A technical production company — not a creative agency.
Founded in 2012, California Technical Media exists to do one thing well: turn complex technical material into something a non-expert can understand and act on.
Visualization as risk management
CTM is a boutique technical visualization studio in Los Angeles. We produce 2D/3D animation, technical illustration, and interactive visualization for companies that need to explain complex products, processes, and systems to audiences without a technical background.
This is not decoration. Our work helps clients win investment, close sales, secure regulatory approval, and train personnel. When understanding is the bottleneck, clarity is the deliverable — and a misunderstood product is a business risk.
Across 13 years we have completed more than 1,600 projects for over 320 clients, spanning hardware, life sciences, software, energy, and litigation.
Meaning first. Graphics second.
Logic before form
We work out the causality, definitions, and structure first. If a subject cannot be visualized clearly, that usually means the underlying logic has a gap worth finding early.
Built for limited attention
Every decision accounts for the cognitive load of a real audience. We reduce what a viewer has to hold in mind to follow the explanation.
Process, not heroics
Clear stages, defined gates, and disciplined change control. Predictable production is how a small studio delivers reliably at volume.
Meet the principals
Ari Zahavi
Co-Founder & CEO
Ari directs production and client strategy at CTM. He holds a J.D. and works at the intersection of law, technical subject matter, and visual communication — the discipline of controlling how complex material is understood.
Over more than fifteen years in technical visualization, he has overseen 1,600+ projects across every sector the studio serves, from industrial hardware to medical devices to litigation graphics.
Elena Borodina
Co-Founder & COO
Elena leads operations, production coordination, and client management. She owns the production pipeline from briefing through delivery — the part of the business that turns strategy into finished, on-time work.
Her focus is execution stability: clear communication with clients and contractors, internal quality control, and the process discipline that lets CTM deliver consistently.
What we have built
If your project involves something mechanical, medical, technical or legal, chances are we’ve done it before. Here’s the proof.
Industrial & Manufacturing
- Assembly line animation
- Machine operation sequences
- Industrial pump cutaways
- Compressor mechanism visuals
- Valve operation diagrams
- CNC process visualization
- Conveyor system explainers
- Hydraulic system animation
- Pneumatic system diagrams
- Bearing & gear assemblies
- Welding process illustration
- Casting & molding sequences
- Heat exchanger cutaways
- Turbine assembly visuals
- Material handling systems
- Factory layout walkthroughs
- Quality inspection process
- Industrial sensor explainers
- Tooling & fixture diagrams
- Maintenance procedure guides
- Equipment installation steps
- Pipeline system visualization
- Filtration system cutaways
- Industrial robotics integration
- Plant process flow diagrams
- Lubrication system visuals
- Cooling system animation
- Safety lockout procedures
- Bulk processing equipment
- Packaging machinery sequences
Medical Devices & Procedures
- Implantable device animation
- Mechanism of action sequences
- Surgical procedure walkthroughs
- Catheter & delivery systems
- Diagnostic instrument cutaways
- Drug delivery visualization
- Anatomical illustration sets
- Device placement animation
- Minimally invasive procedures
- Orthopedic implant visuals
- Cardiovascular device animation
- Endoscopic procedure sequences
- FDA submission visuals
- Patient education animation
- Wearable device explainers
- Lab equipment visualization
- Pharmaceutical process diagrams
- Biologic mechanism animation
- Imaging system cutaways
- Infusion system visuals
- Dental device illustration
- Ophthalmic procedure animation
- Respiratory device explainers
- Tissue interaction visualization
- Clinical trial explainers
- Sterilization process diagrams
- Point-of-care device demos
- Regulatory training visuals
Litigation Graphics
- Accident reconstruction animation
- Vehicle collision sequences
- Medical injury exhibits
- Timeline visualizations
- Causation diagrams
- Premises liability visuals
- Product failure animation
- Slip-and-fall reconstructions
- Industrial accident sequences
- Patent technology tutorials
- Markman hearing graphics
- Site & scene recreations
- Sight-line analysis visuals
- Demonstrative exhibit boards
