Myth or Reality?
Saving Time and Budget with VFX
Visual effects (VFX) have long become an integral part of the advertising industry. They enable the creation of captivating and impressive commercials that attract audience attention. However, the question of whether VFX truly saves time and budget compared to traditional advertising methods remains pertinent. In this article, we will analyze this and determine if it is a myth or reality.
Advantages of Using VFX
Reducing Production Costs:
Traditional methods require substantial expenditures on set construction, location rentals, and crew payments. VFX allows for the creation of complex scenes digitally, which reduces costs associated with physical production elements.
Example: Creating virtual locations instead of real ones can significantly decrease transportation, rental, and set-up costs for shooting locations.
Saving Time:
Using VFX can shorten the time needed for preparation and shooting. For instance, digital effects can avoid complex and lengthy processes like set reconstructions or waiting for suitable weather conditions.
Example: Creating weather effects (rain, snow, fog) using VFX avoids delays due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Flexibility and Control:
VFX offers greater flexibility and control over the final product. Changes and adjustments can be made at any stage of post-production without the need for reshoots.
Example: If a client wants to change the color of objects or add new elements to a scene, this can be done quickly and without significant costs.
Fewer Limitations:
Virtual effects allow the creation of scenes and effects that are impossible or very expensive to reproduce in real life. This opens new possibilities for creativity and uniqueness in advertising.
Example: Fantastic worlds, unreal creatures, and complex physical effects like destructions or flights can be created using VFX.
Real Examples of Savings
Jacquemus Campaign - "Giant Bags":
In this commercial, giant bags move through city streets like trams, creating a unique and memorable visual image. Using VFX allowed for the creation of impressive animation that attracted wide audience attention without the need for costly real-life shoots.
Coca-Cola Campaign - "Happiness Factory":
The "Happiness Factory" campaign was another milestone in the use of VFX. The commercial depicted an entire animated world inside a vending machine, where 3D characters produced Coca-Cola bottles. This avoided significant costs associated with set construction and using real actors.
For more about the use of VFX in Coca-Cola advertising, you can read our article at this link.
Short-term and Long-term Benefits:
In the short term, using VFX might require significant investments in technology and specialists. However, in the long term, it leads to substantial savings due to the ability to reuse digital assets and reduce costs on reshoots.
Example: Creating digital models of products or locations that can be used in various advertising campaigns.
Using VFX in advertising can indeed be more cost-effective and faster compared to traditional methods. It allows for reducing production costs, speeding up the creation process, and providing greater flexibility in work. Of course, success depends on the professionalism of the team and the right approach to using technologies. However, modern trends and examples of successful campaigns confirm that VFX is not just a trendy fad but an effective tool for achieving high results in advertising.