Year
2025
Client
Category
Product Duration
~2 Weeks
This in-house research and development (R&D) project was designed to explore how far environment replacement and simulation could go — transforming a stationary car, parked on a street in Puerto Rico with only a green screen behind it, into a high-speed desert chase sequence set in a completely different world. The challenge was to prove that with the right visual cues and VFX, a small local setup could mimic a large-scale cinematic action scene.
The visuals pull from classic desert car chases — expansive skies, gritty dust trails, motion blur, and the chaos of a car barreling through a remote landscape. Attention to detail, like using a leaf blower to push the actor’s hair, enhanced the believability of motion, making the viewer feel like they were witnessing a real, fast-paced run.
The entire background was replaced with a custom desert environment using 3D modeling and compositing. Houdini was used extensively to simulate dynamic dust, motion, and fire effects, especially for the final moment showing the car crash and full engulfment in flames. Every element — from environmental lighting to interaction between simulated particles and the live-action plate — was calibrated for realism and cinematic impact.
This project serves as a proof of concept for El Arenero’s capabilities in environmental replacement, dynamic simulations, and illusion creation. It demonstrates that even without large budgets or on-location shoots, powerful visual storytelling can be achieved through technical mastery and creative problem-solving.
