How is a CGI product video made?
Dream Aspect makes a CGI product video in six stages: discovery, research, design, creation, a work-in-progress review at about 80% complete, and delivery. According to its CGI page, as of 5 October 2026, production takes about 2–5 days for a simple 7–12-second 2D animation and two weeks to a month for complex 3D or animated VFX, and effort runs from about 1 production hour per finished second for simple 2D to 6–10+ hours for complex 3D.
CGI product video at a glance:
- Simple 2D: about 2–5 days for 7–12 seconds, about 1 production hour and about $70 per finished second.
- Moderate 2D or basic 3D: about 5–10 days.
- Complex 3D or animated VFX: two weeks to a month, 6–10+ hours and about $300–$1,000+ per finished second.
- A 15-second complex 3D shot: roughly 90–150+ production hours, by our arithmetic on the published rates.
These figures describe how one studio works, not an industry standard: other CGI studios may use different stages, timelines, pricing models or revision policies. Every per-video hour or cost total here is our multiplication of Dream Aspect's per-second figures, not a quote.
What are the six stages of making a CGI product video?
Dream Aspect's CGI page lists six stages. The order matters, because the expensive work comes in stage four, after the cheap decisions:
- Discovery: align on your goals, your audience and your budget range, which sets what the video must do and how ambitious it can be.
- Research: explore creative concepts within that budget range, so the budget shapes which ideas are proposed instead of being added at the end.
- Design: develop the look, styling, treatment and design elements. This is the best point for substantial feedback, because changing a design is far easier than changing finished animation.
- Create: build the CGI through modelling, animation, rendering and compositing. For 3D work, most of the technical effort happens here.
- Draft: the work-in-progress review. The CGI page says "When 80% ready, we show you Work in Progress to gather feedback and include it in video completion."
- Delivery: the finished video arrives ready to post. Agree the formats, versions, aspect ratios and usage rights before production begins.
How long does a CGI product video take?
Between about two days and a month, depending on complexity. Dream Aspect's CGI page gives about 2–5 days for a simple 7–12-second 2D animation, about 5–10 days for moderate 2D or basic 3D, and two weeks to a month for complex 3D or animated VFX. These are production estimates, not universal deadlines. The page does not say when the clock starts, so plan from an approved brief and add your own review time on top.
Production hours are not calendar time either: a 100-hour project does not take 100 consecutive clock hours, because teams, rendering, approvals and scheduling decide how effort becomes elapsed days. Dream Aspect publishes hours and days as separate estimates, so we don't convert one into the other.
How many production hours does a CGI video take?
About 1 production hour per finished second for simple 2D and 6–10+ hours per second for complex 3D, according to Dream Aspect's CGI page. Multiplying those rates by runtime gives these totals, which are our arithmetic:
- 7 seconds: about 7 hours in simple 2D, or 42–70+ hours in complex 3D.
- 15 seconds: about 15 hours in simple 2D, or 90–150+ hours in complex 3D.
- 30 seconds: about 30 hours in simple 2D, or 180–300+ hours in complex 3D.
One caveat: Dream Aspect's simple-2D timeline refers to 7–12-second animations, so a 15- or 30-second animation may move into a more complex production tier and take more effort than the straight multiplication suggests.
How much does a CGI product video cost?
About $70 per finished second for simple 2D and about $300–$1,000+ per second for complex 3D, according to Dream Aspect's CGI page as of 5 October 2026. CGI is priced per second because every finished second needs work: modelling, texturing, lighting, animation, camera movement, physics, effects, rendering and compositing. At those rates, by our arithmetic rather than as package prices:
- 15-second video: about $1,050 in simple 2D (15 × $70), or about $4,500–$15,000+ in complex 3D.
- 30-second video: about $2,100 in simple 2D (30 × $70), or about $9,000–$30,000+ in complex 3D.
A final CGI quote can move a long way from those figures. Dream Aspect's page names the number of scenes and objects, animation detail, dynamics, visual effects, lighting and rendering time as the drivers, and product complexity and revisions add to them.
Is CGI priced hourly or as a fixed project?
Either one. Dream Aspect's CGI page says "We offer two options: Time & Material model or fixed price project." Under Time & Material, the cost follows the effort as production progresses. A fixed-price project agrees a defined output and price in advance. A tightly defined product animation is easier to price as a fixed project, while a project whose requirements are still evolving may suit Time & Material better.
What should you give a CGI studio before production starts?
Your goals, your audience and your budget range, the three inputs in Dream Aspect's discovery stage. Then add anything that pins down the product, because the more exactly the product has to look right, the more these technical references matter:
- Product dimensions, materials, finishes and colours.
- Logos and packaging files.
- CAD files, existing 3D models or manufacturer drawings.
- Reference photography and how any product mechanism works.
- Visual styles you like, and ones you want to avoid.
A complete CGI brief also states where the video will run, its runtime, the deadline, deliverables, aspect ratios, usage requirements and any product claims it must make, so the expensive decisions are settled before rendering.
Should you tell a CGI studio your budget?
Yes, if you want the concepts scoped realistically. In Dream Aspect's process the budget range appears in both discovery and research: the studio aligns on the range, then explores concepts within it. Withholding it doesn't get you a better deal; it can produce concepts the project can't support. Give a range, and ask the studio what changes between the lower and upper ends.
When should you give feedback on a CGI product video?
