Category: Immersion

To refresh my mind, having spent a while getting to grips with UE5’s nodes and blueprints, I started playing around with C4D to create a poster to have on a wall. I made the eyes without pupils so I could potentially add functionality for them to follow the player around the room when things get more scary and stressful as the game goes on. I chose for there to be three characters to mirror the three antagonists/ hazards in the game.

Going with this vintage kid’s show aesthetic for “Burlap Friends” – I rendered the initial shot with deliberate golden hour lighting to emphasize texture and create this artificial warmth. The burlap material catches light in an interesting way, giving the character this uncanny quality even in its most “friendly” form. Positioned it on a victory podium with a “#1” marker – standard promotional material composition, deliberately generic.

The post-processing transformation pushes it into psychological horror territory. Added a blue-to-red gradient skyline that mimics those 80s horror posters, complete with VHS degradation and film grain. The wear patterns aren’t random – concentrated them around the edges and corners to suggest years of neglect. Dark processing makes those white eyes more prominent, creates this sense of watching.

The creases and rips are somewhat parallel to the aesthetic I’m going for, kind of like a distorted, neglected VHS tape. For environmental storytelling, I want to integrate this fictional franchise’s history into the room itself. Torn poster placement, scattered merchandise, old promotional materials – all serving as breadcrumbs and hinting to an alternate timeline where these toys exist.

Here I add circular planes where I want the eyes to be, and create blueprints so that I can implement functionality later on.

Making the eyes follow the player around was a challenge. I was essentially mapping 2d movement within a texture to reflect a player in 3d space, the initial idea was to map the player position on the floor as a 2d object and move the eyes accordingly, but this required so much trial and error. This way of development really pushed me to learn how the event graph works in unreal, and acted as the basis for my understanding later on, the functionality of the nodes above essentially have the eyes snap to the player once they stand in front of the poster, since the eye movements (following them around) were so janky and I really didn’t like the result.

I initially had two planes on top of each other, but opted to dynamically alter an instanced material instead. This meant that I could have the pupil move beyond the constraints of the whole eye, making it look more three dimensional, but this functionality proves redundant until I am able to complete this game in my own time.

One of the biggest aspects of the room I want to create is the curtain, it represents a large and comforting first step to the nightmare our player is going to experience. Once the curtain has been drawn, the game essentially begins. I began by looking for assets, and opted to create my own cloth in order to have more control over the dynamics.

I am essentially learning Blender from scratch, so I’m documenting my process here too to look back on. I start by adding a line mesh.

Then, subdividing it and selecting all points, selecting in checker mode and moving every odd point forward on the X axis.

I then extruded it down the Z axis and subdivided it, ensuring that I also subdivide on the top and side edges in order to have something to constrain it by. This will make sure the overall shape of the curtain is maintained.

I wasn’t quite sure what the problem was here, maybe I had accidentally extruded it on the X axis, creating an object that acts more as a cushion than a flat cloth.

Here is the cloth mesh with all the appropriate subdivisions.

Separating and creating vertex groups in order to control the cloth animation more.

Here I show the lines I selected in order to do so.

By viewing and correcting normals, I can ensure that the animation won’t have jagged or unnatural movements.

This is the end result. After the curtain was simulated using cloth dynamics, I removed the pressure in order to have it rest at a natural position. I then keyframed animation to have the curtain expand on an axis, this was baked in and the asset was exported as an FBX.

Then, I added the FBX file to UE. Adding a blueprint, painting the mesh with a cloth brush – leaving the polygons at the top. I then tweaked the cloth settings in order to create a more natural, realistic look.

Here is a bug I encountered, causing the curtain to bug even though there aren’t any objects colliding with it and I had self-collisions turned off.

I intend for the animation to play once the play has clicked on the curtain, this is what the event player looks like.

I then added a few more nodes so that the animation doesn’t play again once it’s already been triggered

Just some further experimentation with ideas, I like the visual of having a creature so big that it can stand up at a high windowsill and look in, this was quite fun to draw as well.

And now for some more practical experiements:

I got started on getting the room together, this curtain asset proved helpful for creating a sense of scale and knowing how things will be positioned in my scene, but I want to actually create my own assets so that I can produce and manipulate cloth dynamics, and make my game feel a little bit more alive.

For this, I have been using Blender. I am actually completely new to this software, but its modeling capabilities and malleability is actually a lot better than C4D so you know what? Sure. I’ll bite. Here are a few screenshots from my journey in creating this curtain mesh.

