6 Tips to Make Your Virtual Spaces Look Real

CGI is now as popular, if not more so, than traditional photography, thanks to its many benefits. But even though it’s quicker and more versatile than a traditional room set shoot, you still need to employ the same amount of attention to style and setting in order to achieve that photorealistic wow factor. Here’s our six tips for styling your CGI roomsets into believable living spaces.

1. Don’t skimp on the props

A CGI roomset needs the same level of dressing as a physical one. Furniture, cushions, vases, plants, curtains, crockery, food... Make up style-specific mood boards ahead of time so you can reference different styles and furnishings to help you dress your rooms.

2. Play with proportions

You’re the master of this reality, but that means you have to obey certain rules and expectations when it comes to proportions and angles in order to capture that photorealistic truth. Carefully consider if your props are correctly proportioned together in the space. But also, have a play around with things – perhaps a bigger vase would work better, so scale up! It’s all about experimenting and seeing what works.

3. Light can be illuminating

The right lighting employed in the right way can evoke a range of emotional responses; the hazy afternoon sun of a warm autumn day streaming in the windows; the flicker of a roaring fire in a quiet reading room; bright white LED spotlighting in a sleek and stylish contemporary kitchen. Light is more than just functional in a CGI space; give it personality and let it accentuate the scene you’re trying to achieve.

4. Add movement

Adding the suggestion of movement can give your CGI a more dynamic feel. Things like water running from a tap, a pan steaming on the stovetop, or a curtain blowing gently next to an open door or window. It gives your images that ‘moment in time’ feel, instead of feeling too staged.

5. Look at real-world trends

We’re all influenced in our choices and preferences by what we see around us, in magazines, on adverts and billboards, even in our favourite programmes or soaps. Gather real-world examples of trends and keep up to date with how people are styling their homes to keep your CGI looking contemporary and relevant.

6. Make it look lived in

Add details suggestive of a particular lifestyle that connects to your audience; an open book on the coffee table, a lit candle on the side of the bathtub, food prepped for making a meal, or a glass of wine poured and waiting on the counter. Put the viewer right there in the scene for maximum impact.