. Mark each row documented, partly documented or unanswered for every studio. If some rows matter more to your project, weight them yourself; there is no standard weighting.
Open the eight-point evidence checklist
| Criterion | Evidence to request | What remains uncertain |
|---|---|---|
| 01. Creative direction | The name of the person who signs off the look, and their past work | Whether that person reviews your project at every stage |
| 02. Pre-production | A storyboard, animatic or look-development frame from a past project | How many review points your own project will have |
| 03. Revisions | The written revision policy, and what counts as a change of scope | How a late change of direction would be handled |
| 04. Materials | An example of a finish matched to a physical sample or reference | How your particular finish will be checked |
| 05. Source data | The file types they accept, and how they assess a file at intake | Whether your actual files work cleanly, until they are checked |
| 06. Relevant project | A complete case study: brief, process frames and finished work | Budget, private feedback and results, which case studies rarely show |
| 07. Rights and files | The written split of what you receive and what the studio keeps | Third-party and music terms for your own channels |
| 08. Outputs | A deliverables list with formats, versions and dates | Whether extra channel versions are included or quoted separately |
The eight questions
What to ask. What to look for. What to avoid.
01
Who is the named Creative Director on my project?
What to look forA name. A person. A body of work you can review. A studio that leads with a Creative Director as a specific individual, not a "team", is structured for creative accountability. The Creative Director is the person responsible for the visual quality of your work, so ask who it is before the project starts.
Red flag"Our team will handle the creative direction." That does not prove there is no direction, but it leaves accountability unclear. Ask who signs off the look of your work, and whether that person reviews your project at each stage.
02
What is your pre-production process before final rendering begins?
What to look forA structured pre-production stage: storyboard, animatic, material tests, lighting review, all shared with you for approval before a single final frame is rendered. This process makes decisions visible before finishing. Later changes can affect the model, camera, lighting and edit, so review responsibilities should be clear.
Red flag"We'll render a test frame for your approval," and nothing else. A test frame is useful evidence of appearance, especially for stills. On its own it cannot show animation timing, camera movement or edit rhythm, so ask what else you will review before final rendering.
03
How do you handle revisions, and what's included?
What to look forA clear, written revision policy, with the included number of rounds stated in the proposal rather than left vague. XO3D includes three rounds on stills projects and four on anything including video. The studio should use a review tool (Frame.io or equivalent) that allows you to annotate directly on the frame rather than describing changes in email. Scope for additional rounds should be quoted clearly before they begin, not added to the final invoice.
Red flag"Unlimited revisions," with no definition. Ask what counts as a revision and what counts as a change of scope. An open-ended promise tells you little about how the direction is agreed before production.
04
How do you match materials to our actual finish?
What to look forA method for checking each material against your physical sample, finish specification or approved reference photography, under the project lighting. A library material can be a sensible starting point. What matters is how the artist adapts it to your specific alloy, coating or texture, and who reviews the result.
Red flag"We have an extensive material library," with no answer on how a finish is checked against your product. Library size is not evidence either way. Ask to see how a finish was matched on a past project.
05
What source files do you need and what if I don't have them?
What to look forClear guidance on what file types are accepted (CAD formats, existing 3D models, technical drawings) and a transparent explanation of how the absence of CAD files affects the production scope. A studio that has worked with complex, pre-manufacture products will have a clear process for extracting the information they need from whatever source material exists.
06
Can I see a case study for a product similar to mine?
What to look forA detailed case study, not just a finished render, that shows the brief, the creative approach, the production process and the result. Ideally from a product category similar to yours. A studio that can speak fluently about the creative decisions they made on a previous project similar to yours has sector experience that will benefit your brief.
07
Who owns the work at the end of the project?
What to look forA written list of what the agreement covers: the final outputs, any commissioned 3D model, the studio's production scenes, third-party assets such as fonts, textures or stock, music and its licensed usage, channel versions, and how long files are archived. Studios differ on what they hand over, so compare the written terms rather than assume them. At XO3D, the delivered films, stills and any commissioned 3D model are the client's on full payment; production files stay with the studio unless that is agreed and quoted before work begins.
Red flagNo written position at all, or terms that do not cover the channels and period you plan to use the work for. Music is usually licensed for agreed usage and channels, so check those match your plan.
08
What is your delivery format and what do I actually receive?