And here is the first issue I ran into during this project! I think I had extruded the polygons incorrectly, causing the dynamics to act as if the mesh is more of a pillow than a curtain, this took me a while to fix but when I had it sorted it was kind of smooth sailing.

I introduced some dynamics and then baked a position I liked into a mesh, this will essentially be what UE starts off with before I reapply cloth dynamics to it, allowing it to rest in a more natural position that it would be in otherwise.

I familiarised my self with boolean variables and custom events here, I also learned how to utilise components within blueprints as references. This BP doesn’t have a lot of capabilities that I end up adding in later on.

Here is some node logic that I played around with for hours trying to make work, the idea here was to make it so that the curtain animates where I click, so that there is some distortion and an increased connection between the player and the game. I want to make it look like a hand is pulling at the curtain as it moves towards closing. Unfortunately, this took way too long and I was making zero progress, I tried every single way I could imagine but to no avail, time to move on.

I want to incorporate a CRT TV in my scene in some way, it’s a large aspect of the short films I’ve produced (I have some sort of infatuation with CRTs apparently) and can be used as a storytelling device by showing short clips on it in certain situations. The TV itself could be part of the scares too. These old sets have such a specific look when they’re acting up – that warped static, the way the picture rolls, that weird high-pitched whine they make. Plus there’s something really unsettling about a TV turning itself on in a dark room, casting a cold glow everywhere.

As you can see in the top right, I include a shelf with picture frames. I plan on either having a photograph of a family or maybe some pictures of old people to really drive home that we’re in an old, lived-in room. The wainscoting in the back I plan to have be relatively ornate, potentially saying that the house used to be quaint and lovely but slowly decayed into disrepair.

I had fun with a couple doodles to sort of come up with the feel I want to produce. I doubt I’ll have the time to create an experience that will really capture what is being shown in these concept arts, but I want to push myself to the absolute limit and see what I produce in this timeframe.

Now I have some of the basics down, and some clear inspirations. I’ve started getting some ideas going for the main aspects of the game. After considering various approaches to demonstrate computer animation fundamentals, I’ve decided to create a first-person horror experience that builds upon my previous work with “Burlap Friends”. The decision wasn’t made lightly – I want to challenge traditional boundaries of computer animation by incorporating multiple experimental animation techniques that can only truly be experienced through active participation.

The cool thing about making it first-person is how much I can play with animation in ways that can unnerve people. I want to capture and create a unique feeling where the environment you’re in just feels like it’s working against you. Like, imagine looking at one of these creepy plush toys and seeing it twitch ever so slightly – but when you look back, it’s completely still.

I’m thinking of starting with regular curtains, nothing out of the ordinary. Then, when the player walks into a specific trigger zone, or, what I want to have happen as part of the game mechanics, when a certain time frame as passed, something starts peeking through – this creepy, toothy smile appearing between the folds. I’ve sketched out how it could emerge gradually: first just a hint, then more visible, finally revealing this unsettling face with those wide eyes and grin.

I’m exploring different ways the face could appear. Maybe it stretches unnaturally between the curtains, or maybe it should be positioned outside the window looking in – that could add an extra layer of dread since it implies something’s actually outside, watching.

I want to play with lighting, and maybe have it as an important mechanic in the game. The way a light source is positioned in a room can completely change how the environment is perceived. This light source should be a sort of life-line, being a way of notifying the player of dangers and also creating a sense of unease when removed.

Going on from my research prior, I’m going to implement a door hidden behind the bed. This door will be potentially the most derelict object in an already old and withered room, if I go down that route.

It’s funny because all my work with the Burlap Friends shorts has actually been great preparation for this. I’ve learned a lot about timing and how to make things feel unsettling, and now I get to make those moments interactive. Plus, working in Unreal Engine is pushing me to learn proper techniques instead of my usual Cinema 4D shortcuts (no more hiding everything in post!).

We went deep into UE5’s rendering setup. The post-processing volume provides incredible control over the final look, way more than I initially expected coming from Cinema 4D’s more straightforward render setup.

Console commands streamline the workflow – highresshot 1920 x 1080 is a quick and easy way to get a high-res screenshot without having to go through the lengthy rendering process I’m kinda used to. We played with spatial and temporal sampling, pushing beyond the default 8 samples really cleaned up static shots and smoothed out animations.

The render warm-up count helps avoid those rough first frames, giving the engine proper prep time. Working locally versus network made a massive difference in render speeds. Setting everything to cinematic under scalability settings provides that extra polish, though finding the right performance balance takes some tweaking. Coming from C4D, the real-time feedback makes experimenting with different render settings much more efficient, even if the initial setup is more complex.

