Client Guide

1) Kickoff & Scope

  • Goal: What story are we telling? (marketing stills, design review, sales film, etc.)

  • Deliverables: number of stills / animation length, aspect ratio, resolution (e.g., 4K stills; 1920×1080 @ 24 fps), color space (sRGB unless specified).

  • Style reference: 3–5 example images/videos you like (lighting, mood, camera style).

  • Key dates: draft, review rounds, final delivery.

2) What I Need From You

Please provide via shared drive/link (no email attachments over 25 MB):

  • Geometry: CAD (.dwg), BIM (.rvt), or 3D (.skp/.fbx/.obj) + floor plans, elevations, sections.

  • Context: site model/topo, survey, civil PDFs; GIS if available.

  • Design intent: latest drawings with revision date; redlines if in flux.

  • Materials/finishes: schedules, product links, color codes, tile patterns, glazing specs.

  • Furnishings/fixtures: schedules, model files or product links; landscape palette.

  • Brand & signage: logos, fonts, guidelines.

  • Photography (if photomontage): hi-res backplates + lens data / location notes.

  • Permissions: any required approvals (client, architect, developer) and logo usage rights.

3) Workflow & Milestones

  1. Camera/Storyboard (Animation) or View Selection (Stills)
    We propose views/camera paths → you review → we lock angles/sequence.

  2. White Model Pass
    Untextured model to confirm massing, proportions, and composition.

  3. Material & Lighting Pass
    Draft with materials, lighting, preliminary entourage; 1 review rounds.

  4. Lookdev Lock
    Finalize mood, time of day, weather, interior lighting balance.

  5. High-Res Render / Animation Preview

    • Stills: low-res crops for sharpness/noise checks.

    • Animation: playblasts then low-res previews for timing/edit.

  6. Post-Production
    Color, sky replacement, FX, people/vehicles, typography, sound (for video).

  7. Final Delivery

    • Stills: PNG/TIF + web JPGs.

    • Animation: ProRes 422 HQ or H.264 MP4; frame range & slate options.

    • Optional: layered PSD/EXR, alpha mattes, LUTs.

4) Reviews & Revisions

  • Included rounds: 1 round per phase (Camera/Views, Materials/Lighting, Final polish).

  • How to give feedback:

    • Consolidate team notes into one list.

    • For videos, use timecodes (00:01:23) and frame numbers.

    • Online review site for all reviews.

  • Out-of-scope changes: Design changes after lookdev lock (layout, architecture, major materials) may affect budget/schedule; we’ll quote before proceeding.

5) Schedule (Typical)

  • Kickoff → View lock: 2–4 business days

  • White model pass: 2–5 days (scope dependent)

  • Materials/lighting: 4–10 days

  • Final renders: 1–3 days for stills; animations vary by length/complexity

Note: timelines adjust with complexity, render times, and review turnaround.

6) Technical Specs We Use (Default)

  • Stills: 4000–6000 px on long edge, 16-bit TIF + sRGB JPG

  • Animation: 1920×1080 or 3840×2160, 24 fps, ProRes 422 HQ master + H.264 review

  • Color: sRGB unless ACES requested

  • Software: 3ds Max + V-Ray; Photoshop\After Effects for post

7) Options & Add-Ons

  • Alternate times of day / weather sets

  • Seasonal variants / landscaping development

  • Photomontage with location photography or drone plates

  • 360° panoramas / VR tours

  • Diagrammatic overlays, titles, and branding

  • Sound design, music licensing, voiceover (animations)

8) Approvals, Delivery & Archiving

  • Approval: written sign-off on finals before master export.

  • Delivery: download from review site.

  • Archive: project files archived for 6 months; re-opening may incur a retrieval fee.

One-Paragraph Version (for email headers)

“Please send the latest CAD/BIM/3D, plans/elevations, material & furniture schedules, landscape palette, and any brand assets. I will propose camera views/storyboard, share a white model, then a materials/lighting draft with two review rounds. After lookdev lock, I render high-res (stills 4–6K; video 1080/4K @ 24 fps) and complete post (color/FX/people/sound). Final deliverables are TIF/PNG/JPG for stills or ProRes/H.264 for video. Design changes after lookdev lock may impact cost/time.