The Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Creative Work

There are certain areas of business which require a focus on creativity in specific disciplines in order to achieve specific aims or objectives.  Not only is the core activity of many businesses not creativity itself, but there may be the need for specialized creative skills which either aren’t currently available in-house, or aren’t available in the right measure or balance to achieve those aims or objectives.  Achieving, maintaining and nurturing true and focused creativity has traditionally been a part of businesses which has proven elusive due to number or constraints and pressures.  It has often been something which has been found to work best when separated from what are considered to be more practical and less creative aspects of the day to day running of businesses.  Outsourcing per se is an increasing global trend, and is commonplace in many different areas of business.  Outsourcing of creative work is therefore particularly beneficial for many companies for a number of sound reasons

Why Outsource Creative Work?

A Fresh Perspective and New Ideas

Most businesses and organisations of all kinds have their own culture and the restraints of their own particular business environments which they operate within. Whatever that organisation does internally generally takes place within and is influenced by the confines and context of that culture and business environment. As such, getting a truly fresh creative perspective and creating the right environment to allow this to happen is often hard to achieve in-house.  Even ‘creative’ companies have tended to separate their creative function from other aspects of the business in order to achieve the necessary creative quality.  Outsourcing creative work can therefore bring many more creative solutions and ideas which can help to establish differentiating factors and a competitive edge which are very hard to copy.

Allow Greater Concentration on the Core Business

With the creative factors essentially being taken care of elsewhere by trusted experts, this frees up the organisation’s time and resources so that they can be focused fully on what the organisation does best – its core business.

Leverage the Benefits of Specific Skills, Experience and Expertise

Taking 3D visualisation and digital content provision as an example, many organisations are unlikely to have or to realistically be able to develop the necessary skills and expertise in-house in this area within acceptable time and budgetary constraints.  It may also be the case that these specific skills are only needed ‘as and when’ rather than on an ongoing basis, so that best use can be made of available resources.

It is also likely to be the case that with a 3D visualisation and content provider that offers a wide range of services, beneficial integration of skills and services for the customers will be much easier and much more likely.

Highly relevant project management skills are also something very valuable and difficult to acquire that outsourcing to a specialist creative company could provide.

Lower Costs

The costs of setting up a creative centre in house e.g. specifically for effective 3D visualisation and digital content provision would simply be prohibitive and unrealistic for most companies e.g. specialised staff, equipment, training etc.  It makes much better business sense to use the services of an organisation which already has all of these in place, and has the experience and economies of scale to provide the right quality of services at the right price on demand

Reduced Risks and Better Problem Solving

The risks of investing time, scarce resources and money into areas that organisations have limited knowledge or experience of can be dramatically reduced by outsourcing to a creative company for whom it is essentially their core business.

The experience and knowledge that specialist creative companies already have can also mean that potential problems with projects and ideas are anticipated, minimised, and solved much more quickly and easily using the outsourcing route.

Why Not Outsource Creative Work?

An Unknown Quantity

The thought of outsourcing work to an organisation that you have not worked with before can lead to many worries based around trust, protecting your organisation’s name and reputation, dissonance, and a general fear of the unknown.  High quality creative companies however should be able to provide references, testimonials, and detailed case studies and examples of how they have or could overcome similar challenges to the ones you are facing with highly beneficial results.

Loss of Control

There is a natural need for all of us to feel that we are in control of our situation and environment, particularly where business in concerned.  However, trying to maintain, manage, and control something which we have little knowledge about or experience of can often bring an amount of stress and problems which are not only not worth the cost and trouble, but may also have a negative impact on our ability to manage many of the day to day aspects of business that we are normally capable of doing e.g. due to more limited time.  Outsourcing to a specialist is in fact often the best way of retaining and gaining control of a situation, and is often likely to bring the best and most effective outcomes.




