Santal - Luxury private residence

At Make Believe, we were entrusted with an exciting challenge to create a series of stunning images and an engaging short film that encapsulated the architecture, landscape, and lifestyle for Santal, a private residential development in the breathtaking location of Tarifa, Spain.

In this blog, we’ll look behind the scenes of how we achieved this with an inside look at our pre-visualization stage, how we created the lighting for the project and discover how we added fog, caustics and a captivating timelapse sequence.  

To give the film dynamic pacing, we used camera movements with ramping and motion blur to flow between scenes. The detailed pre-visualization stage was crucial in perfecting these camera movements and transitions before committing to the final render. 

Pre-viz allowed us to experiment and refine our approach to each shot, as each camera move and transition had to be meticulously planned. This preparation enabled us to render only the clips that were guaranteed to be used in the final edit, saving time on the final render. However, this approach also required us to adhere to a specific sequence, as each scene’s transition relied on the preceding one. 

Here is our final pre-viz edit, which served as the blueprint for the final film, along with an example of the keyframes from one of our transitions. 

For this project, we needed a flexible lighting system to accommodate a variety of scenes: interior shot, exterior shots in both day and night and a timelapse sequence transitioning from day to night. To achieve this versatility, we used Corona’s Sun and Sky system. This allowed us to create multiple versions of the same lighting setup, tailored to each specific scenario. 

With Corona’s Sun and Sky, we could seamlessly transition from the warm, natural light of day to the ambient glow of night, enhancing the visual storytelling of our film. The system’s adaptability was crucial for our timelapse effect. 

Using the Corona’s Sun and Sky system, we achieved a smooth transition from daylight to nighttime, creating a stunning timelapse effect. To bring this effect to life, we keyframed various elements: the sun’s position, sun intensity, the sky’s cloud parameters, and the sky’s overall intensity. This allowed us to transition between our two lighting setups, capturing the gradual shift from day to night. 

The result was a sequence that illustrated the passage of time, enhancing the immersion of our film. The final outcome that brings Santal to life in both day and night. 

To give an extra layer of atmosphere to our close-up shot of the Porsche, we used a Corona volume material with a simple noise map and a Corona distance texmap to create a low foggy effect around the car. While this may not be the most realistic, the fog added a dramatic, cinematic quality to the shot, especially by enhancing the depth and impact of the headlights. 

However, this effect did come with a trade-off, as it substantially increased render times. To mitigate this, we optimized our volume material, striking a balance between maintaining the cinematic quality and keeping render times manageable. 

To enhance our film and evoke the sunny poolside charm, we used caustics effects. This effect simulates the light refractions from the water onto the pool tiles. 

While caustics can be taxing on render times, we chose to use Corona’s caustics solver rather than cheating with lights and texture maps. The result was a realistic depiction of the waters refraction that added depth to the scene. Despite the increased render times, the visual payoff made it well worth the effort. Here, you can see the final effect.  

In the final stages of creating this film, we edited our scenes in After Effects to synchronize with our custom soundtrack, which our friend Roast Beatz produced. We moved on to colour grading, a crucial step that breathed life into our renders by enhancing their vibrancy and depth. To complete the film, we designed a logo inspired by the architecture and the local landscape, adding an animated touch that provided a fitting conclusion to our film.