Project Overview
A personal project focused on the comprehensive study and practical application of cinematic lighting, 3D modeling, texturing, and visual effects (VFX).
Software & Tools: Unreal Engine 5, Autodesk Maya, Adobe Substance 3D Painter, Uiana Map Importer, Adobe After Effects
Process & Workflow
Concept & Reference Gathering: Curated reference stills to establish a distinct lighting mood and define the color palette.
3D Modeling & Texturing: Modeled custom assets and authored high-fidelity textures to ensure seamless visual integration into the environment.
Camera Blocking & Composition: Established precise camera angles and framing to capture the intended cinematic shots.
Lighting Setup: Utilized reference materials to define the atmospheric mood, completely overhauling the existing lighting systems to achieve a photorealistic aesthetic.
Final Rendering & Compositing: Executed the final renders, applied comprehensive color grading, and integrated complex visual effects.
Challenges & Solutions
Challenge: Translating an existing, highly stylized map into a believable, realistic visual environment.
Solution: Identified that the stylized nature of the original assets relied primarily on their surface textures rather than their base geometry. Concentrated efforts on thoroughly re-texturing the majority of the environment, while completely remodeling key focal assets to ground the hero shots in realism.
Key Takeaways
This project significantly refined my practical understanding of cinematic lighting, atmospheric mood creation, and VFX integration within a real-time pipeline.