How to get a product video without a photo shoot

A traditional product shoot means shipping samples, booking a studio and hoping the lighting works on a glass bottle. 3D animation takes a different route: the product is rebuilt on a computer, so there's nothing to ship.

What 3D needs from you

Less than most brands expect:

• Clear photos of the product from a few angles
• The label artwork, if you have it
• The product's size
• A note on what you want shoppers to notice

Where 3D works well

• Glass, liquids and droplets, which are hard to light on set
• Simple shapes like bottles, jars, pouches and boxes
• Products that aren't finished or in stock yet
• New flavours or sizes, where the same scene can be reused

Where real footage is better

If people are the point, film people. Testimonials, clothing on a body and anything showing a real result should be real footage. A computer-made demonstration of a result isn't honest, and marketplaces may reject it.

A good way to start

Ask for one short film first and judge it in your own listing or ad account. If it works for you, cut new versions from the same scene: a vertical cut for Reels, a square cut for feeds, a short loop for your store page.