See more at www.philpauley.com/cruise.html

Video Streaming and 3D Integration

Video Streaming and 3D Integration

The use of 3D in entertainment and business is currently hitting an all time high. 3D cinema is widely available and large manufacturers such as Samsung have launched 3D ready TV.  Recent collaborations involving computer and Internet giant Microsoft have focused on developing 3D enabled Internet browsers and smooth streaming, High Definition (HD), high quality3D streamed video.  Even the 2010 Masters Golf Tournament was shot in 3D for U.S. audiences with 3D enabled TVs and computers.  With 3D in the mainstream and with the mass markets becoming familiar with the superior experience that 3D technology adds to a variety of media, the timing for integrating 3D with streaming video for online marketing couldn’t be better.

Streaming Video

Streaming video online allows Internet users to view and experience video content without having to waste time waiting for an entire video file to download.  The phenomenally popular YouTube is a good example of how this media delivery method can be used to distribute rich content on demand to millions of users world wide every day. The advanced coding and video distribution technologies mean that audiences can experience dynamic and highly engaging content in a fast, smooth, and uninterrupted way. The technicalities of video streaming involve production of a video (pre-recorded or live) which is compressed to send (and decompressed at the other end), and transmitted to a Web server which is capable of delivering the same content to multiple users at once if necessary, and is viewed by the target audience via the use of a media player.  The media player used by the end viewer can be for example one of the many widely available players which work with the most common streaming file formats e.g. Windows Media, RealMedia, QuickTime etc, or downloadable proprietary or other specific players which relate to the particular format e.g. more specialised 3D players.

Integrating 3D

The widespread domestic and commercial use of the Internet, the wide availability of high bandwidth and fast Internet connections and standard protocols of all kinds, the huge technological advancement of and investment in viewing capabilities, and a mass market that are switched on to and hungry for the benefits of 3D provide the perfect conditions for its integration with video streaming. 3D itself provides a range of benefits which massively enhance any form of communication, presentation, and education.  3D allows concepts or accurate representation of real things e.g. products, components, buildings, vehicles etc to be clearly visualised and experienced in a highly realistic context. The subjects of the 3D animation and visualisation can be demonstrated and experienced like never before because the viewer can navigate them, move around them, view them and operate / work them, and interact with them in a way that allows unparalleled levels of comprehension and true understanding.

Application

For most business organisations, integration of 3D into streaming video made available via a website presents a major opportunity in marketing communications. Videos incorporating 3D motion graphics and product visualisation can allow website users to experience realistic fly throughs, presentations and the exploration of art and architecture, as well as facilities management tours.  The maximum leverage and added value can be gained from 3D advertising showreels, physics engines, and corporate presentations by making them available online via streaming video. The same technique can even allow website visitors, customers or potential customers to experience real time tours.  This can be an incredibly effective technique, particularly where creating the environment or physically moving the person to the environment being shown is simply too expensive or not financially or physically possible at that moment in time.

Adding a dramatic extra dimension to what is already a compelling way of presenting information and ideas over the web is therefore a very powerful sales, communication and educational tool which could provide a strong competitive edge to all organisations that use it.


Read more at www.cultureodyssey.org

Project your message in style!!

www.pauley-interactive.co.uk

A large part of marketing for any company is communication.  This can be communication of benefits, USP, brand values and attributes, promotional messages, communication within the company and with all stakeholders, and communication outside with customers, suppliers, associates, and affiliates and re-sellers.

One of the key elements of successful communication is that the receiver of the message truly understands as much of that message as possible. The differentiating factors in business which are the source of a company’s competitive edge are often of no real worth unless they are effectively communicated to the target audience.

All objects in the real world exist in 3D and human perception is optimised to make the best sense of information when this extra dimension is present, and yet many companies are still subject to the limitations of 2 Dimensions in their communications.  Web sites, sales and product presentations, training materials and videos, demos and show reels not only need to impart valuable information but also need to grab and hold attention, be fully understood, and to be memorised and recalled. 

