Aurora Aston Martin CGI film delivers cinematic digital night scene
The Aston Martin Aurora project by two&tall represents a distinctive fusion of cinematic storytelling and cutting-edge visual effects. It is rooted deeply in the team’s admiration for the iconic automotive brand. The creators were also inspired by the mesmerizing beauty of the Northern Lights.
The film was conceived as an internal creative initiative. From the start, the goal was to build a strong visual connection between machine and environment. In this concept, the Aurora Borealis becomes more than just a background.
It takes on a dynamic role, reacting to the car’s presence. The lights echo the vehicle’s sleek design and fluid motion, adding emotional depth to each scene.
The digital recreation of the Northern Lights posed a considerable artistic and technical challenge. The Aurora’s fluid, unpredictable nature, at once ephemeral and layered, demanded an approach that balanced realism with performance.
Early tests using volumetric lighting and full 3D volumes delivered partial success, but they often struggled under the weight of complex rendering demands. The final breakthrough came through the use of animated opacity maps applied to layered cylindrical geometries.
This method offered not only efficiency but also fidelity, enabling seamless interactions between the car and the glowing trails of light, whether viewed from a distance or close up.
Lighting design played a pivotal role in achieving the project’s immersive nighttime aesthetic. Instead of relying solely on traditional day-for-night techniques, the team at two&tall crafted custom lighting setups tailored to simulate authentic night environments.
This bespoke solution offered enhanced creative freedom while preserving the nuanced shadows, reflections, and highlights that define the vehicle’s contours and the surrounding terrain.
The lighting complemented the car’s form while ensuring visual clarity throughout the nocturnal sequence.
Throughout the piece, the Aurora was treated not simply as a spectacle, but as an emotional and compositional counterpart to the Aston Martin.
Its movement and color were synchronized to echo the rhythm of the car’s performance, suggesting a silent dialogue between nature and machine.
This alignment deepened the visual narrative, elevating the vehicle from a subject of admiration to a co-participant in the cinematic experience.
The film underscores the potential of combining technical precision with artistic intention in digital filmmaking.
It demonstrates how atmospheric elements, when integrated with purpose, can transform not only the look but the emotional impact of automotive storytelling.
For two&tall, the Aurora project is not merely a visual showcase, it’s a testament to the power of passion-driven innovation in motion design and CG artistry.
Direction and CGI: two&tall (Edu Torres, Diego Cavallaro)
Music and SFX: Mauro Cavallaro
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