X Marks the Spot
During the Prohibition Era, aspiring archaeologist Elizabeth stumbles upon alarming intel: a hidden Egyptian site is in grave danger of being erased from history.
Breakdowns
Programs Used: Unreal Engine 5.5, Maya, Zbrush, Adobe Substance Painter, Adobe Photoshop
The Process
Concept Art
I wanted Elizabeth’s space to feel like an ambitious, messy-but-organized, young adult who wants to pursue her passion for archeology, but faces frustration due to the time period she is currently in. Fortunately for her, she has all the supplies and critical brain power to figure out where her next adventure will take her.
Original concept art that I made back in 2022 of Elizabeth's office space.
Storyboards
Environment Design
Blockout & Lighting
above: initial lighting pass in Vray.
below: final lighting for beauty shot in Unreal Engine.
I started by modeling the primary objects that would appear in the beauty shot. Because this project stemmed from my own concept, it was important to me that the featured assets were entirely my work. After modeling and UV-ing in Maya, I moved into Substance Painter for texturing. For the organic pieces, like the Anubis statue and bird sculpture, I shifted to ZBrush to sculpt the finer details.
I enjoyed sculpting the eagle sculpture and the Statue of Anubis. Since I wanted the material of the eagle to be wood, I was able to sculpt loosely . ​
Final in Unreal Engine render.
Camera Animation
Since this is more like a dialogue sequence, utilizing the small environment space and having varying shots while keeping it entertaining was difficult. I wanted to experiment with Unreal Engine’s rig rail and crane in some shots.