These communication routes often rely on text, audio and a series of essentially 2D images. Although programs such as Power Point allow the incorporation of a variety of communicative tools which can condense and simplify data and information to an extent e.g. graphs, charts and diagrams, there are many limitations and situations where these tools are not enough.

The case for 3D                                                        

3D technology is such that it is often only really limited by imagination......

3D Graphics allow companies to create virtual situations, objects, environments and a combination of these which can be viewed from any angle and can be made to operate and move as they would in the real world.  For example, 3D Modelling and Motion Graphics allow a company to show a product before it has been built, or to create or re-create a situation or environment which may not be possible in reality due to cost, risk, or safety concerns.  3D Graphics can allow an accurate working virtual model to be built which lets all interested parties clearly visualise it, and therefore gain a true understanding of it in context..........

...............For example, for  components or combinations of moving parts, design flaws can be spotted, and rectified at this stage thus saving the time and expense of making and rectifying mistakes in the real world.  This can be particularly valuable to SMEs which may have limited R & D resources and budgets and for whom mistakes could be particularly costly.  3D Models and Motion Graphics can also have data attached to and gained from them which could in manufacturing situations for example lead to more accurate machining, and assist down the line in scheduling and budgeting.

3D Motion Graphics is a new and dynamic way of presenting. It also has the edge over other media when it comes to simplifying the understating of complex interactions and relationships, ideas and concepts, and where something involves lots of technical or scientific information.  Being able to accurately and realistically see, experience and perceive how objects look, move, turn, and interact with each other in different situations, and from different angles can save time, money and provide a much deeper understanding of the subject.

A Realistic Option for SMEs

Producing 3D Motion Graphics can in many cases take the same amount of time as producing appropriate 2D communications, but the 3D Motion Graphics have more uses and can be easily incorporated into many different types and channels of communications, thus making them very cost effective over time.  In addition to the superior flexibility of 3D Motion Graphics, as Marshall McLuhan said “the medium is the message” and a company’s target audiences may perceive greater value in the message, and the company brand itself where 3D motion graphics are used.

For more information about how your organisation could benefit from 3D Motion Graphics call Pauley Interactive on 01908 522532 or contact us online.

Flat is a Four Letter Word

Funny how we hear that business is flat, and the markets are flat, but you still need to be able to create and present work which stands out and stands up to your clients’ expectations. They’re still relying on your ideas, knowledge, skills and commitment to bring their ideas to life, make them stand out from the crowd, and get them the business. The next big wave of creative possibilities is just breaking on the shore – that wave is 3D.

The Genie’s Already Out of the Bottle

Whether it’s on a website, in the cinema, at a business presentation, or playing video games, we’ve all seen the power and scope that 3D adds to our experience, enjoyment and understanding of everything it touches. If we’ve seen it and experienced it, so have our customers, and they’re going to want truly creative companies big and small to be able to provide it. The 3D modelling and Animation market for example is estimated to be around the $220 million mark*, and set to grow even bigger in 2011.

Some Common Misconceptions

Creative, advertising, and marketing agencies, departments and companies, and web companies of all kinds want to make the jump to offering a full range of 3D Modelling and Animation service to their clients, but the perceived, investment, risk, and time involved in getting the capabilities in-house seem too great.

Many end customers now want to use power of 3D visualisation services in their web pages, presentations, and show reels, but imagine the costs to be beyond all realistic expectations.

3D Wishes

What creative and marketing companies or agencies do best is just that – to be creative and to add real value, and it’s perfectly natural to want to carry on doing that. What end customers want is not only to get a great return on their promotional investment in terms of enquiries, sales, and loyal customers, but to have that special difference which sets them apart and gets them ahead in their own marketplace. 


The Answers? 

Outsourcing the business to experienced, reliable 3D Visualisation and Content Providers has been the perfect solution for many creative and marketing organisations wanting to offer the latest in high impact creative sales and promotional tools to their customers. Outsourcing it to existing specialists means that:

Risks and costs are minimised, and it can be offered to customers today
It’s available on demand with a potentially fast turnaround
All that’s needed is the creative brief.

