The UPV in 'La sociedad de la nieve' (The Society of Snow)

"Really?" Tania and Inma usually hear this when they explain why their names appear in the credits of The Society of the Snow (La sociedad de la nieve), the film by J.A. Bayona. Not in vain, it is on its way to becoming the highest-grossing Spanish film of the year, has won 12 Goya awards and is nominated for Best International Film at the next Oscars (10 March) and is the favourite to win the award for Best International Film at the next Oscars (10 March). The next question our protagonists are often asked is: "So, what was it like? Well, that's what we're going to do.

Tania Navarro and Inma Carrillo graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Audiovisual Communication at the Gandia campus of the Universitat Politècnica de València. The production company El Ranchito called on their talent and creativity to carry out such an ambitious project. Inma is a digital compositor responsible for replacing the backgrounds of the shots and creating the impression that the scenes were set in the Andes (filmed in Sierra Nevada). She also removed footsteps, iron or dirt in the snow. She even made some of the actors lose weight to emphasise their thinness.

For her part, Tania mainly contributed to the visual effects (VFX) of the plane crash sequence (yes, the one that takes your breath away when you see it).

Emotion and demand

"I was in charge of generating the 3D simulations of the fog, the cables breaking, the foam inside the fuselage and some metal plates coming off the plane, as well as some clouds and the distortion of the air caused by the heat of the engines," explains Tania Navarro, for whom working on a Bayona film was "very exciting and demanding".

At the moment, and despite her enviable CV (she has also appeared in the Apple TV series See and Netflix's Shadow and Bone), Tania is waiting for new professional opportunities, as last year's Hollywood screenwriters' strike left her without work. However, she is confident that the situation will improve and that "great projects" await her and many of her colleagues in the industry.

In the case of Inma Carrillo, she quickly gained the trust of her bosses, as she had only been at El Ranchito for a year when she was given the opportunity to sign up for her first big screen project, signed by Bayona. "I still don't realise that the shots I've had on my screen every day for the past year are now being seen by millions of people. And something that made me particularly excited was that the film was a finalist for the Oscar for Best Visual Effects," he says.

"It touches your heart."

Both agree that working on The Society of the Snow has been an experience and admit that the praise and good reviews the film continues to receive make this a special moment in their lives.

For Tania, the key to the film's success is that it tells a "very human story that touches your heart". Inma describes the film as "shocking", adding: "Without a doubt, it leaves a mark on you. I think the way the story is told is incredible, making the viewer feel every emotion the boys experienced on that mountain".

Stage and training at the UPV

The two women have many unforgettable memories of their time at the UPV and consider it a time of discoveries and continuous learning. "Audiovisual Communication helped me learn about many branches of the audiovisual sector and opened my mind more creatively. This degree allows you to learn the basics of the film, television and advertising industry", explains Tania, who admits that "if I didn't have the basics I learned at the UPV, I might not be where I am now".

Inma, for her part, recommends studying at the UPV "because it gives you the tools to put what you learn into practice". She remembers the day when one of her fourth-year lecturers showed the class a fragment of Game of Thrones, shot at El Ranchito, to illustrate the possibilities of photo composition in Photoshop. "At that moment, I was amazed and knew what I wanted to do in the future. I went on to do my bachelor's thesis on VFX compositing and specialised in it. Funnily enough, I now work for the company that inspired me.

Triumphant Journey

The Society of the Snow tells the story of the 1972 Andean air tragedy and is based on the book of the same name by Pablo Vierci. As well as being nominated for Best International Film, it is also up for another Oscar in the Best Make-up and Hairstyling category. The film won 12 "cabezudos" at the latest Goya Awards, including Best Special Effects. It became the third most-awarded feature film in the history of the event, organised by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain.

Like the film, Inma and Tania have been showered with congratulations and praise. They deserve it. And they enjoy it, of course. At the same time, they know that the road goes on and that they cannot stop to admire the landscape too much, no matter how beautiful it may be.