Rosca de Reyes: CGI Integration in the Puebla Cathedral
Type of project Colab with Antorchas Vivas Producción y Medios | Date Jan 2025 |
Rol VFX Artist | Ubicación Puebla, México. |
This project involved integrating a 3D object into a drone shot of the Puebla Cathedral, one of the city's most iconic historical landmarks. The idea was to place a Rosca de Reyes on top of the cathedral, creating a composition that felt both natural and visually striking.
From the planning stage, we analyzed how the effect should look to ensure it worked in both horizontal and vertical formats. We then modeled the Rosca de Reyes in 3D, applied realistic textures, and integrated it into the environment using an HDRI lighting map extracted from the drone footage. Next, we animated the Rosca to make it appear as if it were falling from the sky, bouncing lightly, and settling on top of the cathedral.
One of the biggest challenges was achieving precise integration with the cathedral's architecture. To accomplish this, we carried out meticulous rotoscoping, ensuring that the Rosca interacted correctly with the cathedral’s elements, appearing both in front of and behind its columns and structures. Additionally, we applied motion tracking to align the animation perfectly with the drone footage.
In the final stage, we combined sound and visual effects, refining the composition and applying color correction to enhance realism. The final deliverables were produced in both horizontal and vertical formats, ready for publication on different platforms.
This project was not only a technical challenge in visual effects but also an opportunity to merge creativity with the historical architecture of Puebla, resulting in a unique and eye-catching visual piece.