3D product animation: how to present objects cinematically

The object as protagonist

When a brand asks me for a 3D product video, the first thing I say is: we’re not making a catalogue. A 3D animated object must tell a story — it needs an environment, lighting, movement that communicates something beyond its technical specifications.

The difference between a product render and a cinematic 3D animation is the same as between a product photo on white background and an advertising campaign: both show the same object, but one presents it, the other makes you want it.

The process: from technical drawing to built world

Every project follows a precise flow I’ve refined over years of work.

Phase 1 — Studying the object. I receive technical drawings, reference photos, physical samples when possible. I study the materials: how does the metal reflect light? How transparent is the glass? How does the surface behave? These details make the difference between a render that looks fake and one that looks photographed.

Phase 2 — Modeling and materials. I build the 3D model in 3ds Max from original technical drawings. Materials are physically accurate — it’s not enough that they “look like” metal, they must react to light like real metal: reflections, refraction, surface micro-imperfections. For jewelry, diamonds need specific refraction indices for believable light dispersion.

Phase 3 — Environment and lighting. This is where the game is played. The object exists in a space — and that space communicates the brand’s positioning. For a luxury brand, I build environments with noble materials: marble, water, soft natural light. For a technical product, industrial environments with sharp lights and strong contrasts. Lighting is cinematic: key light, fill, rim — exactly like on a real set.

Phase 4 — Animation and camera. Camera movements guide the eye: from overview to product detail. Every movement has a precise rhythm. The camera doesn’t move randomly — it reveals progressively, builds anticipation, leads the eye where it needs to go.

Phase 5 — Render and color grading. Rendering produces raw frames. Color grading in DaVinci Resolve transforms them into the final look: contrast, tonality, atmosphere. It’s the same final phase I apply to films — and it makes the same difference.

Two concrete examples from my portfolio

JOR — Liaison Collection. For this jewelry brand I built an entire dreamlike world in Unreal Engine 5: the Colosseum, classical statues, reflective water surfaces. The jewels are the protagonists — the camera passes through them, orbits around them, reveals them between columns and arches. Every diamond ring has physically accurate materials: light disperses through the stones exactly as in reality. The result isn’t a catalogue: it’s a journey. See the full case study.

Guerciotti 60 Years. For Guerciotti’s sixtieth anniversary I animated the carbon fiber racing bicycle frame: a technical object that needed to communicate engineering precision and artisanal passion together. The camera explores every constructive detail — carbon fibers, welds, geometries — in a dark, cinematic environment that enhances the forms. See the full case study.

Why 3D and not a photo?

It’s a fair question. A skilled photographer can take extraordinary product photos. But 3D animation offers things photography cannot:

Impossible movements. The camera can pass through the object, enter inside it, orbit at controlled speed. No physical limits.

Custom environments. Want your product in a Renaissance palace? In orbit? Underwater? In 3D, the environment is built exactly as the story requires.

Total lighting control. Every light is positionable to the millimeter. Every reflection is controllable. No compromises with ambient light or studio limitations.

Versions and variants. Different color? Different material? Different setting? Change the parameter and relaunch the render. No reorganizing a photo set.

What you need to get started

If you’re considering a 3D animation for your product, here’s what I need for an accurate quote:

Technical drawings or CAD files of the object (if available), reference photos of the actual product, an idea of the tone you want to communicate (luxury, technical, playful, institutional), the video’s destination (social, website, trade fair, TV spot) and approximate duration.

From there I build a proposal with storyboard, timeline and costs. My approach is direct: a single point of contact managing modeling, animation, lighting and color grading in an integrated workflow. Fewer handoffs, more coherence, faster turnaround.