The Realm of Falluna

Amazing Collaboration with the Team 4 Aces

Our team, 4 Aces, formed by four talented 3D artists, Sierra, Tina, Monica, and me, collaborated on this wonderful project, The Realm of Falluna. We set out to create a semi-realistic fantasy world. If you’re interested in learning more about the story, make sure to check out our video!

As a 3D hard-surface artist, my main contribution to the team focused on building the architectural elements of the environment. I modeled and textured the arches, balcony railings, walls, and windows. I also helped texture the columns and stairs, which were modeled by Sierra. For these two assets, I used a trim sheet that I created using Maya, ZBrush, and Substance Painter. It was my first time working with a trim sheet, and I’m really happy with the result.

In addition to the architectural work, I also modeled the chandelier with candles. A part of the chandelier was reused as a standalone candle with a holder, which I placed throughout the scene to light up areas around the stairs, the second level of arches, and near the doorway. Creating the chandelier was fun, as it was the most complex model I worked on for this project. I learned to use new tools in Maya such as “Wrap” and “Shrink Wrap,” and combined a NURBS Circle with the MASH tool to distribute the decorative elements. I also used a Curve and MASH setup to create the chain that holds the chandelier.

Since our scene included many organic elements, I contributed by creating lilies on the water using cards and transparency. I later lit the lilies in Unreal Engine using point lights. My final asset was the door. I didn’t spend as much time on this one compared to the others, knowing it would be barely visible in the final composition, but we still decided to include it to add more depth and realism to the scene.

Beyond my 3D work, I also helped showcase our environment by capturing video shots in Unreal Engine and editing them in Adobe Premiere. Since video editing is a personal hobby of mine, I really enjoyed bringing our hard work to life. I also feel like I’m finally getting more confident with camera movement in Unreal. In my opinion, no matter how much effort goes into building a 3D environment, properly presenting it through video and renders is just as important. Bad lighting or poor presentation can take away from even the best work. We definitely saw that during our process when the scene initially felt too dark, but thanks to the valuable feedback we received, we were able to improve it significantly.

The most valuable lessons I gained from this project were learning how to use trim sheets, MASH, and the Wrap tool, all of which I believe will help me work more efficiently on future projects. I’m incredibly grateful to my teammates, Sierra, Tina, and Monica, for their dedication and hard work. I’m truly proud of what we created together. Great teammates make all the difference!

Inspiration for the chandelier: Video Game – Heilstatten: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3896048000413811&set=pb.100063559852130.-2207520000

My Teammates Contribution:
Thy-Tina P. – https://www.artstation.com/realtimetina
VFX specialist on our team, worked on various UE materials, modeled and textured the crystals, falling leaves and water

Sierra Clark – https://www.artstation.com/sierraclarke
Modeled and textured the tree, throne, tables, chairs, mushrooms, and leaves. Modeled columns and stairs and area around the throne, organized props in Unreal Engine, set up the sky, created parent materials, and contributed to the concept art and story development.

Monica Sylvestre – https://www.artstation.com/artdud
Modeled and textured the queen character, ceiling, floor, round window, and the flowers around the throne, created concept art, set up whiteboxing in Unreal Engine, and contributed to the story concept.