- Surgical error illustration
- Mechanism-of-failure visuals
- Construction defect diagrams
- Forensic process animation
- Document & evidence visuals
- Settlement presentation decks
- Mediation & arbitration visuals
- Anatomy-for-jury illustration
- Day-in-the-life visuals
- Comparative scenario animation
Transportation & Automotive
- EV powertrain cutaways
- Engine mechanism animation
- Transmission system visuals
- Battery system explainers
- Drivetrain assembly sequences
- Braking system animation
- Suspension geometry diagrams
- Charging infrastructure visuals
- Vehicle safety system demos
- Aerodynamics visualization
- Fuel cell explainers
- Autonomous sensor visualization
- Chassis & frame diagrams
- HVAC system cutaways
- Tire & wheel assemblies
- Rail system visualization
- Fleet logistics explainers
- Vehicle assembly sequences
- Emissions system diagrams
- Telematics system visuals
- Marine propulsion animation
- Aviation component cutaways
Energy
- Wind turbine system animation
- Solar array explainers
- Grid infrastructure visuals
- Battery storage visualization
- Power plant process diagrams
- Transmission system animation
- Substation cutaways
- Geothermal system visuals
- Hydroelectric explainers
- Natural gas process diagrams
- Pipeline monitoring visuals
- Smart grid visualization
- Energy metering explainers
- Microgrid system animation
- Carbon capture visualization
- Hydrogen production diagrams
- Drilling process animation
- Refinery process visuals
- Transformer cutaways
- Renewable integration explainers
- Demand-response visualization
- Nuclear system illustration
Consumer Electronics
- Product exploded views
- Device assembly sequences
- Feature demonstration animation
- Internal component cutaways
- Wireless technology explainers
- Display technology visuals
- Audio system diagrams
- Battery & charging animation
- Sensor integration visuals
- Connectivity explainers
- Wearable device cutaways
- Gaming hardware visualization
- Smart home device demos
- Camera system explainers
- Thermal management visuals
- Manufacturing process animation
- Packaging & unboxing sequences
- Accessory ecosystem visuals
- Repair & teardown guides
- UI & interaction animation
Agriculture
- Precision agriculture systems
- Irrigation system explainers
- Harvesting equipment animation
- Crop monitoring visualization
- Soil sensor explainers
- Livestock system diagrams
- Greenhouse technology visuals
- Seed treatment animation
- Fertilizer application diagrams
- Drone-based crop scanning
- Grain processing sequences
- Tractor & implement cutaways
- Pest management visualization
- Vertical farming explainers
- Water management systems
- Food processing diagrams
- Cold chain visualization
- Yield optimization explainers
Robotics & AI
- Robotic arm motion studies
- Industrial automation sequences
- Machine learning explainers
- Computer vision visualization
- Neural network diagrams
- Autonomous navigation visuals
- Sensor fusion animation
- End-effector mechanism cutaways
- Collaborative robot demos
- Path planning visualization
- AI decision-process explainers
- Algorithm walkthrough animation
- Data pipeline visualization
- Training process explainers
- Robotic assembly sequences
- Mobile robot system visuals
- Drone system explainers
- Human-robot interaction visuals
- Model inference visualization
- Automation ROI explainers
Real Estate & Construction
- Construction sequence animation
- Building system cutaways
- Structural assembly visuals
- MEP system diagrams
- Site development walkthroughs
- Architectural visualization
- Phasing & logistics animation
- Foundation system explainers
- Building envelope diagrams
- HVAC system visualization
- Modular construction sequences
- Infrastructure project visuals
- Permitting & code explainers
- Renovation process animation
- Property feature walkthroughs
- Land use visualization
- Safety procedure illustration
- Material specification visuals
Packaging, Personal Care & Other
- Packaging mechanism animation
- Dispensing system explainers
- Product formulation visuals
- Personal care device cutaways
- Cosmetic application diagrams
- Container & closure visuals
- Sustainability process explainers
- Recycling system animation
- Supply chain visualization
- Retail display explainers
- Material science visuals
- Consumer goods cutaways
- Brand & product explainers
- Process improvement visuals
- Training & onboarding animation
- Trade show presentation visuals
- Investor pitch animation
- Regulatory communication visuals
Don't see your exact use case?
The list above is a sample, not a limit. If it is technical and needs explaining, we can help.