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How an outsourced CGI partner can add to your in-house team

A great deal of talent exists in the world. Think how much untapped potential exists that we miss out on when we restrict our approach. Many businesses recognise this, leading to a rise in outsourcing as a way to benefit from the plethora of skilled professionals. When polled, people highlighted several reasons why they go that route. It may be to reduce costs (69%) or as a part of their transformation (64%). In a separate study, other reasons given included doing it for the improvement to their service (31%) or to focus on their own core functions (57%).

In this interconnected world, is there an excuse to miss out on the opportunity? It doesn’t have to replace what you already have, but the wealth of specialists out there can effortlessly complement your current automotive operations. Here are three simple qualities you can find in a CG visualisation specialist that could add to and improve your output.

 

Flexibility

An external company provides you with a great deal of flexibility. For one, they aren’t a constant expense and can be called upon only when you need them. You only pay for what you need and can dip in and out as you please, saving you from hiring any extra staff beyond your current in-house team. It means you can work with another company in the way you want to, taking as much of a lead as you want.

A good CGI partner will be malleable in their approach to your project. They can bring their own expertise to the table and weigh in on any decisions, ultimately providing you with all the information you need to make an educated choice.

You know it’s a great fit when this external specialist fits right into your current operations as if they were there all along. They’ll be in tune with your brand’s aims, goals, look, and feel, perfectly capable of replicating what makes you, you. With an understanding of your car brand, they can deliver something akin to your own in-house team.

 

A breadth of knowledge

If you find a CG specialist working in multiple fields, you might think they’re spreading themselves too thin. But take the time to look at the quality of their output and see how the different teams complement one another.

Their knowledge in other fields can perfectly transfer to the automotive industry. With this expertise, they can bring skills such as rigging, VFX, soundtrack editing, environment building, shoot management, and cinematography to the table. This can only benefit you, adding artistic value to what is being produced.

 

A depth of knowledge

Of course, you also want them to have a deep knowledge of the automotive industry. This goes without saying. But it ties into many of our points above. For a company to be flexible, receptive to your brand, and knowledgeable of skills outside of the industry, they need to first have a deep understanding of this sector. They need to be intimately familiar with cars and love them beyond their work.

Above all, they need to know what it means to be ahead of the curve; at the top of their game. Both artistically and technologically, they need to prove why they’re a good fit for you. A love of the industry will be what drives them to deliver their best work.

Outsourcing doesn’t have to be a dirty word, nor does it have to intrude on your current operations. Done right, it builds on what you already have, allowing you to focus your in-house team’s attention where you think it is needed and leave the visualisation work to other professionals. The best projects will draw from both resources, creating a final product that you can be proud of.

 

REALTIME is dedicated to being the sort of CGI partner that exemplifies all of the above. We work with you to deliver the best work, using our knowledge of the automotive industry – and that of the TV and video game industries – to create cutting-edge solutions. If you would like to find out more, get in touch with me at [email protected].

How video game technology is breaking into other industries

Video games are one of the most-loved pastimes. To get an idea of just how popular it is, look no further than the PS5’s reveal which has – as of writing – garnered more than 23 million views on YouTube. It’s fair to say everyone’s a bit excited.

But for some, the most exciting aspect of gaming isn’t the new releases or the shiny new hardware. Its uses extend far beyond that. There are people out there who use gaming technology without even touching a video game. For them, it has revolutionised the way they work, learn, or even interact with the world.

Gaming has given us a lot of great moments but we’re here today to talk about the alternative uses you might not know about. Here are three gaming innovations that have found a place outside of our living rooms.

 

Engines

Epic Games has long touted its popular Unreal Engine as a resource for use outside of gaming. That will no doubt still be the case with its recently revealed fifth iteration. And plenty of people have taken them up on that offer.

It’s popular in industries where you need to render a 3D model for one reason or another. The automotive industry will use it to create hyper-realistic recreations of their cars for a configurator. Or the TV and film industry might use it to create pre-vis assets to give the production team an idea of how the finished product might look.

One drug development company has even used it to develop medicines. It came from a need to make the initial discovery and development stage simpler. It’s reasons like this why Epic created their “Enterprise” team, whose job it is to bring the technology to new mediums. Who knows, maybe it’ll play an integral role in creating the next groundbreaking medicine.

 

Motion controls

Opinions on motion controls will vary depending on who you ask. There’s a tendency to view it as “gimmicky” or a “flash in the pan”. And maybe that’s the case; Kinect is hardly in everyone’s living rooms, as Microsoft hoped it might be. But it has found a home elsewhere.

When Microsoft released the SDK for the peripheral, it opened the door for many other industries who could make use of its frankly amazing motion-tracking technology. Here’s a video of it being used to interpret sign language, which could break down barriers in communication.

There were even stories of it being used in surgery. Beyond that, it could be used for mixed reality purposes, such as digitally trying on clothes at a store, capturing high-quality 3D scans, or even in stroke recovery.

 

Virtual reality

VR is slowly gathering pace in the video game world, with games like Valve’s Half-Life: Alyx pushing it further into the mainstream. But such a strong piece of tech was always bound to find a home outside of video games.

In healthcare, it’s become a useful tool for training surgeons, with some using it to hone their skills for complicated procedures, such as brain surgery. You also have the military using it to train soldiers. And you can see museums adopting the technology to deliver a more immersive, educational experience.

Back to the automotive industry, where Toyota is using VR to teach people about the dangers of distracted driving. It could also be used during car production to let people look inside the car in great detail (thanks to a high-quality render) even when they aren’t at the manufacturing facility.

 

And more!

This one is a throwback; remember when the US Air Force made the 33rd largest supercomputer using PS3s? 1,760 of them, to be precise. Not only was it big, but it was fast, too. At the time, it was actually the fastest interactive computer in the entire US Defense Department.

But we’re still seeing more and more examples of how we can use games for good to this day. CCP Games have even integrated scientific research into their massively popular game EVE Online. As part of what they call “Project Discovery” players can take part in a minigame that can help scientists fight COVID-19. By marking groups of cell populations present in blood, they can help scientists understand how different cell populations are altered through infection.

And this list is far from exhaustive! There are hundreds of other uses for video game tech I wish we could talk about but no one wants to read me go on for 10,000 words. It’s great to see video games have an influence on even more lives and show how it can be a force for greater good. With the impending release of new consoles and technology, we can’t wait to see what it’s used for next.

At REALTIME, we’re always looking for ways to improve what we do, across all aspects of our operations not only the video game trailers. We live and breathe this technology and if you need an experienced body for your next project, our team is the perfect pick. Get in touch with me at [email protected].