Previsualization

I have worked in design, animation and film for over 20 years now and have found that the best use of my skillset is where strategy and creativity intersect. I now spend most of my time creating next-level previz content for Films, TVCs and Music Videos.

I love immerse myself in the world of a director, customer or end user, interpreting and communicating their thoughts to align with the project’s budget and timing.

I’m comfortable with all stages of the creative process from pitch decks to post production, regularly creating treatments, storyboards and fully animated previz content for films, TVCs and Music Videos.

A common thread on the best creative projects I have worked on has been making the effort to work iteratively. 100s if not 1000s of problems (and wasted dollars) can be avoided by planning each stage of a creative project in a systematic way.

I am also very much ok with using the latest and greatest AI tools to speed up the creative process.

My Process

1. Establishing a visual language

The key to getting great previz results is establishing a clear and concise visual language with the Director or team that I’m working with.

This can be as simple as sharing a deck of references (visual, video, audio, written) or it could be as involved as a shared Miro board / Google Doc where you share me in on your thoughts and aspirations.

From here I can rapidly offer advice on the scope and timing required to best match a script to the visual style you have in mind.

2. The shotlist

With a solid understanding of the goals and requirements on both sides, we dive into creating the shotlist.

You can share a treatment concept and I will break that down into a set of key scenarios to populate a pitch deck with inspiring and informative images. These may not be actual scenes from the finished film as such, but serve to get your client on board as quickly as possible.

If we’re past the pitching process and have a script in mind, then we agree on what the most high value shots are that would benefit from Previz.


What makes a high value Previz shot?

Often it’s best to use Previz for;

  • Things that will need VFX

  • Shots with an unconventional camera approach (zooms, drones, probe lenses, fisheye lenses)

  • A sequence with specific choreography to hit marks or musical beats

  • Anything else that risks wasting a lot of time and money on set experimenting… when we could do all that in advance at a fraction of the cost.

3. Blocking and Framing in 3D

I’d say I am faster at setting up a great looking scene in 3D than I am at sketching one by hand. The benefits of using 3D is that I can then match lighting to ANY reference, we can use dimensionally accurate models and environments and I can work with your Director or DP to use whatever specific lenses they would use.

By building a scene in 3D we also very quickly highlight any impossible factors, buildings that might cast shadows, a dolly track that would not be humanly possible to operate, a frame or room where the talent just wont fit in the way we’d hoped.

With these resolved I output your shotlist as a series of coloured low-res draft frames for sign off.

These draft frames can be stylised in many ways if needed to sit alongside hand sketched storyboards or to drop into a rough-cut edit.

4. Refinement and Photorealism

Using a somewhat-secret combination of 2D, 3D and AI tools I then take your signed of drafts and convert them to Final Styleframes.

It’s amazing what tech can do these days, and I can now comfortably say I can take the 3D generated, lens accurate, lighting accurate drafts and update them to photorealistic frames while maintaining all of the exact placement and posing of the 3D scene.

With a few rounds of refinement and some final colour grading and lens effects we arrive at a set of Styleframes with a project scope measured in days or even hours.

Examples

Below are a few examples of how the process above looked as we moved from a post-it note idea to a resolved styleframe.

Michael Hili for Guinness

Toby Morris for MG

Justin McMillan for Experience Abu Dhabi

Toby Pike for Honda

Recent Previz Case Studies

Toyota CHR-X | TVC
Art Direction, Previz Animation

Guinness | TVC
Art Direction, Previz Animation

Honda | TVC (Private link, email for password)
Pitchviz, AI Imagery

MG EV | TVC (Private link, email for password)
Pitchviz

Selley’s | TVC (Private link, email for password)
Previz, Techviz, Animation

Tourism | TVC (Private link, email for password)
Previz Animation, Physics Simulation

Target | TVC (Private link, email for password)
Previz, Design

How to blend AI & 3D | Case Study
Creative Direction, AI, 3D, Retouching

Assorted 3D Projects
Visualization, 3D, Retouching

Here’s what I can provide for you at a flat day rate :

Pitching, Planning and Strategy
Research, Storyboarding, Animation, Design

  • Creative Direction

  • Art Direction

  • Look and Feel Research

  • User Experience, Information Architecture

  • Storyboarding

  • 3D dimensionally accurate Set and Location Mockups

  • Animated Storyboards, Animatics, Rough-Cut Edits

  • Wireframes and High level UI Design

Art Department, Shoot and Post-Shoot
CGIs, Film, Motion Graphics, AI content

  • Photorealistic and Non-Photorealistic rendering

  • Final UI, Interaction Design

  • 3D modelling and Photogrammetry

  • Still image Retouching and Compositing

  • AI Generated imagery

  • Motion Graphics and VFX Compositing

  • Unreal Engine development

  • Title Sequences and Explainer Videos

Get in touch to discuss the most efficient way for us to work together

Pitchviz, Previz, Techviz & Postviz | A terminology refresher

Previz is a ‘collaborative process that generates preliminary versions of shots or sequences, predominantly using 3D animation tools’. It enables filmmakers to visually explore creative ideas, plan technical solutions, and communicate a shared vision for efficient production.

Pitchviz – Created for pitch decks, these images are more loose and inspirational. It helps visualize the potential for a project. Alternate concepts for location, time of day, filming approaches, scale and scope can be explored to set expectations while building excitement.

Previz – When a project has the green light and budget is approved we work through rapid iterations of the chosen concept to lock in styling and basic shot framing. The Art Department can advise on construction techniques while the Director and DP explore lighting and lenses.

Techviz – Incorporates actual camera, lighting, design, and set layout information to show how a shot will work using real-world measurements. Data and Drawings are extracted for the Art Department to begin building.

Postviz – This happens in post-production after the shoot. More evolved 3D animation can be quickly incorporated into a scene to enable VFX producers help with planning and budgeting for complex scenes.

A special shout out to https://realtimeuk.com/blog/the-detailed-guide-to-previs/ where this is paraphrased from!