3D and product marketing/advertising

[\"W\"]

Presently, I have a few jobs/commissions to prepare in the next few weeks. The company is placing ads in different manufacturing periodicals and printing brochures for upcoming trade shows. Good or bad, I've been given carte blanche for conception and layout. I enjoy it and I learn from it. I don't have an enormous amount of experience in advertising or marketing perse.

I was asked for essentially, 2 reasons. One, I know the product well enough because I used to work on the floor making the product. Two, there aren't many illustrators and/or graphic designers locally. Three (oh, yeah) - it helps if you're friends with the owner.

Recently, I posted some examples of one of the brochures that have gone to print. I'm working on a second 11x17 brochure. The company creates a product that competes with other outfits that produce the same product but there are slight differences. They serve the same purpose in the end however.

To set my client apart from the rest I had to find a legitimate reason why people should choose his product over theirs. Ok, enough boardroom crap. Essentially, his company and facilities are capable of producing custom sizes, metal gauge, and finish. I decided to capitalise on this fact and came up with this "hands on approach" angle. I came up with a 'Santa's elvs' concept.
BTW, the company makes wire grid decking for industrial type storage.

Attatched, is the COVER wip.

In is rendered in Bryce. I used a combo of native boolean objects and 3ds imports. But adding miniture construction workers "makes" the image. I'm not saying it's spectacular by any means. I just thought it relayed the impression well.

A footnote to this though. It took some time to assemble properly in terms of sheer filesize. Very sluggish to navigate even in lowest res wireframe mode. I reduced the poly count as much as I could without trading quality. The original is 8.5 x 11 @ 300 ppi(1/2 the width of the brochure). It took 9 hours to render [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]

Sorry for all the gumb-flappin'!

Wayne

[jens g.r. benthien]

Wayne,

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>

Recently, I posted some examples of one of the brochures that have gone to print. I'm working on a second 11x17 brochure. The company creates a product that competes with other outfits that produce the same product but there are slight differences. They serve the same purpose in the end however. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Before they start with a brochure, they should start doing their homework in marketing & analysis: search for a unique selling proposition. Check the 5 marketing elements. Define the product or the service strenghts. How the customers perceive their products and services. Followed by a definition of the goal - a very unique approach. That requires a bunch of qualified work.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
To set my client apart from the rest I had to find a legitimate reason why people should choose his product over theirs. Ok, enough boardroom crap. Essentially, his company and facilities are capable of producing custom sizes, metal gauge, and finish. I decided to capitalise on this fact and came up with this "hands on approach" angle. I came up with a 'Santa's elvs' concept.
BTW, the company makes wire grid decking for industrial type storage.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

You've tried your very best Wayne. But believe me, it's the same old problem over and over: the decision makers pass the task over to the designer without doing their homework first - it's like building a house without a rock solid base. And if it doesn't work, they blame the designer, even if they KNOW he did his best.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
Attatched, is the COVER wip.

In is rendered in Bryce. I used a combo of native boolean objects and 3ds imports. But adding miniture construction workers "makes" the image. I'm not saying it's spectacular by any means. I just thought it relayed the impression well.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Pls don't get me wrong - I like your approach and execution with lots of details etc. However, the 'workers' turn the pictures to another level: at the first look it remembered me of the FISHER toy tool set (don't have the correct expression for it, you know these boxes for kids with parts that let them assemble cranes, caterpillars, trucks etc - they feature the same picturs in advertising. At least in Europe)

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
A footnote to this though. It took some time to assemble properly in terms of sheer filesize. Very sluggish to navigate even in lowest res wireframe mode. I reduced the poly count as much as I could without trading quality. The original is 8.5 x 11 @ 300 ppi(1/2 the width of the brochure). It took 9 hours to render [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif[/img]
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hell, if I wouldn't know better, I'd guess you did the rendering on a 286 with 16 MHz ;-}. I used to render a high poly scene on my 300 MHz laptop with 192 megs ram in a size of 8000 x 6.000 pixels in less than 70 minutes. There must be something wrong with your machine or your application. Gee, you really should try Cinema - it'll save you more time than you can imagine... Why do you use 'Bryce' for the rendering???? Though I'm not sure I would say that the same rendering in POVRay would have been finished in a fraction of the time you needed (you can i.e. export POV file format from Rhino - including light settings etc).

