Story driven environment design
The project began with a brief to craft a short story, which then served as the foundation for developing an immersive environment.
Story Synopsis:
A young girl gazes into a well at her ancestral home in Kumbakonam, her eyes sparkling like the stars above. Each summer, she sleeps on the terrace beside her grandmother, listening to tales of ancient civilizations and the cosmos. As she grows, the wonder fades, replaced by life's grind and existential questions.
Years later, drawn back to her roots, she visits a Dravidian temple, its towering gopuram bridging earth and sky. A priest advises her to seek solace in Banaras. Eventually, she journeys there, mesmerized by the city's energy. At a quiet ghat, she touches the river's surface, sending ripples through her reflection—and her soul. In that moment, she realizes the universe and her inner self are connected. The answers she seeks lie within her.
Scene Selection
The Banaras ghat scene was selected for further development. The initial concept features two key moments: the first is a twilight scene at the ghats, capturing Banaras in all its serene glory. Upon user interaction—touching the water—the scene transforms into a magical experience, with a sky full of galaxies and stars reflected in the water below. The second scene is still in development.
Moodboard creation
The next step was to create a detailed moodboard with references for models, lighting, textures, and elements, providing a vision of what belongs in the scene.
Zoning spaces and categorizing elements as foreground, midground, and background helped visualize the composition.
Greyboxing
Greyboxing is a crucial step that defines the structure of the scene by blocking out the key elements.
UNREAL
In Unreal, I started by creating serene water and lighting that closely matched the moodboard. A significant challenge was developing the buoyancy blueprint for the boats.
First Iteration
The majority of the work was completed at this stage, but additional tasks remained, including adding lights, flag simulation, and populating the steps with decals and diyas.
FINAL SUBMISSION
