Pre-Production

Concept & Scripting

The client provided a strong starting point for tone and visuals through their logo, brochure, and brand guide. These laid down clear rules for color, typography, and messaging—giving us the framework we needed for layout, animation timing, and final compositing. The script followed a logical path from identifying risk to presenting a solution and showcasing value, mirroring the client’s sales funnel while leaving room for metaphor and visual storytelling.

We built each sequence to follow the narration closely. The opener set the stage with a physicalized kitchen disaster to establish liability, immediately followed by a data chart showing the insurance gap. Later scenes focused on the five covered perils (Fire, Smoke, Explosion, Water Discharge, Sewer Backup), each animated with stylized physics to bring the policy to life. This structure kept the visuals anchored to the strategy behind the script.

Rapid Prototyping (RP)

During the RP phase, we started building the stylized isometric kitchen that would carry the story. Everything was made from scratch in Cinema 4D—a clean, diorama-style setup that allowed for top-down camera passes and layered UI. The scene animated itself into view using Fracture objects and Scale effectors: walls rose, furniture dropped in, props landed with slight delays. The whole reveal kicked off with a rotating floor mechanic that opened the narrative and introduced the space the policy protects.

We packed the environment with carefully chosen low-poly props—fruits, cookware, appliances—that could support multiple story beats. Nothing was static. Everything moved with intent—rolling, bouncing, sliding, or shaking—to give the space energy without muddying the visuals.

We also prototyped the big transformation moment: a 3D bar chart showing uninsured renters collapses into a safe, which then turns into the RLL logo. The chart build used MoGraph cloners and effectors for control, but we switched to manual keyframing for the safe-to-logo part to preserve clarity and visual weight. The safe used nested nulls, rotation constraints, and latch animations, with spring effectors layered in for realism and bounce.

RP also included early icon animations. Using vector art, we extruded the icons into 3D and animated them with simple bounce-in timing and spatial logic to match real-world object physics. All RP sequences used viewport lighting and flat colors—fast to preview, still brand-aligned.

Early Visual Styles Explored

We tested several layout and lighting options during RP. Wall structure was a key variable—some scenes had full three-wall builds, others used minimal base elements with background gradients. We landed on a partial-wall look that kept the isometric box feel while giving us freedom for lighting and camera moves.

We also tested background color: flat blue versus dark gray. Blue won for clarity and brand alignment; gray was used in transitions. Typography layout and sizing got a lot of attention—we made sure everything was readable inside the 2.5D setup.

The “RLL Advantages” scene also got early treatment. We explored floating isometric text and stacking visuals—some builds used kinetic text stacks, others leaned on icon drops and dollar signs to underscore savings. These tests shaped how the scene came together in production.

RP animation tests focused on how to communicate chaos and control. We dropped objects with simulated physics, built cascading motion across scenes, and created rules for how elements like smoke, fire, and water would behave. Spring effectors were a big part of the toolset—used for bounce, drag, and build animations throughout the environment and UI.

For the water discharge moment, we ran a full RealFlow sim in Cinema 4D. Water burst from the faucet into the sink, then flowed over the counter and floor. All furniture was tagged as collision geometry to make the interaction feel grounded. Once final, we cached the sim to Alembic and dropped it into the main timeline.

We also developed lightweight procedural motion—text reveals, bounce-in icons, camera swings—using MoGraph Delay and Step effectors to stay cohesive. Every motion was synced to the VO and built for clear storytelling without visual noise.

Style Choices and Reasoning

We chose a stylized isometric approach because it gave us control, clarity, and a way to tell complex stories about risk in a visual format that made sense. The layout let us show property damage in a tight, readable frame. Using low-poly models and clean lighting cut down on clutter, making room for UI and data visuals.

The kitchen design kept the focus on the core ideas—not realism. The chart-to-safe transformation worked better as metaphor, and the stylized treatment helped us turn financial protection into a visual story. Fire, water, and smoke followed that same design logic—believable enough to signal danger, stylized enough to blend with the scene.

The result was a visual language that made abstract insurance value tangible—clear, fast, and on-brand. It helped make risk feel real, and made the product’s value visible in seconds.

Production (Full Production / FP)

Look Development

Full Production kicked off with a deep dive into look development, fine-tuning the tone, spatial setup, and visual clarity of the kitchen environment. The RP phase gave us a solid isometric foundation, but here we expanded across multiple visual dimensions to build an aesthetic that could carry the full narrative while staying tight to the brand.

We tested different wall configurations—full enclosure, partial, and open setups—and explored background color options from flat blue to gradient gray. The final setup retained two back walls to frame the space with a theatrical diorama effect, while opening up the front and side for better readability and lighting flexibility. This layout preserved the isometric look but gave us room to layer in UI, 3D icons, and smooth camera passes.

For backgrounds, we ran lighting passes against both a neutral mid-gray and the brand’s flat blue. The blue won out for contrast and alignment with RLL’s identity—it made white titles pop and helped darker props hold visual ground. Fonts were refined in tandem, with adjustments to size, line weight, and placement to ensure legibility across devices and screen sizes.

Design & Animation

Asset development leveled up from RP, with more refined modeling, enhanced lighting, and more nuanced animation. Kitchen props were sharpened—bevels adjusted, edges highlighted—to help objects stand out against the backdrop. We bumped up the realism slightly with soft surface reflections on key props like the fridge, sink, and stovetop, all while sticking to the low-poly, stylized look.

