Session
I learned about the basic concepts of world design, including how to create environments, navigate the interface, and understand the essential functions required to work effectively in the vast world of Unreal Engine 5.
Through the session, I began to realize how powerful this engine is. In other 3D software, you often need to set up multiple materials, lights, and physics systems just to achieve one beautiful scene. However, in UE5, everything already looks realistic and visually impressive. By simply dragging in some models and adjusting a few settings, the scene quickly came to life. Of course, creating complete projects will not be as simple, but I am still very excited to continue exploring and learning more about UE5.
Ideas for Final Project
I do not yet have a clear plan for what I intend to create, so I decided to record any ideas or thoughts that might help stimulate my creativity.
When considering what I want to develop for the final project, there are two main directions I could take:
- What inspired me to become an animator, the things that make me smile and motivate me to create.
- What I want to pursue in the future, projects that could help me build a portfolio or prepare for potential career opportunities.
What inspire me to become an animator
I am a big fan of games and Japanese animation (and manga). Animation was what first inspired me to start drawing, but the crucial turning point was a music video from League of Legends: K/DA – POP/STARS. That was the moment I thought, “What if I could create something like this?”
Another major source of inspiration is one of my favourite League of Legends seasonal cinematics, Awaken. From the smooth fighting sequences to the intricate texture details, everything about it deeply moved me.
It made me realize that creating such work requires many people working together. Each contributing their effort, skills, and knowledge. I hope that one day, I can be part of a team like that.
What I want to do in the future, or what help me to apply for a job
To be honest, I am still exploring what I truly want to do. An animator can work on character animation, environmental animation, animal animation, and many other forms of movement. However, for now, I would like to focus on character animation.
Besides the appealing visuals of character animation, I believe that storytelling is what makes it truly special. I love creating characters in my mind, there is an entire fictional world within my imagination. When I zone out, I often visualize how the characters interact and develop storylines for them. Therefore, creating a story based project might also be a good direction to pursue.
Speaking of storytelling, I have recently been discovering award-winning animated short films, trying to understand what makes them successful. It occurred to me that creating a short film that could potentially be submitted to such competitions would be an exciting challenge.
In summary, I am still exploring my specific direction as an animator, but I am particularly drawn to character animation and storytelling. I hope to combine these interests by creating short animated films that not only showcase movement and expression but also convey meaningful narratives.