The Prevalence of Cheese.

[Iain Denby]

I'm aware of that, it's still cheesy.

 

Well I'm not getting rid of my leg warmers for anyone! :-)

[innerdream]

Well I'm not getting rid of my leg warmers for anyone! :-)

 

Fine!

[Adrian Bold]

This is all so true! I think I agree with everyone here, especially Steve Bell, its a general rant.

 

From a client's perspective, alot rant on themselves, with lines like "Architects have their own agenda, its so frustrating that they cant just design what we want! We're paying their bill at the end of the day!!" ... and so it applies to our field as well. R&D and the odd, very liberal client are the only opportunities to try to do something different....

 

...Having said that, on the few occasions guys in our studio think they've got a fresh idea, before we know it we come across someone else's work with the same concept, whether in AV, tvcs, or other media. With globalised economies and media the way it is, and the way work is shared across this site, it's not half surprising to find once fresh ideas suddenly emulated to the point of becoming cheesy.

 

However, there are more pressing concerns to deal with.

[M V]

Why don't we resist and tell the client it's cheesy? We are the professionals and our opinion should matter. I hear a lot of people saying "its client driven" isn't our role to help the client envision and present the best image possible? If a client wants a flock of birds, I would tell them that it does nothing to help the illustration - bottom line. Unless the building is near a bird sanctuary.

 

A rendering has to tell a story, and to me, a flock of birds above the building simply says that your car is going to get pooped on.

[innerdream]

isn't our role to help the client envision and present the best image possible?

 

Yes it is, just like it's the Architects job to steer the client into good decisions. Unfortunately sometimes it's just not worth the effort to try and persuade someone do to variables beyond your control.

[Claudio Branch]

I'm thinking in this case it is time to start showing bird poop on the cars, people and sidewalks.

 

You have to take the good with the bad.

 

V-RayPoop! Are you listening Vlado?

[beestee]

I see a lot of the bigger Viz houses generate images that I call cheesy. You know the ones, a flock of birds in the sky, a camera tilt for no apparent reason, soft focus and bloom effects, scantily clad women in come hither poses etc. Then there is the Maxwell camp which I see far fewer images like this, ones that utilize restraint and come closer to an image/photograph from a magazine of a real project.

 

I personally hate the Cheese but it's ever soooo popular. Why is that? Is there room for realism without cheese or are the clients we serve unable to accept a more sophisticated image?

 

Discuss.

 

The client is generally looking for "good enough" on a budget. It's not that the client wouldn't appreciate a more sophisticated presentation, but on their budget it generally does not fit. As Mr. Dave B said, if you aren't given time to complete a design, the best you can do is distract and avoid, i.e. "a flock of birds in the sky, a camera tilt for no apparent reason, soft focus and bloom effects, scantily clad women in come hither poses etc."

 

There just are not that many clients in the arch vis industry that want to pay for anything above standard. So the best imagery will be reserved for the rare willing clients, the personal projects, and the artists willing to eat the rest of the cost themselves, in effect undercharging for their efforts.

[Archiform 3D]

Why don't we resist and tell the client it's cheesy? We are the professionals and our opinion should matter. I hear a lot of people saying "its client driven" isn't our role to help the client envision and present the best image possible? If a client wants a flock of birds, I would tell them that it does nothing to help the illustration - bottom line. Unless the building is near a bird sanctuary.

 

A rendering has to tell a story, and to me, a flock of birds above the building simply says that your car is going to get pooped on.

 

Oh, I think most of us do try to persuade the client to ditch the bull#$%t parts but they are so insistent sometimes that you just have to grit your teeth and do it. A lot ask questions about these junky things and I tell them "its 3D, we can do ANYTHING, but do you really want to?"

 

None of us are going to flatly refuse to do it so I guess the client wins and gets the cheese he deserves so much. I came across one client who insisted that his yellow Hummer was always somewhere in the rendering....

[innerdream]

I came across one client who insisted that his yellow Hummer was always somewhere in the rendering....

 

I'll have a side of ego with my cheese please.

[Iain Denby]

I came across one client who insisted that his yellow Hummer was always somewhere in the rendering....

 

Next time, show the flock of birds flying off with it!

[Nic H]

please no more birds in the sky

[leoA4D]

please no more birds in the sky

 

Maybe the wife likes birds or a trusted friend noted birds are a must. Perhaps it is your judgement against a whim or an "expert". Clients believe what they want to believe and if you question that it can be perceived as an attack on their judgement. To some clients, that is a crime second only to telling the client he/she is uncivilized.

 

Unless you are a star or wealthy or do not give a damn, give your (sensitively worded) opinion once and if it is a no-go, smile and move on. The difficult clients can make it feel like you are in a "pleasure the client" business. They pay the bill.

 

What percentage of clients are control freaks and expect you to bend? 90-95%? If so, that leaves a small pool of open-minded clients. How do those that choose another path (I named a couple earlier) get those ambitious projects? Collectively, do they represent say 5% of this business? Are you willing to do what it takes to get into the little pool when there are many more opportunities offering much more money in the big pool?

[architectandy]

I was recently asked to do the construct/desonstrcut thing for an animation - but had no idea where to start! Is there some sort of plug-in for that? I'm kinda hoping there is because I'm already dreading the key-framing process if I cant find one! I promise not to show anything that resembles cheese if I find it!!

[3dway]

How about some extraordinary examples of both cheese and maxwell? For those of us that are weak on terminology.

[cadmunkey]

There are a few examples of 'cheese' in the 2009 3D awards, go have a look.