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LuminateCG

Year

2024

Industry

VFX / Creative Technology

Scope of work

Framer, Video Optimization, CMS, Lazy Loading

Timeline

5 weeks

The Brief

LuminateCG is a visual effects studio creating photorealistic CG and compositing for film, advertising, and experiential projects. Their website was their primary new business tool, but the existing site buried their best work behind slow loading times and an uninspired layout that did nothing to demonstrate their craft.

The redesign needed to be as visually impressive as LuminateCG's work itself — showcasing full-resolution video reels, detailed project breakdowns, and team capabilities without sacrificing page performance.

Discovery & Strategy

Portfolio Strategy

VFX studios win work based on specific capabilities demonstrated through specific projects. Generic showreels aren't enough — production companies want to see that you've done exactly what they need: creature work, environment extensions, particle effects, or photorealistic product rendering. We organized the portfolio by capability rather than chronology, making it easy for potential clients to find proof of the specific skills they're hiring for.

Design Approach

Cinema-Grade Presentation

The design treats the browser like a theater. Video content plays in near-fullscreen formats with minimal UI chrome. Project pages use a cinematic aspect ratio (2.35:1) for hero videos, with breakdown reels shown in side-by-side before/after comparisons that demonstrate the scale of the VFX work. Background is predominantly dark to maximize perceived image quality and contrast.

Development & Build

Video Performance Pipeline

The biggest technical challenge was serving high-quality video without destroying load times. We implemented an adaptive streaming approach: poster frames load instantly, low-res preview loops autoplay on scroll, and full-quality videos load on interaction. Videos are encoded in multiple bitrates with HLS delivery for adaptive streaming based on connection speed.

The portfolio CMS supports rich project metadata: software used, team size, timeline, and VFX technique tags. This structured data feeds both the filtered portfolio view and SEO schema markup, making each project discoverable through organic search.

Results & Impact

Industry Impact

The redesigned site elevated LuminateCG's market positioning. The capability-organized portfolio made it significantly easier for production companies to evaluate fit, shortening the sales cycle. Several new client relationships originated directly from specific portfolio pages found through Google searches for specialized VFX capabilities.

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Frequently

asked questions

What does a typical project timeline look like?

Full website builds take 6–8 weeks. Migrations from WordPress, Webflow, or Wix ship in 4–6 weeks. Rush projects can launch in as fast as 2 weeks. Every timeline includes design, development, CMS setup, and launch support.

What’s included in a full website build?

Custom design across desktop, tablet, and mobile. Framer development with CMS collections for your content. Form integrations (HubSpot, Zapier, Cal.com). SEO optimization with meta tags and structured data. Plus 2 weeks of post-launch support included.

Do I own the website after launch?

Yes, 100%. You get full ownership of the Framer project, all custom components, and complete CMS access. No lock-in, no recurring fees. You only pay for a retainer if you want ongoing design and development support.

Can you migrate my site from WordPress, Webflow, or Wix?

Yes. We’ve migrated sites from all major platforms. Content is preserved, SEO redirects are configured to protect your rankings, and the new Framer site launches with significantly better performance and page speed.

What if I need changes after launch?

You can edit content, images, and CMS items yourself — that’s the whole point of building in Framer. For design changes, new pages, or structural updates, we offer monthly retainers. Most clients manage day-to-day content independently within days of launch.

Do you work with startups or larger companies?

Both. We’ve built sites for pre-seed startups and publicly traded companies. The process scales to fit the project — whether it’s a 4-page launch site or a 20-page enterprise platform with multiple CMS collections.

What industries do you specialize in?

SaaS, fintech, AI/ML, B2B platforms, maritime, and creative studios. But Framer expertise transfers across any industry — we’ve worked with food companies, space tech startups, insurance providers, and more.

How do you handle CMS and content management?

We set up Framer CMS collections tailored to your content — blog posts, case studies, team members, products, whatever you need. Your team gets a recorded walkthrough covering publishing workflows and SEO best practices. Most clients are adding content independently within days.

What does a typical project timeline look like?

What’s included in a full website build?

Do I own the website after launch?

Can you migrate my site from WordPress, Webflow, or Wix?

What if I need changes after launch?

Do you work with startups or larger companies?

What industries do you specialize in?

How do you handle CMS and content management?

What does a typical project timeline look like?

What’s included in a full website build?

Do I own the website after launch?

Can you migrate my site from WordPress, Webflow, or Wix?