about this project
This project, created for the Virtual Production course at RTVE Instituto, outlines the creation of a mystical medieval forest scene for a fantasy story, combining detailed environment design, lighting techniques, and elements for an immersive virtual production experience. It also includes a complete virtual production plan with a budget for 7 days
Scene Description
Deep in the Crystal Forest, where ancient trees shine with a magical light, stands the Sanctuary of the Celestial Orb. An ancient structure, its glass domes reflect the sun's rays in a way that seems to illuminate the sky itself. However, the peace of this sacred place is threatened by the darkness looming over it. Shadows of the night stretch, and a sinister energy envelops the sanctuary, announcing the arrival of an evil force seeking the power of the Celestial Orb for its own dark purposes.
Identification of Key Elements from the Script
Context and Environment
Location: The Crystal Forest and the Sanctuary of the Celestial Orb
Time: Afternoon
Atmosphere: The energy of the place is magical, almost alive, and dramatically changes with the arrival of Drogan. What was once serenity turns into palpable tension, with whispers in the wind and mist moving as if it had its own will.
Main Characters
Eirian: The forest guardian, an elf whose deep bond with nature allows her to feel the changes in the energy of the place. Her past is marked by the loss of previous guardians, which strengthens her determination.
Kael: A human adventurer and seeker of ancient artifacts. Initially motivated by personal ambitions, he finds a sense of responsibility upon joining the cause.
Thaldir: An elderly wise man and protector of the Sanctuary. His vast knowledge allows him to lead the protection rituals, though he struggles with his physical limitations.
Drogan: A dark sorcerer consumed by ambition. His presence alters the balance of the forest, and his history of betrayals fuels his hatred toward the guardians.
Main Action
The characters prepare to defend the Sanctuary. Eirian uses her magic to activate the forest's natural defenses, Kael leads the explorers in setting physical traps, and Thaldir reinforces the magical barriers. Meanwhile, Drogan advances, unleashing creatures and destroying the defenses in his path.
Analysis of Narrative Structura
Beginning:
- Eirian observes the forest from the top of an ancient tree, feeling a growing disturbance in the energy of the forest. Internally, she struggles with the weight of the responsibility inherited from generations of guardians. While brave, she fears failure like the ancient protectors of the Sanctuary.
- Kael and his companion cautiously approach the Sanctuary, facing magical traps and minor creatures that guard the forest. Kael, initially motivated by personal ambitions, begins to question his intentions upon witnessing the sacrifice and devotion of the guardians.
Development:
- Thaldir, while reinforcing the magical barriers of the Sanctuary, remembers his life dedicated to knowledge and the protection of ancestral secrets. Though his wisdom is vast, he faces doubts about whether his strength will be enough to stop the darkness.
- Liriel, immersed in the search for a final spell, struggles with insecurity as an apprentice. She wants to prove her worth before her master and others but also fears making a mistake that will endanger everyone.
- Drogan advances with his army of shadows, driven by an obsessive need for power. Internally, he is consumed by a betrayal from the past that fuels his hatred for the guardians and his desire to destroy everything they represent.
Outcome:
- The climactic confrontation between the guardians and Drogan tests not only their skills but also their internal resolutions. Eirian uses all her power and that of nature to hold off Drogan, sacrificing part of her own life energy.
- Kael, facing Drogan, finally abandons his selfish ambitions and risks his life to protect others, proving his true worth.
- Thaldir, weakened by constant use of magic, trusts Liriel to complete the final ritual. Liriel, overcoming her doubts, performs a spell that combines the forces of the guardians and the forest, sealing Drogan and his followers in a parallel plane.
Techniques to be Used
Set 1:
Chroma for the aerial scene:
This technique is chosen for resource optimization: a LED floor representing the forest canopy would be too expensive for a brief scene. With chroma, we can show the full characters and maintain the sense of height, while the magical forest environment, including the mist's advance, can be achieved with CGI, allowing for previsualization to help the actors react to the mist and improving it in post-production.
Set 2:
Empty Chroma
The empty design of this chroma provides the necessary flexibility for complex horizontal camera movements, such as semicircular travelling, without physical set constraints. The same setup can be reused for both scenes with minimal adjustments, reducing production time.
Set 3:
LEDwall
It will be used for the interior shots of the Sanctuary, where the graphical fidelity and versatility for artists and the cast to interact with the environment, thanks to good physical props and mostly close and medium shots, makes an LEDwall perfect for what we seek.
Visual Effects
Set Extension: Digitally expand the horizon of the Crystal Forest to show the vastness of the immensity of the environment.
Environment VFX: Sunlight, particles in the environment, movement of the environment as plants.