Lighting moved beyond the basic viewport setup. We layered in HDRI for ambient bounce and used directional spotlights to build volume and draw focus. The HDRI gave us soft global illumination, while the spotlights helped punch object silhouettes—especially in action-heavy moments like water bursts or fire ignition.

Animation got a full polish pass. Object motion was retimed with refined easing to build weight and realism. Secondary animation was added using Delay and Spring effectors: bouncing title cards, elastic object landings, ripple effects. Every kitchen interaction—like apples falling or water splashing—was tuned for clarity and precision.

The “RLL Advantages” scene went through a full rebuild. We replaced flat graphics with extruded 3D type set in isometric space. Symbols like dollar signs were animated to orbit and drop around the typography before funneling into a 3D piggy bank. This became a visual shorthand for savings and added a touch of brand personality.

The water discharge moment was the heaviest lift technically. We reused the RealFlow sim from RP but upgraded the surface materials and reflections for realism. Wet surfaces were styled using specular highlights, making areas like tile and countertops feel just saturated enough without breaking the stylized tone.

Style Choices and Reasoning

The isometric diorama was the right choice for storytelling—tight spatial control with enough room to create and contain chaos. It gave us a clean environment for layering on complex visuals like simulations, overlays, and icons without losing visual order. The space allowed for smart use of Z-depth while keeping a readable visual hierarchy. It supported the message: control risk, reclaim order.

Stylization let us play with metaphor and exaggeration. A small leak could become a scene-filling event. Data charts could transform into safes. Symbols could fill piggy banks. These narrative beats wouldn’t land in a realistic world—but in a stylized one, they clicked intuitively.

We chose Cinema 4D’s Physical Renderer for soft, brand-appropriate lighting without the render noise that often plagues more complex pipelines. This gave us fast iteration without sacrificing finish. By keeping models light and working natively in C4D, we could relight and revise late in the game without killing momentum.

Technical Details

Everything was produced in Cinema 4D, rendered with the Physical Renderer. Materials were kept intentionally flat, but tuned—roughness, low-gloss reflections, and soft highlights—to keep the look elevated but not realistic. Lighting used HDRI domes for ambient light and directional spots for highlights and focus control.

The RealFlow water sim was the most resource-intensive piece, cached to Alembic for pipeline efficiency. Icons and perils were all extruded from vector art and animated with MoGraph effectors and spline-linked nulls for consistent motion paths.

Text animation was driven by MoText setups layered with delay and step effectors. The piggy bank sequence used a hybrid rig with attractor dynamics and gravity keyframes to simulate falling coins in a way that felt controlled but organic.

Cameras followed a locked isometric path with light zooms and lateral shifts—enough movement to introduce parallax without breaking the visual plane.

Post-Production & Delivery

Final Compositing & Color Grading

Once all 3D scenes were rendered using Cinema 4D’s Physical Renderer, we moved into Adobe After Effects to handle compositing, graphics integration, and the final polish. The top priority here was staying true to the brand guide—we reviewed every frame to make sure typography, color, logo placement, and graphic layout lined up with RLL’s standards. Fonts, sizes, and animation timing were fine-tuned to match brand assets and stay clear across different platforms.

Even though the base renders featured flat colors and clean lighting, we applied a subtle color grade to tighten up contrast and highlight the saturated accents. Curve adjustments and hue tweaks helped keep skin tones natural, balanced the environment, and made the brand-orange elements pop. Scenes like fire bursts or cascading coins stayed visually punchy without straying from RLL’s palette.

Fire, smoke, and explosion effects—key visuals for the five covered perils—were added using real footage. These were carefully masked and tracked to the 3D scene to preserve the isometric look. We layered in sparks, lens flares, and debris where needed to create tension without stealing the show.

Maintaining the isometric illusion was critical—UI overlays and data callouts were built to look like they belonged in the space, not just sitting on top of it. Numbers were tracked to 3D scene and animated to rise up after peril events, tying cost visuals directly to risk moments.

Brand Consistency

There was no room for compromise on brand consistency. RLL’s orange and blue were used throughout—on backgrounds, in callouts, and in key visual moments. Typography stuck to the approved families and weights, with final kerning and placement adjustments made directly in After Effects. The closing RLL logo animation—a clean cube build—called back to the earlier safe transformation, giving the piece a strong sense of symmetry. The final white outro screen carried the logo and call-to-action (“Rethinking Risk. Visit us at RLLinsure.com”), centered and fading in soft to lock in brand recall.

Delivery

The final output was a 1080p H.264 video, optimized for both web and social use to strike a balance between quality and file size. We also delivered an .SRT subtitle file for accessibility and platform compatibility. Subtitles were synced to the narration and matched the final edit perfectly.

Transcript:

Who pays the price for a tenant's negligent acts? The property owner.

Here’s the problem: Most renters don’t have renters insurance and those who do, let it lapse. 

Renters Legal Liability protects the property owner.

RLL is a convenient, focused solution that protects property owners from their tenants’ negligent acts. 

RLL protects property owners from the 5 perils

1. Fire

2. Water

3. Smoke

4. Sewage 

5. Explosions 

Each year, fire and water alone cause billions of dollars in damages. 

Who’s on the hook for the bulk of the damages? 

That’s right. Property owners. 

So not only does RLL protect your assets but we also increase asset value and income, eliminate subrogation, improve claim loss ratios, elevate compliance, and simplify tracking, and its turnkey.

Protect your assets.

Reduce your out-of-pocket-costs.

RLL - Rethinking risk.

Visit us at RLLinsure.com