John Paul Balazo
In this project, I re-imagined the post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us using Unreal Engine. My main goal is to bring fun and exciting MetaHuman characters to life with realistic facial expression and movement through motion capture. I show how virtual production and digital set design can improve storytelling and make filming more efficient. By using Unreal Engine for pre-visualization, I can explore how space and design express deep emotions. This project proves that students can create cinematic movies using free software and a phone. I enjoy learning these technical aspects and collaborating with others to develop better, more engaging stories.
The main goal of this project is to show how modern tools can create powerful stories. I re-imagined the world of the Last of Us to demonstrate how a student can build a cinematic movie using only free software and a phone(cheaper external software/plugins). I focus on bringing fun and exciting metahuman characters to life by using motion capture to make their movements look smooth and real. another objective is to use unreal engine for pre-visualization to solve production problems early. I want to show how digital set design and smart use of space can improve the narrative and make the final result much better. I enjoy learning the technical side of filmmaking and collaborating with others to develop creative, high-quality stories.
This thesis investigates the time efficiency of green screen versus virtual production, focusing on how each workflow affects the post-production phase. Traditional green screen relies on a linear process where backgrounds and lighting are added later. This often leads to a long and difficult post-production stage where artists must manually fix shadows and details. In contrast, virtual production uses in-camera visual effects (icvfx) to capture the actor and the digital background at the same time. This shift moves the visual effects work to the beginning of the project, allowing for a real-time environment during the shoot.
The research highlights three main benefits of virtual production: economic, creative, and environmental. economically, while the technology is expensive to start, it saves money by allowing filmmakers to control elements like the sun for hours at a time. Creatively, actors give better performances because they can see the digital world around them instead of a green wall. Finally, virtual production is better for the environment. It reduces the need for large film crews to travel to distant locations and stops the waste created by building physical sets that are thrown away after use. This study shows how real-time technology is making filmmaking faster, more realistic, and more sustainable.
I am a 4th year Design For Film student specializing Visual Effects, focusing on Unreal Engine and virtual production. My main goal is to bring fun and exciting Metahuman characters to life. I love the process of pre-visualization and using motion capture to create realistic movement and environment. My work is inspired by the creativity of The Last of Us. I focus on digital set design and blocking to make projects fast and effective. I enjoy learning the technical aspects of filmmaking and collaborating with specialists from other areas. By adding early animation, I help teams visualize and improve their work to reach a great final result.