Appearance and VFX of the creatures and characters created by CGI.
Integration and VFX of the fog.
Spell effects
Camera Movements
- In the scene where the characters are at the top of the tree observing the forest, we will use a crane. The movement will be a smooth ascent from the trunk of the tree to the middle to a medium shot of the characters. We want the background to have depth, showing the vastness of the forest and highlighting how the fog is slowly approaching. This shot helps establish the environment and tension, creating a visual connection to the looming danger.
- In the scene where Kael advances through the forest we will use a horizontal travelling shot in an angled semi-circle so that it does not become linear and we get an effect of movement and action, it would be from left to right and we will switch between short and medium shots.
- Thaldir performs rituals on the set of LEDwall, so we will use a static camera with a slight side pan and zoom to create tension and mysticism to the scene.
- On the same set Liriel studies grimoires, we will use the same technique with some resource shots of the grimoires in the foreground or of Liriel herself, to capture emotions and anguish.
- Drogan moves forward on the same set as Kael's scene, to take advantage of the space, the and time, but in this case we will use the tracking shot from right to left, we will modify the shots and zooms to create a different feeling from the other scene.
- Ennia's scene can be recreated entirely by CGI, although thanks to the simulcam we can create a panning to have a real time representation to help us in the interpretation.
Lighting
- For the Simulcam set we will use warm artificial lighting to represent the scenes where the Forest appears before the fog, representing the magic of the place, then we will use cooler lights in scenes such as Drogan, who is inside the fog.
- For the aerial scene, we can use a whiter light, as being over the forest would receive a more direct light from the sun.
- For the LEDwall set, we will use the actual lighting that radiates from the LED screen, although we will use additional lights to help us to transmit the reflections of the interior of the Sanctuary.
Sound Effects
Ambient Design: Whispers of the wind, rustling leaves, birds and small animals and a slight magical hum that reinforces the atmosphere with a small ancestral melody that envelops the environment.
After Drogan appears
Creature Sounds: Roars and growls designed by synthesizers.
Orchestral Music: String and percussion instruments to intensify the action.
Sound Environment
Natural and melodic ambience, changing to a controlled tension with the arrival of darkness.
Adjustment of Necessary Resources
Professional Teams
- VFX Supervisor, VP Supervisor, Unreal Engine Artist, Digital Compositing Artist, Tracking Technician, Ultimatte 12 Operator, LED Screen Technician, DoP, Production Designer, Sound Designer, Sound Technician, Director and Assistant Director.
Equipment
Sets, 3 Blackmagic Cameras, Tracking System and additional equipment (lights, cameras, monkeys, microphones...).
Estimated Costs for Elements (7 days):
Sets (2 chromas and 1 LEDwall) $30,000
Blackmagic Cameras $7,000
Tracking System $8,000
Additional Equipment $10,000
VFX Supervisor $5,000
VP Supervisor $5,000
Unreal Engine Artist $4,000
Digital Compositing Artist $3,000
Tracking Technician $3,000
Ultimatte 12 Operator $4,000
LED Technician $4,000
DoP $15,000
Production Designer $7,000
Sound Designer $5,000
Sound Technician $4,000
Director $15,000
Assistant Director $6,000
Contingencies and unforeseen costs $15,000
Total: $150,000
Detailed Planning of the Complete Production Process
Pre-production
Technical script and storyboards:
Design detailed storyboards to visualize the transition between physical and digital scenes.
Digital Environment Design:
Modeling the Crystal Forest and the Sanctuary in Unreal Engine.
Simulcam Testing:
Rehearse camera movements and actors in rendered environments.
Production
Set 1: Aerial scene of Eirian observing the forest.
Set 2: Drogan's preview, shot in chroma key with digital extensions.
Set 3: Sanctuary interior shot on LED screens.
Postproduction
VFX integration: Reinforcement of fog effects, creatures and spells.
Color Correction: Adjustment of tones for visual coherence.
Sound Design: Synchronization of effects and music to reinforce immersion.
Developed Competencies
- Previsualization and planning: Created technical storyboards and mapped out virtual and physical set requirements for multiple shooting stages.
- Virtual production pipeline management: Integrated LEDwall and chroma key techniques effectively across different stages of production.
- Resource and budget planning: Constructed a comprehensive budget and resource plan for a 7-day virtual production.
- Lighting and camera technique design: Strategically planned lighting setups and dynamic camera movements (dolly, crane, zooms, pans) to enhance mood and immersion.
- VFX supervision and asset integration: Defined the use of CGI for environmental effects, character integration, and set extension.
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Sound design conceptualization: Outlined a layered soundscape combining ambient sound, magical elements, and dynamic music for emotional impact.
