Making Products Palpable: The Art of Great Product Films
· AI News · 5 min
Product films that make materials tangible. Chris Jean explores how surfaces, light, and credible visuals elevate product storytelling.
By Chris Jean · September 23, 2026 · approx. 5 min read
Teaser: The new “Wildwood” trailer offers an exciting opportunity to discuss surfaces, light, and believable imagery. What brands can learn from elaborate animation to create better product films.
9,000 tiny feathers, each meticulously applied by hand. According to Creative Bloq, that’s the level of detail invested in the eagle figure from LAIKA’s upcoming animated film “Wildwood.” A remarkable detail for something that might only be on screen for a few seconds. Source: Creative Bloq, September 17, 2026.
Whether viewers count the feathers is probably irrelevant. The more interesting question is: How much of that effort actually translates into the final image?
For me, this leads directly to a topic often addressed too late in product filmmaking. You can fully showcase a product and still convey little about its quality. Conversely, a single, well-crafted close-up can make it clear why someone would want that product.
When the Material Plays Its Part
Let's take a high-quality table lamp as a hypothetical example. Black aluminum, a small rotary dial, a satin glass shade. The spec sheet lists material, dimensions, and performance. In a film, this information needs to take a visible form.
I would start the scene with the dial. A hand touches the knurled surface. As it turns, the brightness changes. The light lingers on the fingers for a moment before a cut reveals the entire room.
Now, the lamp communicates something about its operation, its craftsmanship, and its effect. The camera highlights precisely where design and function converge. The product gains a relatable place in the viewer's life.
For this to work, the material in the shot must be convincing. Aluminum should remain identifiable as aluminum. The dial needs a clean contour. Light should softly diffuse through the glass without the entire shade becoming a featureless white blob. For me, such decisions belong in the concept phase.
What’s Interesting About “Wildwood” Right Now
On September 17, Creative Bloq reported on the final trailer and some viewers' questions about whether the animation seemed too polished to be recognizable as stop-motion. This reaction isn't a representative public vote. However, it’s a good opportunity to consider the connection between technique and desired effect. [To the trailer report.](https://www.creativebloq.com/news/laika-wildwood-trailer)
For a brand film, I wouldn’t derive a mandate for visible handcraft from this. The crucial aspect is which characteristics we aim to convey. For a precision machine, a clear, flawless presentation might be exactly right. For a piece of furniture, the wood grain, fabric, and the way someone settles into it might be far more expressive.
A delightful detail can be found on the official film website: Even the letters of the “Wildwood” title were designed by LAIKA artists, according to the image description, to look like wood with intertwining ivy. The typography itself echoes the film’s world. Source: [Official film website.](https://www.wildwoodmovie.com/)
It’s precisely this consistency that interests me. When the product, environment, movement, and typography all support the same design idea, a film feels cohesive. Then, not every shot needs to showcase a new effect.
Craftsmanship and Technology Work Together
LAIKA's blend of craftsmanship and digital technology has been documented for years. A Stratasys case study describes how the studio uses colored 3D printing to create interchangeable faces for its characters. Brian McLean explains a workflow in which individually animated facial expressions are printed and delivered to the set. This is historical production background, not new news about “Wildwood.” Source: [Stratasys, “The New Faces of LAIKA.”](https://www.stratasys.com/explore/case-studies/the-new-faces-of-laika)
For me, this holds a productive idea: the creative intention determines what a tool must achieve. In product animation, I would first clarify which properties are indispensable. How does an edge run? Which surfaces belong together? Where is a control element located? What changes when the light or camera moves?
Such guidelines are also crucial when using AI. An atmosphere can be freely developed. A real product needs reliable references and careful control. Especially in close-ups, I would compare generated details with the original before they make it into the final film.
This opens up creative possibilities without losing sight of the product's specific design. For instance, a freely developed backdrop can complement a precisely constructed 3D representation. Which combination makes sense depends on the subject and the demands of individual shots.
A Better Brief Starts with a Specific Characteristic
“It should look high-quality” is an understandable desire. However, as a working basis, it leaves a lot open. Therefore, I would ask: What exactly makes this product high-quality?
Perhaps it’s the perfectly fitting connection of two components. Perhaps the soft leather, the particularly intuitive operation, or a mechanism that moves pleasantly. Once this characteristic is established, the camera, lighting, and sound can be aligned accordingly.
For our hypothetical lamp, it would be the moment the fingers turn the dial and the room transforms. That's what makes the close-up worthwhile. That's what makes a carefully placed reflection worthwhile. And that's also what makes the decision to give that moment enough time in the edit worthwhile.
That, for me, is a good benchmark for a product film: It makes a specific quality visible and tangible. The viewer gets something to discover. A surface becomes an understandable characteristic, a function a small story.
What detail makes your product special? Let's develop a scene that showcases precisely that.
Sources
Research completed: September 23, 2026. The application to product films, the lamp example, and the suggested design approach are my own editorial interpretation. The full film has not been reviewed. No statements are made regarding its overall quality or a German cinema release.
Joe Foley, Creative Bloq, September 17, 2026: [Laika's final Wildwood trailer as absolutely stunning, but would you know it's stopmotion animation?](https://www.creativebloq.com/news/laika-wildwood-trailer) Current hook, production detail about the eagle figure, and reported viewer reactions.
LAIKA, official film website, no publication date specified, checked September 23, 2026: [Wildwood.](https://www.wildwoodmovie.com/) Primary source for the hand-designed title typography.
Stratasys, no publication date specified in the opened page text, checked September 23, 2026: [The New Faces of LAIKA.](https://www.stratasys.com/explore/case-studies/the-new-faces-of-laika) Historical manufacturer case study on the use of 3D printing. Not a source for current “Wildwood” production figures.