3D ANIMATION CONTRACTORS: 6 CLEAR SIGNS FOR ARCHITECTS THAT THEY’VE FOUND THE RIGHT ONE

Hiring the right 3D animation contractors is always a strenuous task. And architects who need CG videos for their project presentations or marketing materials should know how to make it right. The quality of services provided by a digital 3D animation company can greatly influence an architect’s work. A professionally made 3D animated video can serve as an ultra-effective promotional tool. Furthermore, it’s the top way of showing clients the results of construction in all their glory before a single brick has been laid. So, there are numerous benefits that architectural 3D visualization brings to the table. And that is exactly why it keeps soaring in popularity and the number of CG animation contractors keeps growing.

Now, having established the absolute necessity, or the “why?”, let’s move on to the “how?”. How can an architect select a great CGI studio in the overcrowded market? Prospects are constantly bombarded with ads from potential contractors promising “the best result on time”. But blindly trusting ad slogans is not the best option. It can result in getting poor services, working with unqualified 3D artists, needlessly spent time and money. Hence, the search for perfect CGI animation contractors should require caution and knowledge. It’s the only way to avoid costly and time-consuming surprises.

There are a few things to keep in mind here. First, a 3D animation will ultimately become a reflection of architects’ work. So, “decent” is not even the level of CG video contractors one should be looking for. We are here to help you find the best 3D specialists, those with passion for architectural animation. So, we’re sharing insider knowledge to assist you in determining whether 3D video contractors in question are worth working with. Scroll down for the top 6 surefire signs of a first-class CG videos provider!

If we’ve seen it once, we’ve seen it a hundred times: 3D animation contractors promising the moon and the stars and then barely delivering proper timely communication here on earth. Hence we’ve purposely put this one at the top of our list. Top-notch customer service should be a priority. Quality communication is the main component for productive work with architectural rendering firms.

Excellent customer service starts with respect and consideration towards clients. For example, an intuitive, easy to navigate website is usually the first indicator architect is in the hands of professionals. Furthermore, to create an excellent architectural 3D visualization, a CGI company needs to take efforts to clearly understand the client’s vision and budget. For this, CGIFlythrough has a “Get a quote” questionnaire on the website. We get back to our clients with an estimate for their animation project within a day after they fill this quote. 

Impeccable client support also means transparency, timely feedback, round clock availability of managers, and polite knowledgeable staff. Also, a huge amount of CG animation contractors work with international clientele. Hence, architecture experts need to make sure that managers and 3D artists of a studio are fluent English speakers. And lastly, a custom-made customer relationship management system is a huge arrow pointing toward great CG animation contractors. So, let’s talk about CRM!

The creation of a 3D animation of outstanding quality on time and within budget takes a lot of effort. It’s a process of constant back and forth communication between architecture experts and CGI studio. Timely feedback, prompt round the clock responses, and overall active participation during all stages of the project are a must. And managing a project is a very tedious task. So, before signing a contract with a CGI studio, potential clients should figure out if a company can ensure smooth communication.

For this, professional 3D animation contractors invest in custom CRM systems. It is a tool for efficient communication between an architecture professional and the project team. Not to mention, it’s an ideal way of staying in-the-know of the work milestones, as well as tracking the payment history. CRM will automatically back up and save all of the important documentation, corrections, and notes. It is a 24/7 access to all of the project data with every phase of corrections. And there can be even more benefits. For example, our CRM includes a large library of 3D models and scenes. It helps our clients find references or even-ready made elements for their projects. So, architects should always choose 3D video contractors that use CRM software.

To guarantee or not to guarantee, that is not the question for expert 3D animation contractors. For a company firmly standing behind the quality of its product and services, offering its client guarantees is a must. It really increases confidence in future cooperation. 

So, a reliable CGI studio will never hesitate to offer clients quality and timeliness guarantees. Therefore, architects can make a “professional vs. unprofessional” determination based on the contractors’ guarantee for their work quality. After all, mistakes do happen, and they do result in complaints. But a guarantee from a CGI animation studio means that all of the necessary corrections will be made no matter what. Moreover, if the firm is at fault, a professional one is likely to make extra corrections free of charge,  offer some extra perks or a refund.

Another important sign of the expert CG video contractors is the professional approach to working with confidential information. CGI studios are often entrusted with a lot of sensitive data. So, signing an NDA agreement with clients should be an integral part of the workflow with CG animation contractors. 

The implementation of state-of-the-art technology is vital for producing an impressive 3D animation. That’s because 3D video production is extremely resource-intensive. A single CG animation consists of numerous rendered still images that are then “joined” in a particular order with specific software. So, making 3D footage puts computers under much pressure, and the hardware has to be advanced and able to handle the related workload. This means that the creation of a CG animation requires using a render farm. It is a cluster of computers set up to work simultaneously. 

Also, it is important that 3D artists use only the most powerful video cards to speed up the renderings process. It can be, for example, RTX 2080ti. Professional equipment guarantees the project will be finished on time and the results will be high-quality. All in all, if we look at the top things that can slow down production – cheap hardware would make it to the top of the list. That is why expert 3D animation contractors heavily invest in their equipment. So, prospects should always find out about the availability of a render farm and powerful video cards at a CGI studio in question.

Advanced hardware and intelligent software are important signs of a great CGI studio. But all of that has little value if it isn’t backed by a team of talented 3D artists. Nowadays, headhunting for talent in the 3D video field is a talent in itself. So, it is wise to look for 3D animation contractors that managed to put together a big team of skillful 3D artists.

A CGI company with a large number of seasoned artists works like a well-oiled machine. At CGIFlythrough, we know it for sure, because we have 36 strong professionals. A big team can afford to start working on a new project right away. Which means no waiting time for the client and no compromises on quality. Also, if one of the artists cannot continue working on a project for some reason, there will always be another professional to take it over. At the end of the day, a big team of expert 3D artists is essential for delivering engaging architectural 3D animation on time and within budget. Guaranteed. And that is the ultimate sign of the best 3D video contractors.

Before signing a contract with any CG animation contractors, the architect should ask for the previous client’s feedback. As well as they should search for testimonials on the studio’s website, their social media accounts, and check out Google reviews. These steps, in fact, often become a determining factor. If a CGI firm has a lot of positive reviews, a prospect feels much more confident about entrusting an important project to them.  

An additional sign that a prospect is on the right path in the search for a perfect CGI studio is the list of well-known brands they’ve worked with. This is a sure sign of quality and high reputation. Serious brands have huge legal and marketing departments.  So, if 3D architectural animation contractors have managed to prove to all those specialists that they are worth working with – it’s a definite stamp of approval and quality.

Lastly, three’s an unexpected perk in looking up information about previous contracts of a CG visualization studio. People who love what they do, as a rule, wish to inspire others with their beautiful work. So, going through case studies will not only help understand 3D artist’s crafts and skills but can also boost architects’ imagination. And can offer some ideas on how to present their projects to clients. So, working with 3D contractors that are passionate about their work is highly rewarding. And this is exactly the reason architects should ask for reviews and case studies.

So, those were the 6 surefire signs you’ve found professional 3D animation contractors. That said, we urge you to properly vet the CGI studios. All in all, this is why we made this post — so you can know exactly what to look for in your search for an ideal architectural animation partner. It would also be wise not to skip any steps and check all of the boxes before signing a contract. A stunning 3D architectural animation is the best tool there is for architects to communicate with their clients. And isn’t it worth it to set aside time to find a professional studio that can put that irreplaceable asset in your hands?

Need show-stopping CG videos for presenting architecture projects or promoting your services? Contact our 3D animation company and get the result that exceeds your expectations!