Leading brands know that video presentation is the most effective way of storytelling when it comes to product promotion. It combines visual, sound, and text, which makes it informative and entertaining at the same time. But what if your company can’t afford to hire a film crew and organize the shooting process?
Investing in 3D animation services is a great alternative. Manufacturers only need to put their ideas together and send them to a CGI studio. At this stage, the client submits product specs and references, and the CGI team confirms the scope before production starts. To set clear expectations, let’s review what product 3D animation is and how it’s created. This makes it easier to define quality criteria and review deliverables at each stage of production. Below are the seven key steps to create 3D animation for product videos.
Getting a 3D Animation Brief
When manufacturers set projects for our 3D artists, the brief is the most important element in understanding their expectations. Our studio has a template for it that includes all the necessary information our clients have to fill out. Amongst them, product information with dimensions and CAD drawings or photos, references of preferred videos, a storyboard, post-production details, resolution and file format.
Once the client submits the 3D animation brief, our managers review it and confirm it’s complete before the team starts production.
In some cases, manufacturers start without a fully defined creative brief. In this situation, our team can develop the script and propose post production concepts as an optional add on service. Clients can review the draft, request revisions, and our artists will adjust the script to match their requirements.
Modeling the Main Product
The main hero of any product animation is the product itself. So the 3D model services is one of the most important steps to create 3D animation. The product modeling process is meticulous as the artists build a 3D object according to technical descriptions and drawings. Professional 3D modelers make sure it has the same shape, dimensions and details as its real-life counterpart.
To get approval from the manufacturer, 3D artists send a greyscale model for review. Once the manufacturer confirms the geometry and dimensions, the 3D animation team moves to texturing the object. For that, they use references from the brief and either look for ready-made textures or create new ones from scratch. After that, it’s time for the final step of the modeling process in which the artists tune the settings of materials of the 3D model.
Building a 3D Scene
This stage of 3D animation covers environment setup. The scene must fit the product and support the story of the video, whether it’s design, function, or use case. For furniture brands, this typically means building roomsets that feel realistic but stay visually focused on the item. The team first delivers a grayscale layout for approval. Once the client confirms the environment and key prop placement, artists move on to textures, materials, and final detailing.
It’s different with demo or feature of product videos, as they usually have a simple monochrome background with some text or voiceover added in the post-production. It only requires adjusting some settings to make the product look natural.
Setting a Camera Path
In 3D product animation, the camera path is a core part of the storyboard. It defines the camera angles, movement, and pacing throughout the scene. A well planned path keeps the video dynamic and ensures key product details stay in focus. At this stage, the team sets up cameras and animates their motion based on composition and framing. To confirm timing, the client receives a draft 3D animation for review, and the camera moves are refined until approval. A strong camera path also makes post production editing faster and more effective.
Tuning the Lighting
Lighting is one of the key factors that makes 3D product animation look realistic. Skilled 3D artists balance natural and artificial light to control direction, contrast, and reflections. At the start, the team confirms the desired time of day and whether lighting should stay consistent or shift during the sequence. A well-built lighting setup defines the mood and makes the CG animation feel more lifelike and dynamic. Before final rendering, the client reviews key frames to approve the lighting and the overall look of the 3D animation.
Final Resolution Rendering
Every 3D animation brief defines the target resolution and file format. This requirement drives the final render settings and directly affects the production timeline. Rendering can take significant time, especially for longer videos or high resolution outputs. To handle large product clips efficiently, our CGIFURNITURE team uses a render farm, a cluster of high performance computers that speeds up processing. Once the client approves the final pre render preview, we launch full resolution rendering. After this point, changes become time consuming and costly.
When rendering is complete, the team exports the 3D animation video in the required file format. If the project needs multiple versions, we can quickly deliver additional exports in other standard formats using professional software.
Editing and Post-Production
These final steps of 3D animation focus on post production. They follow standard video editing workflows rather than 3D work. A detailed script often requires more editing to keep the story clear and engaging. This stage includes cuts, transitions, text overlays, visual effects, music, and voiceover. With these elements, product 3D animation becomes a complete marketing asset that highlights the product in the best way. Before delivery, the client reviews the near final cut and approves pacing, on screen text, and sound.
The workflow also depends on the target platform. Short vertical formats work best for TikTok and Instagram Stories. Longer horizontal videos suit YouTube and Vimeo, where viewers expect a more polished commercial style. For Facebook and LinkedIn, brands often use product videos with clear messaging and an educational angle.
Understanding the 3D animation workflow helps manufacturers stay in control of the project. Feedback is easiest to apply during the preview stage, before full resolution rendering begins. This keeps timelines stable and ensures the final video matches the approved direction.
Looking to scale your product content with 3D animation? CGIFURNITURE provides 3D rendering services for marketing visuals built to drive results.