Aerials in Focus: Our Approach to Capturing the Future

Aerials in the Sky…

If some of you recognize the song, we hope it provides a pleasant soundtrack for this week’s edition of our newsletter. If it doesn’t ring a bell, nor a System of a Down, we’re happy to share, on request, a great playlist with music that complements the hot topic we’re blogging about in The Panoptikon Perspective: Aerials. Gorgeous CGI aerials! They evoke the sublime, capture the vast beauty of the big picture, and help us see everything (pun intended).

So, how do we create these aerial views for projects large and small?

Art direction, technical brief, and a fantastic photographer

There are a few steps we have to take to kick off the entire production, and these are non-negotiable: Art Direction, Technical Brief, and selecting and collaborating with a great photographer specialized in aerials and drone photography, or creating a 3D digital twin of the context.

The first step in our aerial development process is to establish the Art Direction with our clients, which is the foundation for our technical brief. Ideas like which season and time of day is preferred, where the camera should be are pivotal. Then, we need to understand the context to bring those concepts to life, which is achieved through careful examination of all information available in technical drawings, existing photographs, Google Earth, and so forth.?

Collaboration with local photographers is key to ensure we capture the context in its most recent state. In this collaboration, we provide photographers with precise technical specs that align with the Art Direction decisions. This coordination ensures that the aerial shots capture the design of the project and connect with the surrounding neighborhood and other elements of a wider context. If aerial photography is not possible due to short timeframes, weather conditions, or other limitations, a 3D digital twin of the surrounding context will be created.

We focus on angles that capture the strategic positioning of the building

The strategic positioning of shots holds immense significance, as it conveys the building's presence within its neighborhood and the larger region. These images are valuable for city officials, competitors, and potential buyers or users of the future project, helping to determine whether the architecture integrates well with its surroundings or stands out conspicuously. Visuals help decision-makers evaluate the true impact of a project and make informed decisions.The Point, Utah, USA - Arcadis

We keep an eye on timelines and context - sensitive to how the entire neighborhood will look

Visualizing future developments requires big-picture thinking and also a keen eye for detail. Our team edits scenes to reflect the future state of the area, strategically adding or removing elements around the project, that are important to the narrative. Maybe a neighbouring park will be developed in the future, or a new tram-line will connect the project with the city. These nuances often go unnoticed but play a pivotal role in accurately portraying the project's future environment.

We build the aesthetics by highlighting the features

The true-to-life look and feel of the project is key, and the image typically needs to showcase design features like massing and construction materials, and amenities (like rooftop decks, swimming pools, gardens, etc.) in a way that best explains what the project has to offer. Certain views may be chosen specifically to highlight these details. Visuals offer an immersive look at these features, and we often align the selection of angles our client’s intent.

Zooming in to zooming out: seeing the forest and the trees

The aerial view is part of a larger narrative that moves from the overall project down to finer details. In a set of images, it is essential to show how the project fits with its surroundings while also conveying more specific information like the relation to close neighbors, the project’s amenities, and its key design features. The aerial contributes to telling the full story.

Art direction, technical precision, and the right photographer all come together to create something lasting, which speaks about the present and what’s yet to come.

Stay inspired,

Panoptikon Team