CGI to Metaverse Ready in 6 Simple Steps

2021 was all about the Metaverse. And if you are still feeling confused about what it actually is, you’re not alone. So let’s figure this out together. In this blog, we’ll attempt to unravel the mysteries of the Metaverse and outline how you can get from CGI to ‘Metaverse Ready’ in 6 simple steps.

Brace yourself – the Metaverse doesn’t exist yet. Yes, that’s right, it hasn’t been built yet.

In the simplest of terms the Metaverse promises to become an immersive three dimensional version of the internet where we will work, play, shop and socialise in virtual worlds. These virtual worlds will also spill out into the real world as virtual overlays.

This is not a new concept at all. But in 2021 the Metaverse gained critical mass due to a ‘goldilocks’ moment of social change and rapid advances in technology.

How did we get here?

First there was the big bad ‘C’ getting us all stuck at home and brands not able to sell anything in the ‘brick-and-mortar-verse’. Without in-person retail experiences, brands needed to offer more engaging experiences to stand out, the pandemic made more businesses realise the need to diversify and this has accelerated technology adoption and digital transformation in both retail and commerce. 

Companies sitting on years of innovation saw fresh investment. Apple and Google pretty much made AR tech part of their phones and Facebook made VR affordable with the Oculus Quest. All this was compounded by marketers’ desire to stand out in the noisy world of the good old 2D internet, offering more engagement to customers with fresh new content and experiences.

The 1990s introduced us to cyberspace, the 2000s immersed us in virtual reality, and now, the Metaverse emerges as the next frontier where big tech giants are placing bold bets on a future vision of the internet like never before.

• Facebook made a daring leap, rebranding as Meta, venturing beyond social media to a spectrum of tech applications. Meta presented us with a vision of cartoonish avatars flying through a 3D version of Facebook. Stakeholders Microsoft, then swiftly suited up the avatars, transforming it into the ‘corporate Metaverse’.
• Video game giants Epic Games had already established what a Metaverse economy might look like in their game Fortnite. The introduction of virtual currency, gave players access a treasure trove of accessories and upgrades to elevate and personalise their avatar into the epitome of coolness. 
• A generation ago our kids played Roblox and now brands have jumped in selling new digital products on the platform. 
• Tech innovators Nvidia took a more serious approach with the launch of Omniverse, enabling creators to collaborate on anything from product design to large film productions in a seamless, connected 3D production environment.

Then there were the Augmented Reality champions…

• Niantic launched their location based augmented reality (AR) platform, paving the way for a persistent digital layer on top of our daily reality. Remember Pokémon GO?
• Snap Inc. launched the rather addictive AR ‘lenses’. Now part of our daily lives (and profile pictures), Snapchat are pushing into commerce with lenses that include buyable digital goods.
• While Microsoft concentrated on corporate and commercial AR with Hololens, a headset developed and manufactured by Microsoft for augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR).
• Apple is preparing for the much-anticipated Apple Vision Pro AR/VR headsets, with rumours hinting at the possibility of ‘smart glasses’ in the pipeline. While release dates remain uncertain, we believe it’s a future that’s undeniably on the horizon.

Meanwhile speakers across the open-source community and proponents of de-centralisation pondered the ‘open’ metaverse – free of tech giants’ domination. Talk of NFTs and Web3 intensified just to make things even more confusing. It’s easy to get lost in all this techno babble.

Yet all of them are betting on the Metaverse. Whatever that might end up being, it is coming to a VR or AR headset near you soon. Some see the Metaverse as a dystopian nightmare while others see magical potential. Time will tell.

Join our mini metaverse

At Ride Shotgun we are rather more practical about it all. We see the potential and are actually quite excited about the Metaverse – an exciting new medium. In. fact we’ve been working inside our own mini metaverse for the last 11 years.

Let us explain.

We’re not shy about it – we’re CGI experts. Crafting CGI images and videos involves capturing scenes with a virtual camera from sets and products we lovingly construct to help our clients tell stories across all marketing channels; online, inshore, print and soon the metaverse!

CGI stands as a compelling alternative to photography, thanks to its flexibility in scale and complexity. Our skilled teams use the very same raw materials required for the Metaverse to craft CG imagery daily. The typical response we receive is akin to music to our digital ears: “I can’t believe it’s not real”.

