Cineversity

My company is moving our headquarters to a new building and I am creating an illustration for the move. This is an unpost-processed image from the c4d file. I would love any kind of feedback on the result so far. Thanks

Hi Vrauckis,

I hesitate to give feedback here on content or aesthetically based questions. It opens normally a discussion where I found (more often than not on the web), the idea of productive critic is not met.

First of all, critique without knowing your target is not possible. It would be just an opinion, and as we all know, an opinion is not a proof for IQ, but everyone working hard deserves the best.

What I miss from your side is the idea, the target, or to express it in ‘70s terms: the message.

So far I see an “model” of a building, clearly introduced based on the round ground-plane. So nice, we see a model, but what is the story you like to tell? What is the feeling and impression your clients should have after seeing it? What was the “Corporate Identity” or the “Corporate Design” so far. Will that change with the move?

You ask for a feedback on the results so far, but how can anyone tell if that meets the idea one had to start the project? Perhaps you like to show exactly this kind of aesthetic? Are you asking for taste based input, or rendering input?

So far, what I can do is ONLY based of what I am able to see in the image itself, describe it and tell you my personal impression based on that, and what I think what is in front of me. Following any standard guideline of critique from art, e.g., photography, painting, graphic, etc. Just pure subjective impressions, as nothing was given.

So having said all of that, here we go.

The object feels like a model showcasing a projected architecture. We see a lot of details in Palm-trees (is that the main-object?). Is the building located at a larger road or on a parking lot, it might be a beach—if the colors were different.

The impression is clearly a model, with very little detail. The architecture feels like from the late ‘80/90s. Industrial/Investor design. Just enough shape to make it interesting, but not really rich in details, as that would cost a lot more. A building that showcases: we like to have it nice and prestine, but we are not in art or have too much money to waste. Just a huge box with perhaps a nice lobby. We are efficient and don’t waste money—could be the message of that building.

The camera angle and position is chosen to make it little. The camera is not used from a human position (except from a helicopter or a nearby tall building, in a nutshell, not a typical perspective). The use of tilt shift is avoided in the image as well a shallow depth of field. Both would make the model even smaller.

The content of the building, as it is in the center, must be the main object. The “visual communication” of it: it seems empty, not in use. No sign of life in it or outside of it. We get a rough scale of it based on the layers of glass bands; Typically, but not always used per story. From there we get a feeling that the surroundings is comfortable wide open for visitors. But obviously those are not included (Visually). Typically in architectural-models people and (mostly) cars deliver: a) a feeling of being used and b) an idea of the scale of the building. There could be a “c)”, to introduce the future clients, cultural based, or what kind of clients one like to promote with the visualization.

Those models are used to communicate about the object and how it fits into the landscape, or just to sell space before it is build. To model something like that, while it is already build has very specific reasons. Mostly to work out the positive aspects and have the negative ones (reality) out of the picture. As this is a subjective feedback, and I have written a doctorate on the subject, let me say: this view is used to communicate about the shape and structure of the building, it has no intention to demonstrate the day by day use.

Knowing that this image is produced for a company that will move into it, I miss “action” and the feeling that this move will provide for the clients. It shows only - new and clean.

What goes where, to give a client an idea where to find someone. Will the complete building be used or just a fraction? Wich leads to the question, what kind of feeling do you produce inside of the client with such an image. Subjectively it feels like a good new start, but will it contain all the “stuff” that the clients liked so far in the old place. Will that be communicated? As I don’t know the previous place, the change is only perceptible for the current clients. This information is missing here, so any feedback given to this images might fail, as the “before and after” is not a given here in the thread.

This image tells no story, nor makes it clear what will happen next. It leaves the viewer with the feeling, OK, this is a model of what they like to do next. (Will it happen at all and when?) The main part so far, I have more questions than answers.

To go now and discuss light-settings, camera-desicions, materials, and the complete idea to play it as model, seems wit out any ground to me. Too many open question. Of course everyone seeing it as a 3D artists would have some ides to push it further now. Here is exactly what I think should normally happen in a feedback thread, and why I don’t feel pushing that option here:

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Feedback or call it critique, must lead to a motivation to improve the situation. Critic given on an object that is finalized has only the function to place its relation to existing “things”. Such as it happens with movie, no one expects that “one” goes back to the editing table if a writer of a magazines publishes any kind of critic.

A feedback/critique here, needs an exact description what one likes to achieve with an object presented here. There is the problem, more often than not, “you” don’t give your internal targets out in the wild and take the magic out of your campaign. It doesn’t work that way. You might tell it later when it was a success, that one had exactly that success in mind and how s/he got there. To tell that beforehand, allows everyone to perceive the given work in a different light… (most of the time, there are exceptions).

Again, any critique here should lead to a good or even strong motivation. Some people ask for the “harsh truth” when they ask for a critique. That might work for some, but it leaves a mood that beginners and starters shouldn’t be exposed to in the first place. It demotivates them, it is not the way people learn. The opposite is the case, but that is a long story.

Motivation should be always the outcome >>here<<, and I guess I made you feel not motivated all the time with the many question I have placed here, and my subjective impressions which I have shared here. I tried to see it from a neutral point of view, but I’m biased—as I have grown up and worked too long in architecture itself, to see it at any time with innocent eyes. Designing and selling $100M objects takes this kind of innocent feeling out—for ever. So, accept my sorry if I gave you a rough time here. I hope not of course. (Specifying the point of view of the one sharing a critic must be part of the game, so, excuse my bragging ;o)

My suggestion, what is it that the clients need to see, to feel, to know? What is the “thing” that you like to sell”. That will be the base to start discussing what the scene files does already or where are parts missing. Anything else is without direct use for you, based on my experience.
Perhaps you have a story. How could that be translated into that model? As assembling, filled with motion graphics, light simulation, etc. You have a great base to start, make them FEEL.

My best wishes for your project.

Sassi

Thank you Dr. Sassi. The questions you ask are ones that I need to answer. It is what I am missing in the image. I will plan my next moves with these questions in mind, with my boss and coworkers. I have plenty of time to finish this, so I can rework the idea also.

Again, thank you.

Thanks a lot, Vrauckis.  I’m happy that it works for you. Your feedback is a great example of how things should be, feeling motivated to do more (as I do now :o), thank you!

Being so open to all my little stuff from above, means, that you will squeeze the best out of your work. I can only point out, but you—see—the options and challenges in detail. I hope you feel the large capacity that you obviously have. I wish you tons of fun with the project.

All the best

Sassi