Category: Immersion

In this lesson we focused on UE’s sequencers to translate film techniques into an environment, creating and organizing cinematic sequences.

We started by identifying the differences between film’s linear and overlapping shot techniques, and how Unreal Engine differs by relying on a sequence-based approach with level sequences, nested sub-sequences, and multi-camera tracks.

Project structure: each project in UE serves as the location, and different levels are stages. There are also sublevels that handle assets and can be shuffled in and out depending on your needs.

• A master sequencer manages the film’s final output, utilising and managing multiple separate level sequences for things like lighting, cameras, asset animation etc.

• Possessable actors only appear when needed within the scene, being that they can be spawned in on trigger for example. Spawnable actors are constantly visible in sequencers, allowing for control over what you want to have permanent or transient.

• Camera properties and placement are very customisable through Unreal, allowing for full control over focal length, aperture and focus settings. Manual focus distance allows for precise control over depth of field, creating emphasis on key props in a scene.

• Using multiple viewports to your advantage is key, giving a strong overall view and allowing you to understand how camera placement affects the perception of a scene.

• Post-processing adjustments within cameras are shown in the final product, while scene-level post processing also exists and can be toggled based on the scene’s needs.

• Keyframes enable animations for camera movement, and curve editors can offer more control and refinement for easing etc.

This tutorial ended with techniques for rendering and adding complex movements to scenes using the curve editor to refine them further. I’m eager to continue experimenting and becoming more adept at using the sequencer as it’s a new and challenging tool, very different to what I’m used to in C4D.

My project idea for this unit is to extend upon the stories I’ve been developing in the past couple years, being the Burlap Friends! short films. The premise of these stories revolves around these small plush toys called burlap friends that are inspired from “ugly” plush toys from the 80s and 90s.

In terms of narrative elements this project aims to integrate symbolic features like inaccessible doors and windows to imply hidden environments/ worlds to spark viewer’s curiosity and fear. I want to have the viewer question the surroundings and prompt them to question the nature of these spaces. This, paired with unsettling creatures that pursue has the potential to really frighten and engage people. I have plans to maybe develop this as an interactive experience to really create that feeling of unease.

In this lesson we learned about key aspects of the creation of a project in UE5, with a focus on understanding said core elements and preparing for upcoming, more advanced, classes.

• File structure: UE files use distinct formats such as .uasset for assets like textures and .umap for maps, this makes file transfers between softwares not so straightforward, since assets need to be processed and migrated into UE.

• The structure in which projects are produced is quite layered, allowing for larger projects to be more manageable.

• When setting up a project, you are met with the choice of using either Blueprints of C++. I will be using blueprints since the logic is something I’m more used to, having utilised elements of node programming in Cinema 4D’s espresso feature.

• Render settings: these settings are optional and I don’t see myself using them for the time being, but can be tweaked for enhanced rendering for those who need it.

• Level Management: levels are essentially containers for scene elements, this makes shifting from day to night, for example, more manageable. I can have one project with multiple variations that can be switched with ease.

• Actors: sounds, meshes, animations, blueprints etc are all considered “actors”, and can all be used in tandem to build an interactive environment

• Starter templates and marketplace samples are resources that can be leveraged to streamline the development process, releasing the pressure of having to create a lot of things from scratch.

I’m fairly used to this concept, having used Sketchfab’s plugin in Cinema 4D. The marketplace on quixel/ fab seems quite expansive – and there is a wide variety of free assets at my disposal.

At this moment in time, I am relatively inexperienced in UV texturing and modeling in general. I’ve been relying on easy and inefficient shortcuts when using C4D because everything can be hidden or changed in post. Learning more reliable techniques will elevate my work to the next level.

This week we were introduced to the game engine Unreal Engine 5, this is my first time interacting with this program as a Cinema 4D user. The difference in workflow was both familiar and so different, the nature of UE’s parent-child relationships is pervasive throughout every aspect of the development process introducing an element of structure and complexity.

The blueprint-based scripting and general management of every component was novel but a welcome change. The customization allowed by such a structure, and the ability to create from a variety of different approaches is something I enjoy, having used multiple software in tandem with C4D. It feels like UE5 is a mix of so many different programs in one, which is both daunting and exciting.

We were introduced to the project brief in this lesson, which has a strong emphasis on research, experimentation and leverage of key aspects of fundamentals that dictate the overall “-ness” of an experience.

These are the design process aspects from how I understand them:

Imagination and research: draw understanding from everything I experience, searching for aspects I can use – or adapt into ideas that can propel my projects to the next level. I will do this by understanding research dynamically.

Deconstruction and Reconstruction: correctly identify every single aspect of every single component. This will require for me to learn deeply about how everything has been intentionally placed and how/ why they interact together.

Proportion: an environment essentially lives and dies through proportion, this is shown in the animation we saw in the first week with the elf walking through the forest. Everything is relative to the main focus of a scene, and the way an environment and the focus interact can essentially dictate the feelings evoked from the audience.

Materiality: we as people are influenced by how much control we have over the world around us, are we in a static unchanging unfeeling world or in a dynamic world that can bend to our will? Can I grant ability to a viewer and take it away to create a feeling of helpnessness, or bring them from a sense of helpnessness to a state of control? This is important to think about as I aim to create horror experiences.

Movement Qualities: How things move can change one’s perspective of them, the difference between a static and a moving object can sometimes make a world of difference. I wish to explore the dynamic this can create in depth.