Happy Birthday! SLAM turns 10!

When SLAM started :

  • We paid $6,000 for an 8GB hard disk drive – today you can get a 8GB memory stick for a few dollars. (…an I-pod has about 30 GB!)
  • Our first two years were spent trying to explain to people what a 3D visualisation was.
  • Animations that used to render for weeks can now be rendered over night on our rendering farm.
  • We had as much information in a whole estate as we have now in a single house.
  • It took 3 months to create our first landscape fly through visualisation for Australand (Watervale) - today it takes 3 weeks.
  • SLAM1 - our $16,000 'supercomputer' now sits in the corner gathering dust.
  • From a few shrubs, plants and trees, our 3D landscape library is probably the largest in all of Australia.
  • About 60% of our current client base was established within the first 2-3 years.
We would like to thank all of our clients who helped us to learn our trade, to experiment and be creative; and especially the clients that stuck with us when errors (which happen in every trade) were made. From those we have learnt what to do and what not to do. Our learning from the past has made us one of the most experienced visualisation company in Australia………Thank you.

 

The Trailfinders & Fleming's Australian Garden - UK Chelsea Flower Show 2007


Please Click on Image to Enlarge
 
Visualised by SLAM and visited by Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, his wife, Terrie, Queen Elizabeth II, as well as the Queen of Sweden and Rolf Harris.

It all began when Paige Lane (PLPR Media & Communications) and Wes Fleming (Fleming's Nurseries), visited SLAM to engage us in visualising Fleming's 2007 entry to the world famous Chelsea Flower Show in the main show garden category, with a design by Mark Browning (Cycas Landscape Design). We immediately recognised a fantastic opportunity to become an in kind sponsor for the project!


THE CHALLENGE :

The first challenge was to find the best camera angles. It was important to show the garden in the best possible way, as these images were used in all of their pre-show promotional collateral, TV and website. The next challenge was to find the exact plants and make them look as photo realistic as possible, which ultimately helped Mark to visualise and refine his design.

THE SOLUTION :

The model was created and in close conjunction with Mark, we choose the best three angles. As for the plants, the library of SLAM had 80% of the about 46 different species. The rest were modelled from photos.

THE OUTCOME :

We believe that never before has a high quality visualisation such as ours been used to promote a garden entered at the Chelsea Flower Show. Not only were the images used in their marketing material, a promotional TVC/web movie was created, showing the garden as well as the previous gardens and sponsors. (Please click on link below to view the clip).

Australian Garden Chelsea Flower Show ( Windows Media 2.6Mb )


In addition, the Australian Garden won a Silver-Gilt Medal! Congratulations to all involved, what an achievement! And special thanks to our 3D designer Sejin Cheon who worked long hours to achieve this stunning outcome!


  Planning applications - your worst nightmare or best friend?

Planning applications – your worst night mare or best friend?

If people question the validity of your visualisations, your whole submission can be overshadowed with doubt.

Establishing credibility with your visualisation provides a solid foundation for any planning application or community consultation.

When using a photomontage (building/site superimposed into a photo) we recommend supplying information like:

- Written statement explaining the methodology used
- Version of the software programme’s used
- Camera brand model
- Identity and qualifications of persons involved
- Time of day and date
- Any existing elements that have been reconstructed of modified
- Modifications to existing vegetation
- Before and after shots
- CAD overlay, showing reference points, used to match the camera and 3D Model.

SLAM can provide photomontages and relevant documentation for Planning applications.
Please call Mike Leslie on +61 3 9416 1245 or email info@slam.com.au for more information.
     
     
     
 
     
       
       
     
     
         
         
         
         
     
 
       
30 Argyle Street Fitzroy Victoria Australia 3065
tel (+61 3) 9416 1245 | fax (+61 3) 9416 2911 | email info@slam.com.au


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