01
Creating the character
A MetaHuman became the central presence within the film. Character animation and close-up framing helped give the sequence a human focus before the wider environment was revealed.
Real-time cinematic study
Into the
Woods
A real-time cinematic study bringing character animation, environment design and cloth simulation together inside Unreal Engine.
- Context
- Summer of Unreal Animation Bootcamp
- Focus
- Character, environment and simulated cloth
- Tools
- Unreal Engine, Marvelous Designer
Into the WoodsYouTube ↗
The starting point
Building a cinematic world
Created during the Summer of Unreal Animation Bootcamp organised by Epic Games, the project became a study in combining a character, a designed costume and an atmospheric environment into one real-time cinematic sequence.
02
Designing movement through cloth
The costume was created and simulated in Marvelous Designer, then integrated into Unreal Engine. Its soft movement adds contrast to the solid stone, trees and landscape surrounding the character.
03
Shaping atmosphere with light
Warm lanterns, mist, flowers and deep shadows were layered through the forest to guide attention. Lighting and composition turn the environment from a backdrop into an active part of the journey.
Visual journey
From forest light to another world
Skills developed
- MetaHuman animation
- Environment design
- Cinematic lighting
- Cloth simulation
- Real-time rendering
Reflection
The project brought several Unreal Engine workflows into one continuous piece. More than a collection of technical studies, it became an exercise in using character, fabric, light and environment together to sustain a cinematic mood.