The Benefits of Working With a Small But Mighty Studio

An Effortless Process and Easy Collaboration

Right from the beginning until the very end of a project with Kub Studio, the customer has only one point of contact: the Production Manager. He rapidly becomes an anchor. It doesn’t matter what stage we’re at in the production pipeline or what needs the client has, he always knows who to contact and how. Just for starters, this eliminates having to play telephone tag and the loss of information that it can sometimes lead to.

Because the production manager is involved from the first moment to the last, he knows the project like the back of his hand. The customer can therefore be assured that their style and requirements will remain consistent throughout the process. The bigger the studio, the longer the transmission belt between the customer and the artists. At Kub Studio, the manager acts as the direct contact between both parties. Both therefore benefit from being able to work closely together. Messages are conveyed easily, without any delays or loss of integrity. This type of approach does away with a lot of red tape. It’s this more human and less bureaucratic way of doing things that enables us to rapidly launch and carry out a project. Which means that our small (and formidable) team can fit numerous projects into its schedule.

“Being able to collaborate with a partner who understands our vision and who’s easy to work with, is crucial to our process.” Terry, Arborite

“The team is always there to answer questions and give their insight, which is truly helpful as a client.” Erienne, FloorFolio

Obviously, for this smooth-running system to work, you need to have a good Production Manager. And boy oh boy did we find one.

Victor is a true maestro. His role is to structure the projects and assign them to the relevant 3D artists. He also conducts regular follow-ups from start to finish, as well as making sure projects are on schedule and on budget. With five years of experience at Kub Studio, he has managed to enhance project management, making the firm more efficient.

His greatest strength however lies in his professional training: Victor is a senior 3D artist himself! He therefore has the hands-on experience needed to accurately assess the time and budget required for any project. Moreover, because he is so well-versed in the discipline, he knows how to popularize it for customers.

Because we’re a small team, he’s the only person who oversees production. He’s therefore had the chance to work on projects in a wide variety of fields. He’d be able to recite, by heart, not only the more general questions asked by all customers, but also the specific concerns of each area of activity. As he works in close proximity with all the artists, he knows his team better than anyone and therefore knows which designer has exactly the right skills to carry out a particular project. There’s something reassuring about knowing he’ll always put his best players on your team, isn’t there?

“Victor is our go-to guy for making any 3D renderings of our showers and/or lifestyle bathrooms. He always takes his time to understand what we are looking for. He works so well with me, the graphic designer, and makes everyone feel comfortable.” Jessica, Pulse Shower Spas

We’ve talked about Victor and his conductor’s baton, now let’s take a look at Simon with his magic wand! Our Artistic Director has been at Kub Studio for over 10 years, ever since we added 3D to our portfolio of services. His task is to make sure that all the images coming out of the studio meet our quality standards and respect the customer’s style, that our artistic choices are current and up to date, and that there’s the highest possible level of realism. Like our Production Manager, he has collaborated on all kinds of projects and therefore stays abreast of all the latest trends in various areas.

Simon is also a senior 3D artist, so the advice he offers the team is not just judicious, it’s constructive. He can see what needs to be done to an image to give it that little extra something, and he also knows how to explain how to go about it. Thanks to the human scale of our studio, every single project benefits from this expertise. Every image and animation is subjected to Simon’s eagle eye. Customers can thus expect consistency and the same degree of rigour in all their projects.

“The results obtained by working with Kub Studio are uncannily realistic and always first rate. A courteous and very creative team, it’s always a pleasure to discuss what we have in mind and then enhance these ideas together.” Patrick, Ezi Brand Design

A Multidisciplinary Team

Keeping a human scale studio isn’t everything. In fact, it’s all about the combination of the size and the make-up of the team. At Kub Studio, the designers have all received advanced training in 3D. However, they each developed their expertise in different fields: cinema, special effects, architecture, video games… As such, they all have their own specific artistic and technical background. When the team is faced with a challenge, the members can pool their know-how and rapidly find creative solutions. It would take a lot longer and be a lot harder if they all had the same profile. Because they work so closely together, there’s no need to wait for a major obstacle to crop up during a production meeting for them to share helpful tips and advice. They do so on a daily basis, and each and every project benefits from this pooling of knowledge.

The number of years of experience is another variable that sets the Kub Studio team apart. We’ve not only got artists who are fresh out of school, we also have veterans with more than ten years under their belt. Former practices therefore mix with the new; the latest techniques go hand in hand with the tried and tested; all the team members have something to learn from one another as well as to teach one another.

All-Round Artists

Learning is indeed at the very heart of everything Kub Studio does. At a large studio, departments are sometimes very segmented and an artist will therefore work on a very specific section of a project before passing it on to the next person. For example, a texture specialist may only ever do textures, one project after another, and sometimes not even see the finished product. At Kub Studio, the 3D artists carry out their projects from A to Z. To double-back on our example, they are not only in charge of textures, they also see to the modelling, lighting, postproduction, and so forth. This can be very rewarding because it’s easy for them to see the results of their efforts. The artists are therefore very committed to what they’re creating. In terms of professional development, they can choose to progress as a generalist or to specialize in a specific area. As they have the opportunity to experiment with all aspects of 3D animation and images, they can then make an informed choice when it comes to a specific field. In short, it’s very motivating for the individual members, but it’s also very beneficial for the studio as a whole. This type of model appeals to designers who enjoy experimenting and stepping out of their comfort zone. This is what allows us to say yes to all sorts of projects, even ones that are completely new to us. And we reap the benefits of this every time.

“We are cranking up the content creation volume and your team has stepped up to the challenge, so thank you” Francisco, Jacuzzi

In sum, there are great strengths behind a small team. It’s not, however, the size in itself that should influence your decision to choose one studio over another, it’s your needs. Check each studio’s specialities, see if its production pipeline corresponds to your work methods and whether you’re inspired by their portfolios. A personality match between you and your direct contact person is also paramount. In short, shop around. Our little studio can’t wait to hear about your project!