As with all new technologies, the quality and scope increases and the price decreases over time. The services of some 3D companies can in fact cost a fraction of what end customers currently imagine. In reality, outsourced 3D visualisation and content provision can mean that the latest 3D technologies can be offered to and used by companies of all sizes today. 3D modelling can provide attention grabbing interactive 3D presentations and imaginative selling ideas. Interactive 3D web pages can engage and educate customers, dramatically increase conversion rates, and add value like never before.

To find out more about how easy it can be outsource all your 3D visualisation and content needs call Pauley Interactive on +44 (0) 1908 522 532 on contact us online.

(*source: johnpeddie.com)

The Value of Incorporating 3D in Web Pages

Historic Development in Web pages

In practical terms the basic end customer demands and needs expressed to Web companies have evolved very little over time since they are more related to the demand of the business and the market than the web itself.

Early websites were more like online brochures, before companies began to focus more on the need for those pages to actually be able to generate enquiries and sales. The need to measure, monitor and manage these sales through more detailed stats packages then went hand in hand with the need to make web pages rank as highly as possible search engines. In the meantime customers were focusing on the need to update the design elements of their pages, and welcomed the increased functionality and animation that e.g. Flash movies offered them. Web companies also tried to deal with the challenges and opportunities posed by the dominance, growth, and increasing sophistication and diversity of Google.

Today, many businesses have essentially moved onto the Web and therefore the pressure on Web companies to make the right decisions, and offer the right range and quality of services has never been greater. One thing however has remained vitally important – getting the customer’s message across effectively.

Getting the Message Across

Challenges to getting a marketing message across include among other things:

Ongoing competitor and market activity
Ongoing search engine evolution
Multiple Platforms and fragmented markets
The limitations imposed by budgets, time, resources
Getting and holding the attention and interest of website visitors.

Adding Value with 3D and Interactivity – 
                                                 -The Ultimate Design

Google’s focus on the need to deliver its customers to web pages and broadening categories of ‘content’ which provide a good and value adding experience is an indicator and reflection of the needs of all web users, whether businesses or individuals.

For today’s web companies, offering customers the ability to use and incorporate the latest 3D and interactive technology in their web presence provides a virtuous, value adding, competitive advantage for both Web companies and their customers.

What 3D and Interactive Web Content Can Offer the End Customer

The seamless incorporation of 3D Modelling and Interactive Web Page Design can allow customers to:
Grab and hold the attention of visitors, and involve them in the page and the marketing message like never before.
Allow true visualisation, online tours and exploration of technical, architectural, industrial and product representations online.

Create a more effective platform and environment for demonstrations, e learning, and sales generation.
Add value to website visitor experiences and increase conversion rates.

How Can a Web Company Offer Interactive Web Pages to Its Customers Today?

Outsourcing of Interactive Web Pages to a high quality 3D Visualisation and Content Provider is a relatively risk free, affordable and fast way to literally add a whole new dimension to the current product and service portfolio. Some such specialised companies can also offer a whole range of other 3D products and services including Interactive PDFs, Showreels, and Corporate Presentations through 3D Modelling. The benefits to Web companies can include:

Increased profits and upselling opportunities
The chance to stay one step ahead in what is typically fast moving industry
Greater customer satisfaction and loyalty
The opportunity to enter different markets at a higher level.

For more information about how your Web company could easily outsource its interactive web page and 3D requirements, call Pauley Interactive on 01908 522 532 on contact us online.

Saudi Arabia Rainforest Project

Phil Pauley has been travelling to Saudi Arabia for the past few years inline with its growing interest in renewable energy investment and an increase in Cultural Tourism and Education within The Kingdom.

Forget stereotype ideologies, Saudi Arabia is driving the region with a huge increase in inward investment towards sustainable infrastructure and is striving to increase their "green profile" globally.