What to look forA specific deliverables list: file formats (TIFF, PNG, ProRes, H.264), resolutions, colour space (sRGB for digital, Adobe RGB for print), naming conventions, and which channel versions are included. Ask for the delivery date of each item, so you know what arrives when.
Three questions to ask any studio before you sign
Have you worked on a product like this before?
Can you show me work you have done before for this kind of product?
What is your process for feedback, and how will you work with our team?
Source files
What each kind of source gives a studio.
Question 05 is easier to judge when you know what your own files can and cannot tell a studio. Use this to frame the conversation.
CAD (STEP or native)
- Useful information
- Geometry for the revision supplied
- Missing detail to resolve
- Finishes and colours; parts grouped for manufacture rather than for movement
- Question to ask
- Which revision will you work from, and will you confirm the file at intake?
Mesh or scan (FBX, OBJ)
- Useful information
- A shape to start from
- Missing detail to resolve
- Clean surfaces, hidden parts and sometimes scale
- Question to ask
- How much remodelling will this need?
Drawings or photographs
- Useful information
- Proportions and appearance
- Missing detail to resolve
- Depth, hidden geometry and measured accuracy
- Question to ask
- What will you rebuild, and how will we approve it?
Physical sample
- Useful information
- The true finish, colour and texture
- Missing detail to resolve
- Internal parts, unless supplied separately
- Question to ask
- How will the finish be checked against the sample?
At XO3D, STEP is the safest CAD default, compatibility is confirmed with the actual file at intake, and there is no universal file-size limit. Geometry is checked at the grey-card stage, and the grey cards go to your team for approval. Our specifications set this out. Other studios may have different, valid routes; ask them to explain theirs. Photographs alone do not give measured physical accuracy.
How XO3D works
A named director. A defined production process.
On telling a VFX house from a product CGI studio
Look at the showreels. You will see totally different types of work.
So the difference between the two showreels is obvious. One is focused on product launches. The other is focused on cinema.
XO3D is a director-led product CGI studio in Stevenage, UK. A named Creative Director leads the visual decisions, with the production team reviewing the product brief, CAD and technical references before the work is scoped. Storyboards, animatics, material tests and lighting reviews establish the direction before final rendering. Deliverables, formats and review stages are agreed around the brief.
Read our production process, meet the studio team and see the Petalite product film and campaign assets. For a coordinated launch, explore Launch Visuals; for a film-led brief, see Product CGI Films.
For a complex launch with a fixed delivery window, review the AUAR MicroFactory case study: XO3D produced a 36-second film, 24 stills and supporting motion assets within two months for the website launch. Use the published deliverables and production decisions to compare a studio with your own brief, then agree a schedule for your product.
Updated .
Worksheet
Keep a record of each studio's answers.
Complete one record per studio. Note the evidence you received, the unanswered questions and who on your side makes each decision. Copy or download your notes before leaving: they are not saved when you reload this page. Nothing here needs an email address.
01. Who is the named Creative Director on my project?
02. What is your pre-production process before final rendering begins?
03. How do you handle revisions, and what's included?
04. How do you match materials to our actual finish?
05. What source files do you need and what if I don't have them?
06. Can I see a case study for a product similar to mine?
07. Who owns the work at the end of the project?
08. What is your delivery format and what do I actually receive?
Download the blank worksheet (CSV), with a column for each of three studios.
Finish with a short decision note: which studio fits this brief, and why. Turning subjective answers into a single number can hide the row that matters most. If you want a structured rating as well, the Labs CGI studio vendor scorecard asks eleven questions and rates the strength of the evidence you have, not a guarantee of delivery.
FAQ
Studio evaluation questions.
When should a brand hire XO3D rather than produce CGI in-house?
Can a UK product CGI studio work with an international brand?
Should I get multiple quotes before choosing a studio?
Is it better to work with a large studio or a smaller specialist?
Your next project
Look beyond the final frame.
Use a case study to examine direction, material decisions and the way the product is explained. Then ask how those decisions would be reviewed on your project, with your team and source information.
A route to consider
Product CGI Films
A product film developed through creative treatment, storyboard, animatic, product review and final picture and sound.
Bring these three things.
- Which visual decisions matter most?
- Who will be the creative lead?
- How will product and creative reviews work?
Start with an outline. We review the product, intended outputs and timing before agreeing the production scope.