What are these ingredients you ask? Whether you are building your future Metaverse showroom, advertising key visuals or great CGI lifestyle images you need good 3D models of your products. You also need good-looking architectural spaces, some well-styled props all in digital 3D form assembled by a team of experts. And yes we have been doing that (and more) for the last 11 years.

This is why we are excited about the Metaverse. More than excited in fact because the very same 3D content that powers our CGI sets can smoothly be transitioned into content that powers all sorts of Metaverse applications. Content that sits across Beauty, Fashion, Drinks and FMCG. Even before the Metaverse is fully here.

CGI TO METAVERSE READY IN 6 SIMPLE STEPS

So, are you still with us? If you’re shaking your head and still are confused – then bear with us just a bit longer. Lets break it down into 6 simple steps:

STEP 1 – DIGITAL TWINS OF YOUR PRODUCTS

We build accurate 3D models, or ‘digital twins’ of your products. For this we use some really amazing tech and craft that re-creates objects digitally in full three dimensional detail with all material properties translated from the real world. We go a stage further with all artwork seamlessly replicated in the digital twin.

STEP 2 – LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

We take those models and place them in virtual lifestyle sets or creative environments which we also build digitally in 3D, place cameras and lights like photographers but virtually and ‘render’ some great looking still and moving shots indistinguishable from ‘real’ photography and video to cover all your visual marketing content needs – from online to print.

STEP 3 – CONTENT AT SPEED AND SCALE

We have much more freedom in the digital realm, so much so that we can create image and video content for any style option, colour, flavour variety and any combination of products at lightning-fast speed, helping you offer choice and engagement that’s simply not possible with traditional methods. This is all possible from that same digital twin that we made in STEP ONE using some clever “behind the scenes” automated tech.

STEP 4 – IMPROVE CX USING IMMERSIVE CONTENT + CONFIGURATORS

Then we can take all those colour, size, and product options and plug them into an engaging, interactive product configurator too. Giving customers choice on devices they are familiar with. They can be simple websites for building a bed or an all-singing-all-dancing immersive kitchen configurator. We can even use them to create fully automated marketing collateral.

We have found that customers love the choice and personalisation that this sort of tech offers. Let’s not forget we are again using the same digital twins we made earlier. For more information on the e-commerce possibilities, check out our blog “Why virtual shopping experiences are the real deal“.

STEP 5 – TEST IT. TRY IT. BUY IT.  

When you’re ready we can easily make those same digital twins Augmented Reality (AR) ready so that customers can view your product in their space. Directly from the eCommerce storefront – onto their mobile phones – and into their rooms, or even on their feet or faces and bodies.

Look at Amazon now… they’re doing it already! Remember Apple and Google earlier – they made that possible for us by putting the tech in every new phone. And more and more people are discovering, using and loving AR. Before you know it – consumers won’t be able to live without it.

STEP 6 – METAVERSE READY CONTENT

Then one day you decide you want to enter the mythical Metaverse. Well it is digital and it is 3D. And that’s exactly what the digital twins of your product are.

WHATEVER FORM THE METAVERSE MIGHT TAKE, IT WILL DEFINITELY BE DIGITAL AND 3D. SO, IF YOU ADOPT CGI THEN YOU WON’T HAVE TO START FROM SCRATCH.

So, if you choose to take advantage of CGI – you’re already well positioned and prepared – all you’ve got to do is get that same content into the Metaverse.

With CGI you can get an infinite number of content outputs that are versatile enough to use across any channel within your omnichannel marketing strategy: online, print, in-store, mobile and soon the Metaverse

We’ve coined this METAVERSE READY CONTENT. You heard it here first.

THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IS KNOCKING

Just as brick-and-mortar stores slowly moved to the web browser, and the web slowly moved from computer screens to mobile phones, sooner or later, the web will gradually move to smart AR glasses and VR headsets …and yes the Metaverse. Likewise, just as eCommerce sites needed more rich media (quality photography, lifestyle and 360 videos), so will the Metaverse need more 3D content.

Don’t get us wrong, it won’t happen overnight. Just as TV didn’t replace the radio, the Metaverse won’t replace what came before it. The Metaverse will become another channel in which to have a brand presence and market your wares. So, all your rich media in the form of high-quality modelling, product imagery and videos will still have their place alongside the shiny new AR and VR experiences.

WANT KILLER CONTENT, AT SPEED AND SCALE?

As one of the UK’s leading content production companies, we boast a 150+ strong in-house production team. Whether it’s commercial photography, CGI, AR & VR, or product configurators you’re after, we deliver BIG in production, every time