I'm producing lots of large 'negatives' for digital printing with a size of 75 x 50 cm = 29,5" x 19,7". However, I'm reducing the resolution to 200 dpi - that's more than sufficient. The average rendering time is between 30 and 45 minutes max(!) with a high poly scene. I import the pic into XARA X, add some headlines and copy, some vector graphics (CAD drawings), and produce a TIFF. Size is around 40 megs. For US$ 20 the digital printer prints this file on high glossy Kodak photo paper in the above mentioned size - and the result is razorsharp, crisp and breathtaking. Sharper than a 300 dpi offset print.

So, what's wrong with your setup? Did you forget to hug your machine every morning? ;-}}

Thumbs up,

jens

jens g.r. benthien
designer
http://jens.highspeedweb.net

[\"W\"]

Thanks for taking the time and energy to voice your opinion, Jens. I appreciate your candor, I need it. That's why I don't need a poll to remind me why I like these forums [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] This is the only place I can bounce this stuff off of. Hell, my nearest neighbour lives a km away from me!

First, I really agree that my set up and the tools I use need serious re-evaluation. I will take a closer look a Cinema. The more I see other's stuff done in it, the more it turns my head.

Composition: Yes, it definately has "toylike" appearance. The client came up with this idea so tried my best with what I knew, to accomodate by adding poser figures. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to make excuses - I just gave it a shot. Keep in mind, this isn't the finished product... more will be added eg; slogan, comany logo, etc.


There's no doubt that when I look at (some, not all) work I've done in the past, a lack of design experience is apparent. I know I'm getting better. I know I have the imagination. I lack proper skills to lay it down on paper. Success stems from the marriage of these 2 components. Then there's that saying that involves perspiration and inspiration [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] ... guess I just have to sweat a little more. Thanks again for your time.

Regards, Wayne

[jens g.r. benthien]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Thanks for taking the time and energy to voice your opinion, Jens. I appreciate your candor, I need it. That's why I don't need a poll to remind me why I like these forums [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] This is the only place I can bounce this stuff off of. Hell, my nearest neighbour lives a km away from me!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Lucky you, I wish my neighbour would be that far away, or at least evaporate over night ;-}

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
Composition: Yes, it definately has "toylike" appearance. The client came up with this idea so tried my best with what I knew, to accomodate by adding poser figures. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to make excuses - I just gave it a shot. Keep in mind, this isn't the finished product... more will be added eg; slogan, comany logo, etc.

There's no doubt that when I look at (some, not all) work I've done in the past, a lack of design experience is apparent. I know I'm getting better. I know I have the imagination. I lack proper skills to lay it down on paper. Success stems from the marriage of these 2 components. Then there's that saying that involves perspiration and inspiration [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] ... guess I just have to sweat a little more. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No, I don't consider this as excuses, it's an explanation of the details that are hidden for me.

What I said: the clients come up with the ideas, and if they don't work, they have 'a nose to squeeze' as we say.

You've done a great job, so don't panic. In 20 years you will look back and say: hey, remember that times and carry a wise smile in your face! Grow on the tasks the future will give you. You've the vision and all the tools of today's world - I wish I would have had at least some of the tools when I started out way back in stone age ;-}

jens

jens g.r. benthien
designer
http://jens.highspeedweb.net

[\"W\"]

If that's all you had to say ... then WHY did you register here.

On the image itself, yes, i think it does look amatuerish. Of course it does. I'm an amatuer! It's not finished and there are many things that need work. I thought the concept was good, personally, and I gave it a shot. What you see is the translation through my still developing skills.

I'm not insulted by your comment,.. I know where it comes from. You waltz into these forums with a "my shit don't stink" attitude, professing brutal truths the way you see it, oblivious to the fact that these forums are here for people who need help once in awhile. Your attitude sucks chief .. and credibly speaking, I couldn't give a rat's ass if you modelled Shrek at this point.

W

[Mark (theKeeper)]

Hey Wayne, Jens...

Wayne i think your project is evolving quite nicely. I like the perspective you've chosen, and the overall 'look & feel' of the image.

Don't necessarily blame your machine for the long render time either Wayne. I know from experience that Bryce just simply sucks in that arena. I'd suggest checking your Render prefs for your current project. You may (or may not) be able to cut a few corners there with the final renderings.

I've generally noted that using any "super anti-aliasing' or 'volumetrics' can increase render times 10-fold easily. A moderatly complex scene (using volumetrics) rendered in C4D, that took 27 minutes to render, took 2hrs:47mins to render using Bryce. That's just sad... [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

But... i guess when all is said and done, you gotta use what you have at your disposal huh? Thankfully though, overnight rendering is always an option, and usually the way to go with large projects.

PS: if you flattened out the tones a little, it would make a nice illustration, instead of a strictly 3D image.

Keep at it Wayne! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]