I have a lot of experience with Octane render, but the viewport isn’t as responsive as UE5’s, also, I can interact with a rendered environment which C4D octane lacks the capability of.

This week, looked into dynamic lighting in UE, exploring how intentional and informed use of lighting techniques can enhance a scene and even contribute to storytelling. The seminar had me experimenting with these techniques firsthand and gave me a newfound appreciation for how light, materials, and atmosphere interact in a 3d environment.

The Lumen system is pretty interesting, though getting it to work right was a bit of trial and error. Had some annoying issues with noise in my renders at first, but figured out it was because I was pushing the global illumination settings too far. Once I dialed those back, things started looking much cleaner.

The different light types were fun to mess around with. Directional lights for sun stuff felt pretty straightforward, but I got really into experimenting with spotlights and point lights for more specific effects. Those rectangular lights were cool for soft lighting, and can help fill in a scene when you dont want to have to decrease the shadow constrast.

Material interaction with lighting turned out to be crucial. Adjusting the albedo before adding lights helped optimize the global illumination. Post-processing volumes let you control effects either globally or in specific areas. Adding IES profiles to spotlights made them behave more realistically. Reflections required careful consideration. Using skylight and different reflection types (box and sphere) improved material realism, especially for metals and glass. I found those IES profiles for spotlights interesting – it gives a realistic look that I really like. Had to keep an eye on performance though, especially with ray tracing and high-res reflections.

Post-processing was another thing we touched on, that I found intruiging. Experimenting with color grading through Look-Up Tables (LUTs) showed me how much impact these adjustments can have on the overall mood of a scene. The ability to maintain consistent cinematic tones across different shots feels like a powerful tool for storytelling.

I had a bit of a revelation with post-processing volumes – they’re actually really useful for tweaking specific areas without changing up the whole scene. I’ve been thinking about using them sparingly but purposefully in my project in order to utilise colour theory to my advantage, I’m going to look into being able to change settings mid-gameplay so that I can have it react dynamically.

The most useful thing I learned was probably how to balance different lighting approaches. Sometimes you need that real-time dynamic lighting for specific effects, but other times you can get away with baked lighting and save some performance. Thankfully, I have a decent PC, but if I want to be able to produce experiences that most people can enjoy – I should become acquainted with ways to manage performance.

In this lesson, we went over the control rig in order to create dynamic character animations. This involved setting up skeletal meshes and exploring animation tools like inverse kinematics and spring constraints. Like most things in UE, the process is quite layered but offers a lot of flexibility in how you approach it. I found it interesting how the system blends technical rigging with creative control, letting you focus more on getting the movement right rather than wrestling with the tools.

I started with skeletal mesh setup – you can either get these from Quixel Bridge or make your own. What I found interesting was being able to convert static meshes into skeletal ones, which means you can animate pretty much anything.

Forward and Backward solving was particularly intriguing. I’m fairly familiar with forward solving from playing around in C4D, but backward solving, where bones control the controllers, is a novel approach that’s really useful for extracting animation data. The IK setup really surprised me with how natural it felt. In other programs, I often find myself fighting with IK chains to get them to behave properly, but here it just clicked. I could get limbs moving exactly how I wanted without that usual back-and-forth tweaking that eats up so much time.

Working with the IK chains turned out to be surprisingly straightforward. As I experimented with different movements, I found the system really intuitive – you can adjust limb positions and joint rotations without having to think too hard about the technical side of things.

The spring interpolation system was definitely the highlight for me though. I was testing it out with some simple animations and realized how perfect it would be for the “Burlap Friends” project. Getting those fluid, unsettling movements for the monsters would be much simpler with this setup. Instead of spending ages manually animating each frame, you can create natural-looking motion just by moving the main body. It works great for things like tentacles or tails – the kind of movement that would take ages to animate frame by frame.

The ability to rig complex models like dragons or octopuses shows how versatile the system is. Adding aim constraints for targeted movements (like making a head track an object) feels natural in the Unreal environment. This week gave me a good look at how Unreal handles animation. There’s still plenty to learn with the new terms and workflow, but I can see how it’ll be useful for creating responsive animations.

This week, we focused on physics-based materials and dynamic simulations.

Fracture Mode

Fracture mode in Unreal reminded me a lot of Cinema 4D’s Voronoi Fracture, but with a built-in focus on physics and interaction. The concept is the same: take an object, break it into pieces, and configure physics attributes. You can control how an object breaks: uniformly, radially for glass, or in clustered chunks.

For one experiment, I simulated a bullet piercing glass, tweaking the radial fracture’s origin point until the crack radiated out convincingly. I loved how easy it was to customise.

