#practice2

Planning this project properly was really important for me, especially since the entire production is limited to around three months. To stay on track, I created a Gantt chart that breaks down each phase of the project from pre-production all the way to the final submission. Instead of just having a rough idea of what to do, this helped me clearly map out how much time I can realistically spend on each stage and how everything connects.

The timeline starts with the pre-production document, which is already completed, and then moves into the blockout phase where I establish the basic layout of the environment. After that, a significant amount of time is dedicated to modular kit creation and asset modelling, since these form the foundation of the entire scene. Trim sheets and texturing also take up a large portion of the schedule, as they play a big role in keeping the workflow efficient while maintaining visual consistency. Once the main assets are ready, the focus shifts to set dressing, where the environment starts to feel more alive and detailed.

Towards the later stages, I’ve allocated time for lighting and post-processing, which are crucial for achieving the final mood and atmosphere of the scene. After that, there’s a short phase for creating a promo video, followed by the final presentation and submission. The timeline is structured in a way where each stage builds on the previous one, so I’m not jumping between tasks too much and can stay focused.

One thing I had to be realistic about while planning this project was time. Since this is a 3-month production, there’s always a risk that trying to do everything (environment + full story + cinematic) might end up affecting the overall quality.

So instead of overcommitting, I’ve planned the project in a way where the environment is the main focus, and everything else supports it.

What could go wrong?

The biggest risk is honestly time constraints. Things like:

Cinematic shots

Full storytelling sequences

It take a lot more time than expected, especially when combined with environment work.

How I’m managing it

To avoid that, I’ve set a clear priority system:

Primary focus:

Environment creation

Modeling, texturing, lighting, and composition

Secondary (if time allows):

Narrative elements

Cinematic storytelling

If things start getting tight, I won’t try to force everything in. Instead, I’ll shift toward environmental storytelling, letting the scene itself convey the mood and story without needing full cinematic execution.

Before starting production, I created a structured asset list to clearly define what needs to be built for the environment. Instead of approaching everything randomly, this helps me stay organized and maintain consistency throughout the project. The scene will be developed using a modular workflow, supported by trim sheets to improve efficiency and texture reuse. I’ve divided the assets into key categories including modular architecture, vegetation, and props, so I can focus on each part step by step while keeping the overall vision consistent.

Modular Kit

Walls & Structure

Wall panels (plain, window, door variants)

Corner modules

Beam kits

Platform bases

Roof System

Roof tile strips

Roof corners

Ridge pieces

End caps

Flooring

Wooden floor panels

Stone paths

Dirt blends

 Trim Sheets

TS_01 – Wood Trim Sheet

Walls, beams, pillars

Doors and railings

TS_02 – Roof Trim Sheet

Roof tiles

Ridge caps

Edge curves

Tile patterns

TS_03 – Detail / Props Trim Sheet

Small props and lanterns

Wooden decorative elements

Metal trims and rope

Carved patterns

Vegetation

Trees

Yellow autumn trees

Red maple

Bamboo

Foliage

Bushes

Grass clusters

Leaf cards

Props

Lanterns

Stone lanterns

Wooden hanging lanterns

Environment Props

Fences

Crates / boxes

Garden ornaments

Bamboo props

Lighting and atmosphere are some of the most important aspects of a scene, so I started planning out the lighting and overall atmosphere for the scene.

The idea is to go for a warm, golden hour setup to create a calm and peaceful mood. The main light will be soft directional sunlight, angled in a way that highlights the central house and keeps it as the focal point, while still casting natural shadows across the environment.

To add more depth, I’m planning to use some subtle fog in the scene. This should help separate the foreground, midground, and background, especially around the trees and buildings, while give it a more cinematic feel.

I was looking at this artwork by Rob Simpson, and I really like how the lighting feels balanced and controlled. It has that calm look while still feeling visually rich, which is something I want to aim for in my own scene.

Overall, the goal is to keep everything cohesive with warm tones and balanced contrast, while making sure the scene feels grounded and visually appealing.

I started exploring the color palette for my environment to get a better sense of the overall mood and visual direction.

The idea is to balance cool and warm tones across the scene. Cooler blues will mainly be used for the sky and background elements to help create depth, while the foreground will lean more towards warmer tones like yellows, ochres, and earthy browns.

These warmer colors will be used across the architecture, foliage, and ground to give the environment a more natural and grounded feel. At the same time, they help draw attention towards the main house, making it the visual focal point.

Overall, the goal is to create a nice contrast between the background and foreground, while still keeping everything cohesive and visually balanced.

Also. just to get a quick overview of how the colors might work in the actual scene, I created this simple color-filled version as a reference.

I created a basic storyboard to start figuring out how the cinematic might flow visually. Since I was running a bit late while focusing on my pre-production document, I didn’t sketch out traditional storyboard frames.

Instead, I did some quick 3D renders and used those as my storyboard images. It’s a bit rough, but it still helps in understanding the camera angles, composition, and how the sequence might play out.

These are more like early visual tests rather than final shots, but they’ve been useful in getting a clearer sense of the scene and its mood.

Shot 01: In search of peace, the samurai returns home to his village.

Shot 02: He experiences flashbacks and PTSD caused by the war.

Shot 03: As soon as he returns home, everything stops, and the war noises and flashbacks fade away.

Shot 04: After a long time, he finally feels happiness again. He looks around at the familiar ground, the mud, his home where he grew up—and takes it all in.

Shot 05: As he looks around, he suddenly hears an arrow strike and feels a sharp pain in his chest.

Shot 06: Everything that happened was only in his mind. The arrow, though imagined, becomes the moment he finally lets go of his flashbacks and trauma.