This project highlights a 3D animation and cinematic visualization created in Unreal Engine for Mahindra, the global automotive giant, to support the launch of their BE.Rall-E Concept SUV. For this automotive promo, we took a unique approach by producing the entire CG animation within Unreal Engine. We chose to animate the SUV navigating a highly complex terrain, and leveraging Unreal proved to be an ideal solution given our tight timeline for video delivery. Collaborating closely with our partners at TRUE BLACK and DUSTED made this a truly enjoyable experience.
We were briefed to develop an engaging launch video for Mahindra’s BE.Rall-E, an E-powered 4-wheel drive SUV. The challenge? The vehicle existed only as a clay concept model and was unavailable for filming — its sole full-scale version was already en route overseas for a photoshoot.
With no physical car to shoot, we opted for the next best solution: crafting a highly detailed digital double using 3D animation. Leveraging Unreal Engine, we set out to produce a cinematic automotive sequence — all within a tight 4.5-week deadline ahead of Mahindra’s major live product reveal.
To showcase the BE.Rall-E’s rugged capabilities, our CGI SUV tackled rough, off-road terrain in the animated scenes. We handled all aspects of the 3D asset creation, virtual environments, and animation in Unreal Engine. For the finishing touches — including editing, motion graphics, and audio compositing — we collaborated with True Black, ensuring a polished and dynamic final presentation.
Here’s a concise summary of how we created the Mahindra BE.Rall-E cinematic shots using 3D Animation and Unreal Engine.
Step 1: Clean Car Model Creation
The original Mahindra 3ds Max model wasn’t suitable for high-quality renders, so our team at Immersive Studio rebuilt the entire vehicle to ensure smooth, render-ready geometry.
Step 2: Animatable Rig Implementation
Since Unreal Engine’s custom automotive rig wasn’t compatible for this project, we set up an animatable car rig directly within 3D Studio Max.
Step 3: Environment Recreation
To match the look and feel of our Unreal Engine scene, we recreated the same road section inside 3D Studio Max, mirroring the purchased Unreal environment.
Step 4: Car Animation
With the rigged car in place, we animated its movement along the digital track within 3D Studio Max.
Step 5: Keyframe Export
All animation keyframes were exported from 3D Studio Max and integrated into the default Unreal Engine environment.
Step 6: Texturing
The Mahindra model received detailed textures to enhance realism.
Step 7: Lighting Setup
We set the lighting to ‘Golden Hour’ — the magical hour before sunset — for a dramatic visual effect.
Step 8: Virtual Camera Placement
Inside Unreal Engine, we positioned virtual cameras to frame our shots cinematically.
Step 9: Particle Effects
Custom particle effects, such as dust and smoke from the wheels, were added using Unreal’s built-in systems.
Step 10: Rendering
Both car and camera animations were rendered out as EXR image sequences for maximum quality.
Step 11: Color Grading
Each shot underwent color grading to achieve a polished, cohesive look.
Step 12: Final Compositing
Our editors composited the rendered Unreal sequences into the master timeline using Adobe Premiere.
—
Why We Chose Unreal Engine for This Project:
Our passion for automotive projects meant we wanted to deliver something dynamic and visually stunning. Traditional CGI pipelines would have required extensive time and resources just to assemble and animate a large-scale environment. Instead, by utilizing Unreal Engine for this 3D Animation of the Mahindra BE.Rall-E, we benefited from real-time workflow and access to rich pre-built environments. This allowed us to focus on creating striking cinematics and epic landscape shots quickly and efficiently — something that wouldn’t have been feasible within our timeline and budget using conventional methods.
The project taught us valuable lessons about preparing 3D models for rendering, ensuring that meshes are suitable for driving simulations, and effectively creating particle effects. Overall, this project exemplified our ability to leverage Unreal Engine for high-quality automotive animations under tight timelines.
If you have an upcoming 3D Animation project we would love to hear from you
If you have an upcoming project you would like to discuss, we would love to hear from you