Give major creative feedback at the design stage, before creation starts. Dream Aspect's work-in-progress review comes at about 80% completion, when modelling, animation, rendering and compositing may already be done, so a major change there can mean redoing finished work. That is the most expensive mistake clients make in CGI production. Settle these at design and approve them in writing:
- Camera angle and scene structure.
- Product colour, materials and important product details.
- Lighting style, environment and visual treatment.
- The animation concept and overall creative direction.
Use the 80% review for refinement: timing, pacing, emphasis, smaller visual adjustments and final polish. The safe order is approve the idea, approve the design, build the CGI, then refine. Dream Aspect's CGI page does not state a formal revision or change policy, so ask any studio how substantial late changes are handled before you sign.
Do CGI studios use AI to make product videos?
Practices vary by studio. Dream Aspect's CGI page says "While we may use AI to help generate ideas or speed up early-stage concepts, we don't use AI for any other purposes". If AI use matters to your brand, these questions tell you far more than asking whether a studio uses AI at all:
- Is AI used in final production?
- Who owns AI-generated outputs?
- Can product details be reproduced exactly?
- How are logos, labels, packaging and dimensions controlled?
- Are client assets uploaded to third-party AI systems?
Which products suit CGI, and when is it the wrong choice?
CGI suits products whose selling point is hard to capture with a normal camera: internal mechanisms, exploded views, precise engineered details, impossible environments, product transformations, controlled reflections, material textures, physics simulations and products that don't physically exist yet. Dream Aspect's CGI page names e-commerce and DTC products, fashion and beauty, and architecture and real estate visualisation as categories that benefit most.
CGI is a weaker fit when persuasion depends on an authentic human reaction: a customer trying the product, a creator testimonial, a founder explaining it, real social proof, lifestyle footage or human emotion. Those suit live-action production or creator-made UGC. CGI controls the product, live action shows how people experience it, and many campaigns use both.
Briefing a CGI product video?
Bring your goal, audience, budget range, deadline and product references. Dream Aspect is a Los Angeles content production agency that makes CGI product videos, and the earlier the technical and creative details are settled, the fewer changes land after expensive work has begun. See Dream Aspect's CGI production process or start a CGI project.
Want a ballpark for a CGI product video before you write the brief? The Dream Aspect pricing calculator shows the price on the page: choose a one-off shoot or a monthly plan, then add or remove deliverables such as a shoot brief, priority delivery, CGI or UGC.
Build your quote on the pricing page →
Prefer to talk it through? Talk to us → or book a 15-minute call from the pricing page.
Key takeaways
- Dream Aspect's CGI process has six stages, from discovery to delivery, with a work-in-progress review at about 80% completion.
- Published timelines run from about 2–5 days for a simple 7–12-second 2D animation to two weeks to a month for complex 3D.
- Effort runs from about 1 production hour per finished second for simple 2D to 6–10+ hours for complex 3D, so a 15-second complex 3D shot is roughly 90–150+ hours.
- Published rates are about $70 per second for simple 2D and $300–$1,000+ for complex 3D, on Time & Material or fixed-price terms.
- Give major feedback at the design stage, and start by sharing your goals, audience and budget range.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to make a CGI product video?
About 2–5 days for a simple 7–12-second 2D animation, about 5–10 days for moderate 2D or basic 3D, and two weeks to a month for complex 3D or animated visual effects, according to Dream Aspect's CGI page. For planning, count from an approved brief and add your own review time, because the published studio window does not include your internal approvals.
What are the steps in CGI video production?
Six stages: discovery, research, design, create, draft and delivery, in Dream Aspect's CGI page. Discovery aligns on goals, audience and budget; research explores concepts within that budget; design sets the visual direction; create covers modelling, animation, rendering and compositing; draft is the work-in-progress review at about 80% complete; and delivery sends the finished video, ready to post.
How many hours does CGI animation take per second?
About 1 production hour per finished second for simple 2D and 6–10+ hours per second for complex 3D, by Dream Aspect's published estimate. At that rate, a 15-second complex 3D product video represents roughly 90–150+ production hours, by our arithmetic. Production hours are separate from the published calendar timelines, so don't convert them directly into days.
Why is CGI priced per second?
Because every finished second needs production work such as modelling, animation, lighting, rendering and compositing. Dream Aspect's CGI page estimates about $70 per finished second for simple 2D and about $300–$1,000+ per second for complex 3D, depending on scenes, objects, animation detail, dynamics, effects, lighting and rendering time. Projects can run as Time & Material or as a fixed-price project.
What should I give a 3D animation studio before a project?
Your goals, your audience and your budget range, which is where Dream Aspect's process starts. Beyond that, give anything that describes the product precisely: dimensions, materials, finishes, colours, CAD or 3D files, product references, and visual examples you like and want to avoid. The more precise the inputs, the less likely major changes become later in production.
When should I give feedback on a CGI video?
Give major creative feedback at the design stage, before creation starts. In Dream Aspect's process, the main work-in-progress review comes at about 80% complete, after much of the modelling, animation, rendering and compositing is done. Use design for camera angle, product colour, scene structure and visual style, and the 80% review for timing, pacing, emphasis and smaller adjustments.
Do CGI studios use AI?
Practices vary by studio. Dream Aspect's CGI page says AI may be used to help generate ideas or speed up early-stage concepts, but not for any other purpose. If AI use matters to your project, ask whether AI is used in final production, who owns AI-generated outputs, whether product details can be reproduced exactly, and how logos, labels and packaging are controlled.
