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“A Midsummer Night's Dream”

Unreal Engine Environment Development, Motion Capture, 
Animation, Sequencing, & Editing
A solo virtual production film that used Motion Capture to tell the story of an assassin’s mission to kill a unicorn. 




 

Final Work


Story Synopsis
It was said that only the one with a pure heart can see a unicorn. 
Tide, a professional assassin, got a mission to kill a unicorn. However, the holy unicorn has a special talent. Amid the dreams Tide was summoned into, she was given a second chance to choose whether to stay true to her heart or commit to her dark desires. 
Legends say that only the pure-hearted can see a unicorn, a symbol of innocence and transcendence. When Tide faces it, the moment becomes more than a mission—a confrontation with herself. To kill the unicorn is to reject the possibility that she is more than a weapon, to accept that purity, once lost, can never return. Yet, if the unicorn is an illusion, is sparing it merely another form of self-deception? This project explores the weight of choice, the tension between belief and reality, and the cost of severing oneself from the past.
 


Shot List


A visual shot list was important for me to render the key shots and make sure the takes were consistent.

Character Design




Visual Style & Mood Board




Environment Development

World Building & Map IntegrationThis project utilizes three distinct maps, each adapted to serve the film’s narrative and visual tone. One environment was created from scratch, while the other two were modified with custom lighting, atmospheric effects, and material refinements to enhance depth and realism.


Lighting & AtmosphereLighting was a key tool in shaping the mood of each scene. I utilized Clouds Lighting System, adjusted key shot lighting, and implemented volumetric fog and particle effects to enhance environmental depth. These adjustments ensured that each shot supported the emotional beats of the film.


Motion Capture & Animation




After planning the poses based on the shot list, I performed the motion capture myself using OptiTrack, recording the movement data with high precision. The captured data was then processed and cleaned in MotionBuilder, where I refined the motion curves and addressed any artifacts, such as foot sliding or jitter. Finally, the optimized animation was retargeted onto a Ready Player Me character rig, ensuring accurate skeletal mapping and natural motion fidelity.


Character Rig
I rigged the character’s expressions using morph targets to change the eyes’ blink levels for the close-up shot. 


Sequencing & Editing




For this virtual production project, I was responsible for all sequencing and editing in Unreal Engine’s Sequencer. Each shot was carefully structured to maintain a consistent visual style, leveraging precise camera movements, composition, and lighting transitions to enhance narrative impact.

Shot Composition & Cinematic Framing
I utilized the rule of thirds and grid overlays to frame each shot, ensuring balanced composition and guiding the viewer’s focus effectively. This approach helped establish clear subject placement while maintaining strong visual storytelling. Camera angles were carefully adjusted to enhance depth, perspective, and emotional impact within each scene.

Character Animation Integration
The character animations were a combination of Mixamo motion assets and custom motion capture recorded with OptiTrack. I processed the mocap data in MotionBuilder, refining movement fidelity before retargeting onto Ready Player Me character rigs in Unreal Engine. This workflow allowed for a seamless blend between procedural animation and performance-driven motion, ensuring naturalistic movement and interaction within the environment.

Material Animation & Dynamic Effects
To enhance realism and storytelling, I implemented animated materials and real-time effects. This includes dynamic blood splatter shaders, created using Unreal Engine’s material graph, which react to scene lighting and interactions. These elements were strategically timed within Sequencere qu en ce r z to align with character actions, reinforcing the emotional weight of key moments.

Cinematic Composition & Scene Assembly
Cinematography was designed with a strong focus on framing, depth, and atmosphere, ensuring that every shot supported the film’s thematic direction. The use of animated focal shifts, tracking shots, and environmental VFX contributed to a visually immersive experience. Additionally, scene transitions and animation blending were carefully managed within Sequencer to maintain smooth pacing and continuity.
Cinematic Movement