The line between CGI and live-action has blurred beyond recognition. In 2026, many of the most compelling brand videos you see on social media, TV, and digital platforms are either fully CGI or CGI-enhanced — and audiences can't tell the difference.
The economics have shifted dramatically. A traditional product video shoot requires location scouting, crew hiring, equipment rental, talent fees, catering, insurance, and post-production. A 30-second spot can easily cost $50K-$200K depending on complexity.
CGI production eliminates most physical constraints. No weather delays, no location permits, no product shipping, no reshoots. The entire production happens in digital space, with the ability to iterate, revise, and perfect every frame.
Creative freedom is perhaps the biggest advantage. With CGI, gravity is optional. Your product can float through impossible environments, transform between states, explode into components, and reassemble — all with photorealistic quality.
The production timeline comparison is striking. A traditional video shoot takes 4-8 weeks from brief to final delivery (planning, shoot days, editing). A CGI production of equivalent quality typically takes 2-4 weeks, with most of that time in creative refinement rather than logistics.
Social media has accelerated the shift to CGI. Brands need a constant stream of visual content — Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts. CGI production pipelines can output variations and seasonal updates far faster than coordinating new shoots.
Product launches benefit enormously from CGI. You can create a full campaign video before the physical product is manufactured. This means marketing materials launch simultaneously with the product, rather than weeks or months later.
The hybrid approach is increasingly popular. Shoot the lifestyle/human elements with live action, then composit CGI products into the footage. This gives you the authenticity of real people with the perfection of CGI products.
Our data shows CGI video content performs equally to live-action in engagement metrics. In some cases, the impossible visuals only CGI can achieve actually drive higher engagement due to the 'wow factor' that stops the scroll.