Services
CGI Commercials
I produce commercials that are made entirely in CGI, or that mix CGI with filmed footage, from concept through animation to the final grade. There is no crew day, no set and no product sample to wait for, which is why brands use this route for products that do not exist yet or shots that cannot be filmed. I run projects as a single contact and scale with a fixed network when a job needs more hands.
Written by Marco Mori, 3D artist, Lindau, Germany · Updated 2026-09-08
What does a CGI commercial project include?
The deliverable is rarely one film. A campaign usually needs a master, a set of cutdowns, vertical and square versions for social, and stills. Because everything lives in one 3D scene, all of those come out of the same production rather than being separate shoots.
My scope covers concept and direction where you want it, previz, asset build, look development, animation, FX, rendering, compositing and grade. Compositing is occasionally handled on the client side, on the PUMA Be the Spark film I built the full 3D shot and Nuderobot did the final comp, which is a perfectly normal split when an agency already has a comp team.
What do you need from the client to start?
- The idea or the boards, plus the one sentence describing what the film has to achieve.
- Product data: CAD, design files or reference photography with dimensions.
- Brand assets: logos, type, colour, previous campaign films for tone.
- Formats and specs: durations, ratios, codecs, platform requirements.
- The approval chain and the real air date.
- Any legal constraints: talent likeness, NDAs, market-specific claims.
How does the process work?
The step list is rendered above the FAQ. The principle behind it: each stage is approved on the cheapest possible artefact. Camera and timing get approved on a grey animatic, look gets approved on a single still, motion gets approved on a low-quality render. By the time anything is expensive, the decisions are already made.
Selected work
- PUMA Be the Spark, 3D campaign animation: a surreal character-led commercial featuring Marco Reus, full 3D setup from modelling to dynamics.
- adidas ZK 2K Boost, 3D product commercial: three product films built on physics-driven motion design, one past three million organic views.
- Starfish & Coffee, branded character animation: a full-screen animated intro and branded motion assets for a small brand with a very specific personality.
Why work with a specialist instead of a full-service agency?
| Specialist (me) | Production company / agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Contact | Direct with the artist | Producer, account, then artist |
| Turnaround on notes | Hours | Days |
| Fixed overhead | None | Built into the rate |
| Capacity ceiling | Scales via network | Larger in-house bench |
| Strategy and media | Not offered | Included |
| Best fit | CGI-led films, FX work, product campaigns | Multi-market campaigns with heavy production logistics |
There is a longer, more even-handed version of this comparison in hiring a freelance 3D artist vs an animation studio.
When is CGI the wrong choice for a commercial?
When the film depends on a human performance, a real location that carries meaning, or a documentary tone, live action is still the better tool and CGI ends up as an expensive imitation. The honest decision framework, including cost drivers on both sides, is in CGI vs live action product commercials.
Can a CGI commercial be built before the product exists?
Yes, and it is one of the most common reasons brands come to me. With CAD or design files, a film can be finished before the first physical sample leaves the factory, which is exactly what a launch window usually demands.
What happens to the assets after the campaign?
They stay usable. A modelled and look-developed product is a reusable asset: the next colourway, the next format and the next season are variations rather than new productions. Asset ownership is agreed per project, so say early if you want the scene files handed over.
How do CGI commercials perform on social?
That depends on the idea, not the technique. What CGI reliably gives you is the ability to make a moment that could not have been filmed, which is the kind of shot that gets shared. The adidas films are a fair example: the pull is the physics-driven absurdity, not the render quality.
Have a campaign with a date on it? Tell me what it is and when it airs.
Frequently asked questions
What is a CGI commercial?
A CGI commercial is an advertising film whose images are rendered rather than filmed. Everything visible, from the product to the environment to the lighting, is built in 3D software and rendered out as frames.
Can a CGI commercial include live action?
Yes, and many do. That hybrid is called mixed reality: filmed footage is camera-tracked and 3D elements are composited into it, as in the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 campaign.
Do you handle concept and creative direction, or only execution?
Both, depending on the setup. With agencies I usually execute against approved boards. With brands I take the concept from a rough idea to storyboard and direction myself.
What drives the cost of a CGI commercial?
Number of unique shots, simulation complexity, whether assets already exist, how many reformats are needed, and how many approval rounds sit in the schedule. Duration matters far less than most briefs assume.
Do you deliver sound design and music?
Not personally. Sound design, mix and original music come through a fixed network of collaborators I have worked with repeatedly, including composer David Marquardt on the BASF project.
Which deliverables do I get?
A graded master film, cutdowns, vertical and square reformats, and high resolution stills from the same scenes. Exact specs are agreed at the start so nothing has to be re-rendered late.
Can you match an existing campaign look?
Yes. Give me the previous films, the grade references and the brand guide, and matching look and motion language is a look development task rather than a creative reinvention.
Do you work under NDA?
Yes. Unreleased products and campaigns are the normal case, and work stays unpublished until you clear it.
Can you take over a project that another vendor started?
Sometimes. It depends on the file formats and how the scenes were built. Send what exists and I will tell you honestly whether continuing or rebuilding is faster.