Taking the Red Carpet to the Digital World 🎬
The Academy of Cinema has confirmed that the next Goya Awards gala will be held at the Fòrum de Barcelona on February 28, 2026, marking the first time that Spain's most important film event arrives at this iconic space in the Catalan capital. This decision reinforces the gala's decentralizing vocation and offers a modern and versatile architectural setting perfect for digital recreation. While Barcelona prepares to become the capital of Spanish cinema, the 3D world can anticipate the glamour through modeling and rendering tools.
Modeling the Fòrum de Barcelona
The process begins by modeling the iconic structure of the Fòrum, characterized by its modern lines, ample volumes, and distinctive blue roof. Using basic primitives and polygonal modeling techniques, the main shapes of the building are reconstructed, paying special attention to the large outdoor plaza that will host the red carpet. Modifiers like Shell and Bevel help add thickness and detail to surfaces, while arrays and instances allow efficient replication of repetitive elements like columns or windows. 🏛️
Design of the Red Carpet and Press Area
The red carpet is modeled as an extensive plane with virtual velvet materials, adjusting roughness and specular parameters to emulate its characteristic texture. On the sides, virtual barriers, photographic backdrops with Goya logos, and lighting towers with softboxes are placed. Stylized figures represent guests, press, and photographers, created with simple geometry but dynamic poses that convey the event's bustle. The key is to suggest the crowd without overloading the scene.
Recreating the red carpet is capturing the moment when cinema becomes a live spectacle.
Lighting and Gala Atmosphere
Lighting is crucial to emulate the atmosphere of an event of this magnitude. Spotlights with wide cones are configured to bathe the red carpet in bright light, while Area Lights in amber tones simulate photographers' flashes. Inside the Fòrum, moving stage lights—animated with smooth trajectories—illuminate a central podium and guests' tables. The use of Global Illumination ensures that light bounces realistically on reflective surfaces like polished floors or elegant dresses.
Narrative Elements and Details
To enrich the scene, elements that tell the story of the gala are added:
- Goya Statuettes distributed on tables and pedestals
- Giant Screens showing nominations and movie clips
- Luxury Vehicles in the guests' arrival area
- Thematic Decoration with the Academy's corporate colors
These details transform the architectural model into a living celebration of Spanish cinema.
Rendering and Post-Production
For the final render, camera angles are chosen that emphasize the event's scale: general shots that capture the entire Fòrum plaza, and close-ups that focus on key interactions. Post-production effects like controlled lens flare, vignetting, and color adjustments in cool blues and warm golds reinforce the cinematic aesthetic. The result is a visualization that not only documents but evokes the emotion of the night.
While celebrities choose their outfits for the gala, we choose between Path Tracing and Noise Threshold in the render settings. In the end, our drama is not whether such and such a movie will win, but whether the render will finish before the coffee runs out. 😅