Secrets of the VFX of ‘Paraíso’ (Movistar+): When nothing is what it seems

Paradise It has proven to be one of the revelation series of the season, thanks to a bet in which fantasy and reality come together with the help of special effects. We discover everything about the VFX of the series Movistar+ y The Mediapro Studio with María José Martín, director of the fiction area of Telson (Mediapro); Fernando González, 3D supervisor; and Deneb Sabater, post-production supervisor.

A year and a half. That has been the time that Telson has dedicated to Paradise. 30 professionals from their fiction area have worked intensely on the project. All of them, designers, composers, 3D team, animators, graphic artists, colorists and mastering technicians, are the “culprits” of the development of the visual effects of the first great fantasy bet of Movistar+.

The process began in Christmas 2019. Throughout the confinement period, the Telson team worked “continuous and uninterrupted” in this challenging project, as stated cobbler: “It was quite a challenge to work on a fantasy series, for which we investigated countless artistic references until we found a high-quality, different and novel visual look.” González, On the other hand, he describes the experience as “enriching”, since it has allowed them to “discover how to improve both technical and human processes to achieve the very high quality that the director demanded.”

Fiction hides numerous nooks and crannies; details in which to stop to admire a meticulous work, which goes far beyond the “fireworks” that accompany many of its scenes, as conveyed Martín: "We have seen how the story, the characters, the ideas have grown, and also our own developments in VFX and 3D, which have served to reinforce the intention of many shots. Although these, apparently, do not have a digital treatment, we have used technology to create objects, places, environments, insects or presences that simply did not exist."

A milestone in Spanish television

Paradise take care of your details aesthetics, visual winks y finish. Its nature required a different visual treatment from the rest of the proposals that we can see in Spanish series. Martín points out that elements such as “the tone, the theme, the texture finishes, the visual effects or the color” were worked on in depth in order to bring them closer to the particular and clear vision that its director and creator had, Fernando González Molina.

This thoroughness, in the words of Martín, provides “a new vision” within the panorama of Spanish series. González expand Telson team's vision: "We knew it would be something different, since it has a very marked identity. This production unites the generation that has experienced the transition from analog to digital, which is exactly what now allows this entire scenario to be recreated." cobbler squares the circle to affirm that this fiction is “a milestone in terms of fantasy series” in Spain.

A premise with visual secrets

Without going into spoilers, one could say that the argument of Paradise It's simple. Levante, 1992. Three people disappear. A group of young people decide to search for the missing people on their own. A place, the Paraíso nightclub, hides secrets that will end up redefining what is happening. Apparently, nothing new. Apparently. Just as the series progresses with script twists who draw a map to the unknown As the episodes unfold, the visual plane is not without surprises.

Did you know that a large part of its scenarios they do not exist? What nightclub, the center of the plot, is designed and recreated expressly? What camera flights from the sea They have a deep work with the entire cliff environment modified by the 3D and composition department? That the moths and seagulls, omnipresent in the plot, are 100% CGI generated?

The technological challenges of Paradise

It is necessary to doubt what you are seeing. Paradise worth being seen with technological eyes to discover its visual mysteries. There are many keys to address, such as those just listed. But let's stop, hand in hand with cobbler, in another element of great visual impact: the “traversals” of objects and people. "The light deaths and particle fadings have been a challenge to make them narratively deep, and even more so considering that the series was filmed in a multitude of different settings in the Valencian Community and the Madrid Community, so it took time to match the shots. Even with everything, we have achieved a really elegant and subtle particle design," says Sabater.

Both Martín as González They agree that technological challenges are “a constant” in their profession. They both identify keys to overcome them: the team flexibility, the technological concern of professionals and process optimization. This has allowed the team Telson, as detailed González, improve in processes of pipeline in all departments: “technical tools, materials management, color processes…” Martín emphasizes that this effort has led to milestones such as “shoot without chromatics or manage 4K or 6K shots with long network times” have become something “completely common, almost everyday” in the productions that the company addresses. Mediapro.

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The most complex scene for Deneb Sabater

There are certain scenes that imply important difficulties from the point of view of visual effects. We are not just talking about the use of a concrete technology or a challenging context, but to achieve that the visual elements integrate perfectly into the visual proposal of the fiction.

Attention, spoilers. Favorite scene Deneb meets those characteristics: "Personally, I prefer the sequence of the boys leaving the disco along with the crossing of Javi and Mario, with a beautiful dramatic charge. The sequence of the ambulance crossing was also especially demanding, due to the technical complexities of the available material; or the sequence of the moths in the cabin, due to the time of render. Finally, I would like to highlight a sequence with lightning in the pool. It was difficult for us to find the system to express the action and depth of the moment that is being told, but I think we achieved it.”

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The most complex scene for Fernando González

On the other hand, and this time with lighter spoilers, we have the preferences of González, much more oriented to the creative and visual muscle of the VFX deployed by the team of Telson: “The recreation of the discotheque and its integration into the Altea cliff, next to the lighthouse, has perhaps been the most complex job for me.”

González details that the work on these scenes required “weeks of study.” “Creating a non-existent digital terrain, adding a nightclub and being able to change the landscape of a place completely to show something that does not exist in that place was especially interesting and complex,” he comments.

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Paradise, a path to follow

In the absence of completing the broadcast of the first season through Movistar+, filming of the second season is already underway. The series has been well received by public and critics, so everything seems to indicate that the universe of Paradise will continue to expand.

Perhaps the fantastic and nostalgic genre, but with Spanish dye, is here to stay, just as it has passed outside our borders with references such as Stranger Things (Netflix). cobbler He categorically states that “it is clear that the public demands this genre.” “Furthermore, [in the case of Paradise] is combined with a time as marked in Spain as the 90s, and the result is exceptional. In Spain, we have a remarkable artistic capacity that fits very well with the fantasy genre,” he remarks.

González shares the opinion and takes the opportunity to affirm the value of the Spanish industry: "We have to bet on the quality of the effects that are being developed in Spain. More and more foreign productions are landing in our country to make their effects." In short, he believes that we must “take advantage of the talent we have here.”

Creating “paradises” from Spain

As it could not be otherwise, Martín considers that it is necessary continue betting on series as Paradise. It is, in short, the way to follow: "We must bet on our own productions, which respond to the demand of a demanding public and which refer to universal feelings. These are safe values, with great possibilities of international marketing." Ideas must flow and collective creativity must be “enriched”, share Martín.

It's time to seize the momentum. Spain is prepared to give life to more “paradise” for the fantasy genre. Or for him noir. Or the thriller. Or science fiction. The time has come to show everyone our mastery of visual effects.

A report by Sergio Julián Gómez

https://youtu.be/R3gAWtlsQXw