To begin this scene I looked through 'Pinterest' and 'YouTube' to find lots of reference behind car commercials and chase scenes in movies, this was my main start for research. Once I had gained the visual plan in my head I started looking for 3D models online, I found an add on called Blender Kit which had a variety of free assets with realistic materials. I found a bridge on there which I decided would be the main area for where the scene took place, I then looked for some lamp posts to starting add light to the scene. 

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I went on Hdri Haven to get realistic lighting which would add reflections and shadows to the cars and bridge, I knew from the start that I wanted a sort of sunset scene where the light is just poking though the clouds. This would mean that the car lights would also be on and lighting the environment, I could then add lens flares in post to make it even more fancy. I then found the main car which was a bright orange McLaren which is one of my all time favourite cars, I downloaded some other cars to help fill the scene and add more life / movement to the surroundings. Once I was happy with the general visuals of the scene it was time to start adding motion and cameras.

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For the cars driving across the bridge I simply key framed them to move from one side of the bridge to the other at a relatively slow speed. With the extra camera motion and movement this would actually look a lot more exciting than it really is. One of the main things with 3D renders is that every small detail makes a difference but there are ways around making something look realistic in a simplistic way. Then to create the main cars movement I added a Bezier curve and shaped it to drive around the moving vehicles, I then had the car follow the path and key framed the rotation to show speed and make the car swerve. This was something I added due to the research and reference I already had. Finally was adding the camera which I adjusted throughout the animation to keep the car centred within the scene, this was because I wanted to make sure I had the rule of thirds throughout the animation keeping the visuals completely balanced. 

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Once I had the scene rendered I then decided to make a lot of changes from the first render this is because I wanted to slow down the entire animation, as there was a lot going on in a short amount of time. I also lowered the camera for a more cinematic style and made some adjustments to the rotation as it was too jagged, so I smoothed out the transitions and movement. Once I had done this I took my mp4 into After Effects and added a Colour grade and curves adjustment layer for more contrast. Then I added a vignette and blur to the outer corners to draw the audiences focus into the centre of the scene, the overlays were key for the realism as I added dirt and lens flares as these are common things that happen to cameras in photography. The black lines at the top and bottom of the scene where something which cinematic trailers add for a more landscape orientation.

 

Below are some screenshots to show the progression of the scene.