The Saudi Biome project embraces all of the above, sustainable energy, cultural tourism and educational opportunities for the entire region. This will be a real rainforest environment in the desert!

If the plans are approved within the coming months partners will be selected to build the worlds largest undercover Biosphere created within one of the hottest and hostile environments in the world.

Phil's outline concept design incorporates a waterfall, aquarium, eating areas, a hotel, commercial and residential units, a shopping centre and a central viewing area and restaurant at the very top.
 

Sub Biosphere 2

The Sub Biosphere 2 has been featured on CNN, click here to see it.

From an early age Phil Pauley has been visualising marine habitat concepts. In 1997 his dissertation "Water, water everywhere" centered around a design for a self-sufficient marine habitat entitled Sub-Biosphere 2 inspired by the trails of the Biosphere 2 Project in the USA.

He has had letters of support from a wide range of governmental departments including the Prime Ministers Office, Global Corporations such as Virgin Management and international celebrities such as Sir David Attenborough.

His research into establishing a Global Marine Research Program through the implementation of a self-sustainable underwater habitat remains his passion and his ultimate life experience goal. His commitment to preserving life, sustainable design and environmental awareness is at the forefront of all his work.

For further information please contact info@philpauley.com

Visualisation by: Pauley Interactive

Bi Computing™ - Back to Back Computing

Bi Computing, the latest concept from concept designer Phil Pauley, with a Back to Back Monitor is the next generation of computer must haves. Not only is Bi Commuting designed for the home entertainment market but is also designed as a solution for best practice business policy. 

It provides the perfect platform for gamers, internet surfers, business applications or watching TV and movies all at the same time, in the same place. It's a computer system designed for multi-user application to reduce costs and energy consumption, increase production and reduce waste. For further information please contact info@philpauley.com

"Each of the two screens can, incidentally, be used to run from a separate source, which could mean the end of playing games versus watching TV fights in many a household up and down the land." (Times Online) 

 

Visualisation by: Pauley Interactive

Urban Tree Planter™

The Urban Tree Planter designed by Phil Pauley and developed by Pauley Interactive and Waterman Group PLC will help architects, developers and specifiers achieve a number of key sustainability goals in all kinds of developments. 

The Urban Tree Planter provides a solution to the modern urban environment, where space is restricted, planning permission is complex and hard to achieve, and greenery is becoming ever more important.

It is the first attempt at Standardising urban Tree installation and management where natural tree growth will be restricted due to underground services. For further information please contact info@philpauley.com

"A modular planting system that allows trees to be planted in difficult urban situations was launched at Ecobuild." (Horticulture Week)

Hydrostatic Turbines™

Hydrostatic Turbines™ are self sustainable electric power plants designed to operate underwater at depth.

The Turbines are situated in groups of "cells" and consist of the "Body" and the "Cap" which acts like a pump.

Electricity can be used on land through a connecting electrical umbilical cord or through retrieving the "Storage" cells.

Each unit acts like an electricity generating "spinning top", sustained by the continuous pumping action of the (handle) Cap.

Electricity is generated by the external atmospheric pressure on the Cap interacting with a system of magnets that turn a turbine repetitively.

Designed by Phil Pauley and visualised by Pauley Interactive, Hydrostatic Turbines will revolutionise the way the World produces sustainable electricity.

Halo Intersceptor - One Car - 360° Transportation™

Designed by Phil Pauley The Halo Intersceptor is a multi functional vehicle, based around one car that can couple with several vehicle attachments to form the basis of private air, sea and land travel. The next generation of super sports, leisure and business travel. A unique and cutting edge opportunity to experience the ultimate in multi-faceted transportation designed and developed for the most discerning independent traveler.