Chaos Simulations

When we wanted to simulate dynamic interactions between objects, Chaos Physics came into play. I then set up some cubes to collide mid-air, adding a Chaos Cache Manager and recording the simulation. This is an essential step if you want to render these effects later, as the cache converts the live physics into an editable sequence.

The process of “directing” this chaos was both thrilling and challenging. Everything had to be captured perfectly—from the cubes’ initial collision to the way fragments settled on the ground. It reminded me of C4D’s simulation baking, but in Unreal, the tools for editing and playing back the chaos felt more versatile and tailored for rendering final sequences.

Constraints

Physics constraint actors allowed us to attach objects to each other and control their movement. I did a few pendulum-like setups with objects swinging around their anchor points. It was even more exciting when applied to skeletal meshes. I simulated a mannequin hanging from its hand, the rest of the body responding to the forces in a very natural way.

It reminded me of building dynamic rigs in C4D, where you have to carefully balance movement constraints to make the simulation feel natural. In Unreal, it felt like the system handled a lot of that heavy lifting for you, letting me focus on refining the storytelling. I found myself imagining scenes where characters cling to ledges or objects tumble in chain reactions—a creative spark I didn’t expect from what started as a technical experiment.

Working in Unreal this week felt like building on everything I’ve learned in Cinema 4D but taking it further. The tools in both programs share similarities—whether it’s PBR materials, dynamics, or constraints—but Unreal integrates these tools into a cohesive, real-time system that feels alive.

It made all the difference when in Unreal there was instantaneous feedback, especially while fine-tuning material properties or fracture settings. It was like rendering in a C4D viewport, only without the waits for an age for a preview to load. It’s this real-time responsiveness that kept it flowing, allowing for more experimentation without it feeling bogged down.

In this post I want to outline some research I’ve conducted in order to get a clearer image of what I want to create.

I chose some elements I like and want to build upon

1. Having drawings/ paintings on the walls both adds visual complexity and can also be a storytelling resource. Perhaps using them as a mechanic or just a way to lead the eye towards important subjects could be beneficial.
   
2. A clock could be a useful object to have in order to represent time. The absence of one is also an interesting concept, I like how in FNAF 4 we see a digital clock that doesn’t even work, which has symbolic implications regarding the story.
   
3. Toys strewn out on the floor both adds ambiance and could be used as a game mechanic. The toys having eyes here is something I may want to implement into my project, the eyes can be used to draw attention or to unsettle.
   
4. In Five Nights at Freddy’s 4, the closet is a game mechanic and requires you to check it periodically in order to progress without getting a game over. I, however am considering having a red herring of sorts, with an inaccessible closet that is slightly ajar that prompts the player/ viewer to give it undue attention.

The light source here is from the player, a flashlight is pointed where the character looks, and there aren’t other light sources.

Silent Hill 4 – The Room uses the protagonist’s apartment as a disturbing, claustrophobic environment. The player will initially see it as a safe space but over time realises that it is actually very unsettling and even hostile.

The game’s haunted items (e.g., the doll, bloodstains) represent a slow build-up of dread. In my game, augmenting “Burlap Friends” toys with minor, eerie movements or unsettling noises can reinforce their presence. A slight twitch or a sudden tilt can keep players constantly on edge.

In this session we explored more complex uses of sequencers and covered material blending in Unreal.

• Master and sub sequencers were touched on again, emphasizing the importance of layering to maintain a level of organisation within your project. To keep track of each sequence’s purpose, we organised them into colour-coded folders, making it easier to navigate projects as they become more complex.

• Camera and shot setup allows for arrangement and rearrangement of transitions and camera cuts. We practiced adding cameras and animating them independently, linking them to the master sequence. Working in multiple viewports at once enabled me to experiment with perspectives and ensure continuity.

• Master material creation allows for customisation on many levels of a material, combining multiple textures with adjustable parameters like roughness, normal, color etc.

• By creating instances of master materials, real-time adjustments can be made to properties such as tiling without reopening the master material

• Texture sampling was explained too, showing how RGB channels are used for ambient occlusion, roughness and displacement and how it interacts with lighting. I knew normal maps affected how light reflects off an object but was unsure of how each colour directs light left-right, top-bottom etc. Adjusting the normal map strength allowed the lighting to create a sense of dimensionality and depth, even across flat surfaces, mimicking the way materials might look after rain or under direct light.

• We were also shown how to blend textures to create materials with node logic, allowing for direct and complex manipulation of texture attributes UE.

Overall, this week sharpened my understanding of both the structural and artistic sides of Unreal Engine.