The client
HBS are a prominent manufacturer for a unique type of wall, floor and ceiling insulation. They are passionate about making buildings more energy efficient - from family homes to industrial warehouses.
The challenge
HBS were keen to show their products in action in the home, meaning they required cutaway images showing under the floors and in the walls - not just a straightforward image. Additionally, it was really important for them to show their products with a photo-realistic level of quality, from the people in the image to the scenery
Usually, people are added to CGI from a bank of 3D models, which is relatively simple because they begin as adjustable digital assets. However, HBS wanted to use real people within the CGI images and therefore required a more innovative solution.
The solution
We advised HBS that we could meet this challenge in partnership with a local photography studio (Refinery Photography). This led us to create CGI images while carefully leaving space for people in the shot.
After recording the exact lighting details of the image, this was passed on to the photography studio. We knew that this was crucial to get right, and needed their expertise to translate this well into photography (and then for us to transfer this successfully back in to CGI).
Once they received the images, we visited them on set so we could work together to find the best way to combine the CGI with the photography. The real-life models were carefully positioned so that the lighting would match the CGI, and would be ready to carefully translate back into the image for the artists. With Refinery's great photography, we were able to create the most photo-realistic CGI possible for HBS
The impact
This project was a refreshing combination of partnerships – Image Foundry, Refinery, HBS (and their agency). It was a great opportunity to work with photographers, stylists and artists to make CGI that aligned even better with real life.
Since the results were successful and the project ran smoothly, we anticipate doing further work with Refinery and HBS in a growing partnership. It deepened our conviction that collaborative partnerships from different industries can lead to more effective CGI creation.