No need for superlatives, no hyperbole, just desire and good business sense... For further information please contact info@philpauley.com

"A Pauley Interactive creation, the Halo Intersceptor is the future of travel as we know it. Imagine being able to drive your car to the airport, fly it over water and land in a faraway island all in the same vehicle. " (Trend Hunter)

SAUDI ARABIA TO INITIATE AND BUILD DESERT RAINFOREST

“SAUDI BIOME...OASIS IN THE DESERT”

Concept designer Phil Pauley(Pauley Interactive Company Director) www.philpauley.com has been invited back to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to present his design for the Saudi Biome Project to the Ministry of Education and Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.

Working closely with the UKTI both in the UK and in the Middle East, Phil’s conceptual designs have sparked the interest of international news again. This is the first time a Conceptual Designer has been involved in designing a building before an Architectural Practice has been selected, and marks a new era in open source architectural design.

The project that promotes “bringing the rainforest to the desert” has been ear marked for a central location in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia and will encompass a hotel, residential units and retails space within a rainforest environment and a 200ft waterfall.

The design has posed a number of challenges including water management and heat regulation within a building 3 x larger than that of the Eden Project, Cornwall.

Following from his successes with the Sub-Biosphere 2 concept featured globally and on CNN’s The Big Idea, Pauley the young British Designer is starting to get recognition for his conceptual design work around the world.

Pauley Interactive are heavily involved in visualising and realising the Biome. For further please email press@pauley-interactive.co.uk or info@philpauley.com

DAYTONA PROPERTY PROKART CHALLENGE!

Friday 17th September saw Daytona International host the annual Property Prokart Challenge and 2010 was the 13th year at the Milton Keynes Circuit, where they house the infamous Formula 1 Pit Stop Challenge adding to the drama and excitement amongst the races.

The Property Industry Professionals geared themselves up during the 2 hour Qualifier, separating the men from the boys! to then fight it out over the 6 hour endurance race, which was run on Daytona’s new fleet of ProKarts which performed flawlessly on the day.

Holding their own with the hard hitting pro’s were the team at Pauley Interactive and in their first year participating, achieved a modest 25 seconds at the Pit Stop Challenge (18 seconds being the quickest) and coming an impressive 11th out of the 24 teams attending, after starting 18th.

A highlight during the year for the Property Moguls as a fun, friendly, competition and industry gathering enjoyed by all. Group team and individual images courtesy of the in-house photographer at Pauley Interactive, can be downloaded at http://www.pauley-interactive.co.uk/Property-ProKart-Challenge-2010/Property_ProKart_Challenge_2010.html

3D Here to Stay?

As we push the boundaries of 3D visualisation and develop more platforms of viewing, its only natural that accounts and heads of departments have an expectation of faster delivery and greater visual impact that will exploit, (as much as possible) the ever decreasing attention span of there potential customer. As demand increases we should see higher quality imagery and animation filtering down to the mainstream markets. We are already seeing good quality productions linked to company web sites and blogs. Many will embed third party video's and animation reels from sites such as google.

High street business and micro businesses have the need to connect to their customers and target audience as much as the big corporates. In a fast moving and competitive world its essential that smaller business use every platform available to them to stand out from the crowd and win customers overs. The boom in stereoscopic animation has now opened the markets for greater immersive viewing experience down from the big screen Friday night visit, to mobile phone and apps user interface, that can give the owner a whole new visual treat whilst on the move!

Technological advancement and a greater range of software has given every business and organisation the ability to bring almost Hollywood glamor and TV production style visuals to their audience without the need for blockbuster marketing budgets. 3D Visualisation has the ability to give your message that extra wow factor. No longer do you have to settle for two dimensional imagery for your web sites or power point presentations!

Pauley Interactive is a multidiciplinary digital content provider. We are versatile and creative independant company that specialises in interactive Web Pages, PDF, Showreels, and Corporate presentations through 3D modeling and Immersive Audience Engagement. Our mission is to provide a highly creative, proffesional project management and innivotive digital visualisation service to allow your audience to visualise the past present and future...

If you would like to talk to us regarding your existing or future campaigns then call us on 01908 522532 or email us at info@pauley-interactive.co.uk

www.3dpi.co.uk