"Back or Forward" - my Real-Time short cinematic created during the Epic Bootcamp Animation 2023 - Unreal Engine 5.
"Back or Forward" - my Real-Time short cinematic created during the Epic Bootcamp Animation 2023 - Unreal Engine 5.
“Back or Forward” – my short cinematic made in Unreal Engine 5.
In July 2023 I had the chance to be selected to attend the “Epic Bootcamp Animation 2023” Europe, a 4 weeks training program powered by Epic Games, UT-Hub, INCAS, Prometheus Lab, Game Ready, ObjectIF3D focussed on #unrealengine5.
I had a great experience during these weeks, learning the basics of #UE5 about worldbuilding, materials, Blueprints, MetaHuman, rigging, #Sequencer and #VirtualProduction, animation, lighting, post-production.
Thanks to these teachings I was able to create my 30s real-time short cinematic “Back or Forward” on the given theme “Crossing the Thereshold”.
I carried out all phases of the project, from conception to final export.
It was an equally exciting and unexpected experience to be able to present my selected video, along with many others, at the final Festival of the Bootcamp.
I learned a lot and I enjoyed being part of such a large community, sharing knowledge and questions with people from all over Europe. A special thanks to my classmates and to our mentor Ramón O. for the energy he gave to the group supporting us with his experience during the whole journey.
Thanks to a colleague 3D Artist DudeHTM for the 3D Low Poly Girl character model.
My short cinematic is about a girl facing a choice and the story is a a metaphor of life. My desire was to tell a simple story inspired by an emotion.
People are living in the present but sometimes they have to decide whether to remain anchored in the past or look happily to the future. The character is walking along the path of life, where she encounters surprises and unexpected events.
Through the mirror (the Past) people can see what there is behind but also how they have become thanks to past experiences.
On the other side the book (the Future) needs to be discovered and opened, facing the desire and the fear to find out what is awaiting there.
#unrealengine #realtime #epicgames #epicbootcampanimation2023 #unrealshorts
01 - SCRIPT
The Story
A female character is walking on a path. Suddenly something happens and she has to make a choice. Two objects represent the choices she has.
World: an ethereal world, stylized, a cobblestone path suspended in the air; white and pastel colours landscape. The world is surrounded by clouds/coloured fog.
Character: a female character, ethereal as the world she inhabits. May be she has no details on her face, she is not a real human.
Artifacts:
a gold hand mirror = the Past
a closed book = the Future
Theme
This story is a metaphor of life. People are living in the present but sometimes they have to decide if remaining attached to the past or looking happily and bravely to the future. The character is walking along the path of life, where she encounters surprises and unexpected events.
Through the mirror (the Past) people can see what there is behind but also how they become thanks to past experiences.
On the other side the book (the Future) need to be discovered and opened, facing the desire and the fear to find out what is awaiting there.
Plot
1 . Initial equilibrium situation. The girl is going happily on her way.
2. Suddenly something happens.
3. The world is changing, pointing out that something happened in the character’s life.
4. She is a little bit scared and confused.
5. Two choices appear.
6. She is hesitant. She decides.
7. She starts running towards her decision.
8. She grab the artifact representing her choice, this is the theresold opening the next step.
Scene Sequence
A relaxed atmosphere. There is a path made by big cobblestones, stylized flowers swaying in the wind. A female character hops happily along the path surpassing a little white stone bridge.
Camer shake or noise.
From afar the darkness is quickly approaching to the character closing in a circle around her. The landscape is disappearing in the darkness and only few cobblestones remain visible around the character. It remains only a large spotlight with blurred edges around the character.
The camera looks at the horizon. Few meters far from the character two objects appears, they are slowing floating in the air. Suddenly the path splits in two revealing two separate trails conducting to the objects.
On the left there is a little hand mirror attached to the floor by a chain. The mirror is gold, pleasing to the eye, almost a fairy mirror.
On the right there is a closed book, representing the future.
The character is very surprised, a little bit scared. Hesitant.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she chooses her way and she starts running towards the future, cathcing the book and opening it. (Or she only approaches and the book opens itself).
When the book opens, some light and a magic smoke comes out.
02 - STORYBOARD
The first version of the storyboard.
Screenshots are made in Unreal Engine 5, the storyboard template is from Canva.
Back or Forward - storyboard pag01 made with Unreal Engine 5.
Back or Forward - storyboard pag02 made with Unreal Engine 5
03 - ANIMATIC
"Back or Forward" - the animatic done in Unreal Engine 5. #unrealengine5
"Back or Forward" - the animatic done in Unreal Engine 5. #unrealengine5
