The 10 London CGI studios

Top 10 CGI Product Rendering Studios in London 2026

A working list of ten London CGI studios with current product, packaging and liquid credits. Where each one sits, where they win, and where another studio is the better call. Updated for 2026.

By Fresheather · April 2026 · 5 min read

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London's CGI studio landscape in 2026 splits along clearer lines than it did three years ago. A handful of houses now specialise in product, packaging and liquid work for FMCG and beauty; others sit closer to broadcast VFX, screen graphics or brand films. Picking the wrong tier is one of the more common mistakes in agency reviews, particularly for marketing teams briefing CGI for the first time. This list narrows the field to ten London studios with shipped product or packaging work in the last 18 months. Each entry sets out the brief the studio is best built for, and where another house is the stronger call. Cost ranges and a briefing checklist sit at the bottom of the page.

How we picked these 10

Three criteria shaped this shortlist. Studios needed a London base with a public address, a declared specialism in CGI rather than CGI as a side skill alongside motion design or VFX, and shipped product or packaging work within the last eighteen months that we could verify in a public portfolio. No studio paid for inclusion and Fresheather has no commercial relationship with any of the names below, including those competing for the same briefs. Where another studio is the stronger fit for a given brief, the entry says so.

The fastest-growing London CGI demand in 2026 is photoreal product, packaging and liquid for beauty, drinks and FMCG, not broadcast-grade hero films. Most marketing teams brief the wrong tier of studio first.

The 10 London CGI studios

Fresheather. Disclosure: we publish this list. Our CGI is photoreal product, packaging swap-outs across SKU ranges, and liquid pours, all in-house in London. Pick us when the brief is brand-led, needs social cuts as well as hero stills, and has to ship in three weeks rather than three months. Pick a dedicated VFX house if it's a single film-grade commercial. CGI and 3D service page.
Bold CGI. The default name on most FMCG and beauty CGI shortlists. Long-running London studio with a reputation built on hero-image polish, particularly when the brief is one perfect render over a campaign of fifty. Less the right call if you need fast social-first cuts.
Recom Farmhouse. Half retouching house, half CGI studio. Known for the kind of beauty close-up where you can't tell the photo from the render. Strong on bottles, jars and fabric. Liquid sequences are a sometimes thing, so book a different studio if liquid is the hero of the campaign.
Smoke & Mirrors. Soho post house with serious CGI capability. The real value is when you need CGI integrated with live-action; they shoot, composite and render under one roof. Worth it on a hybrid commercial. Overkill if all you need is a clean turntable.
Untold Studios. Creative tech house with a CGI department that scales. Comfortable producing product, automotive and brand visuals at volume, less so for a single bespoke render. Best when the brief is fifty SKUs deep. Check fit on packaging; it's selective.

Six to ten worth knowing

Territory Studio. London design and VFX studio that crosses between film and brand work. CGI product capability is solid but their default register is screen graphics and motion design. Pick them if your brief blurs film and brand. Don't expect dedicated liquid simulation.
The Mill. The grand old name. Premium CGI and VFX house that's done everything from car commercials to drinks launches. The work is high-end, the timeline isn't fast, and the budgets aren't small. Worth it for the showpiece. Not for weekly social cuts.
Framestore. Better known for film VFX (the Marvel-tier kind), but the brand division does serious product CGI when you need broadcast-grade output. Pick them for the upmarket TVC. Less right if you want responsive turnaround on a packaging refresh.
Coffee & TV. London creative studio that leans more animation and brand storytelling than pure product CGI. Good if your brief is character-led or motion-led. Less so if you need photoreal stills. Liquid isn't their territory.
Object & Animal. Strictly speaking a production company; CGI happens through their partner network rather than in-house. Right for hybrid live-action plus CGI films where they can produce the whole thing under one contact. Wrong if you need pure CGI stills with no shoot component.

If your shortlist needs to flex between live-action film and CGI, our film and photography service often pairs with the CGI and 3D service on the same brief.

How to brief a CGI product rendering studio in 2026

Reference pack. Pull 6 to 10 reference stills covering lighting, camera angle and finish. Tag what is on-brand and what is not.
Materials and dieline. Send vector packaging artwork or a dieline. Specify substrate (matt, gloss, foil, embossed, soft-touch) for accurate CGI packaging renders.
Liquid behaviour. For CGI liquid, brief viscosity, fizz level, splash style and whether the pour is a hero still or animated sequence.
Shot list. List each deliverable: hero still, 360 turntable, social loop, exploded view. Each shot adds time, so cut early.
Final formats. Confirm aspect ratios (1:1, 4:5, 9:16, 16:9), file types and any retouch round budget.
Timeline. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for a single hero still, 6 to 10 weeks for a small CGI campaign with liquid animation.
Approvals. Lock material approvals at greyscale stage. Late material changes are the single biggest source of CGI overrun in 2026.

Frequently asked questions about London CGI product rendering

How much does CGI product rendering cost in London in 2026?

Single hero stills typically start around 1,500 to 4,000 GBP per shot for a clean product on a neutral background. Hero CGI packaging renders with branded artwork sit closer to 3,000 to 8,000 GBP. Full CGI liquid sequences with animation run from 8,000 GBP upwards depending on length and complexity.

What is the difference between CGI packaging renders and CGI liquid?

CGI packaging renders focus on bottles, cartons or jars with their printed artwork, photoreal materials and brand-accurate lighting. CGI liquid is a more complex simulation discipline that recreates how liquids splash, pour, fizz or sit inside transparent containers. Most beauty and drinks campaigns need both.

How long does a CGI product render take from brief to final?

Allow 4 to 6 weeks for a single hero still, 6 to 8 weeks for a packaging suite, and 8 to 12 weeks for a CGI liquid sequence with motion. Faster turnarounds are possible with a tighter shot list and pre-approved references.

Should I commission stop motion or CGI product renders?

Stop motion delivers tactile charm, frame-by-frame craft and a handmade feel. CGI delivers control, repeatability and shots that are physically impossible to film. Many 2026 campaigns blend both, using stop motion for hero film and CGI for clean packaging and liquid sequences.

Who is boldcgi?

Bold CGI, often searched as boldcgi, is a London CGI studio that has built a reputation for product, FMCG and packaging CGI work across beauty, drinks and technology clients.

Does Fresheather offer CGI product rendering?

Yes. Fresheather is a London creative agency offering CGI and 3D, including product renders, CGI packaging visuals and CGI liquid. See the CGI and 3D service page or contact Fresheather to brief a 2026 project.