Our project is aiming to create a 2-3 minute heartwarming animated short film, designed specifically for the Cavern (270-degree immersive screen). The story follows an old man who having lost his beloved, goes into a fantasy world, recalls his good memory from the past, finding spiritual solace and the courage to carry on with life.
1. Direction
At the beginning of the semester, our first goal was to establish the project’s direction and structure.
After setting the general schedule, we discussed each team member’s goals and distributed roles based on individual strengths. One challenge we faced was the composition of our team—this year, we have more technical artists but no teammates with a formal animation background. With guidance from our instructors, we decided to focus on leveraging the motion capture studio on campus as a key resource for animation production.
2. Workflow
We chose Unreal Engine (UE) as our main platform for rendering and lighting, with SpeedTree and UE to help craft the film’s fantasy environment. For the procedural generation of models, we are utilizing Houdini. However, we are still in the process of learning how best to integrate motion capture into this workflow.
3. First Challenge
Once we established the production process, we moved into pre-production. This involved gathering art references, exploring possible styles, and sketching storyboards. Working with the cavern format has introduced unique challenges. Unlike traditional screens, the cavern is an immersive space, which restricts conventional cinematography and editing techniques. Our biggest hurdle is breaking free from the mindset of traditional film and television production to fully embrace the possibilities of this immersive medium.
