Everyone knows that the weather in Britain can be unpredictable, to say the least – but this month’s cover star, CGI specialist Chilli Pepper Designs, is devoted to helping furniture companies market their outdoor ranges come rain or shine, bringing the sun to the customer by creating picturesque summer scenes …
According to Statista, it has rained an average of 145 days a year for the last 10 years – the equivalent of just under five months of rain a year.
Due to the unforeseen weather conditions in the UK, many furniture companies ship their products abroad to get them photographed for marketing material. However, Chilli Pepper Designs offers a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution to this problem – CGI.
Neil Buckley-Jensen started up Chilli Pepper Designs after struggling to take photographs for his furniture company, Indesign Furniture, in the first lockdown nearly three years ago. Little did he know the endless possibilities that CGI would bring, not only to his company, but to the numerous furniture companies that also explore CGI thanks to Chilli Pepper Designs.
As many will already know, planning an outdoor shoot with traditional photography can be stressful and unpredictable, and there are lots of key factors to consider. Most photoshoots rely heavily on the perfect weather – no rain, no wind, not overcast, no heavy shadows, and so on.
3D rendering allows full flexibility and control when it comes to these environmental factors – everything is down to the customer’s preference. Exploring and customising lighting has become second nature to Chilli Pepper Designs, as its specialists often create lighting setups which, in some cases, are impossible to achieve using traditional photography.
As well as having unique images, CGI also allows for modifications to be made to the image with a few clicks, rather than having to redo the whole process of capturing the imag – another time and cost efficiency that comes with 3D-rendered images.
CGI enables retailers and manufacturers to present their furniture in ideal environments and scenes, making it a haven for creating marketing material.
“It completely eliminates the hunt for the perfect garden to match your client’s lifestyle, and the restrictions that naturally come with photographing outside,” says Neil. “Forget having to transport numerous different ranges to your current location – not only is this bad for the environment, and expensive, it’s time consuming, and limits the number of unique images you can get from a shoot.
“CGI allows for multiple furniture ranges to be shot in a variety of scenes, enhancing time spent on the website and increasing overall sales exponentially. Therefore not only are you generating more money by using CGI, but you’re also ‘saving’ 75% of the costs associated with a traditional photoshoot.”
As the world becomes ever-more digital, it is vital that the images produced match the technological advances, says Neil, adding that, in a time of economic uncertainty, it is also imperative that companies are smart with their money: “CGI not only saves you money up front, but also allows you to sell products before they have been finalised and shipped from the factory. If you can dream it, Chilli Pepper Designs can CGI it!”
Pictured: CGI by Chilli Pepper Designs
