Month: November 2025

Final Major Project: Body is my spacesuit:

Short Film Brief & Creative Motivation

The short film tells the story of a girl who has undergone cybernetic body modification and encounters another version of herself while traveling through space. In that moment, she is forced to confront her own vulnerability, imperfections, and past wounds. Ultimately, she lets go of her past, reconciles with herself, and drifts toward a new planet carrying love and regret.

For me, this film is not primarily about technology. It is an exploration of how an individual can maintain a sense of self under social pressures, face difficult emotions, and embrace their own brokenness. It is a story about understanding, acceptance, and inner strength.

The body in this narrative acts like a spacesuit, supporting and protecting us. But what truly allows us to move forward is the strength of our mind and spirit. This short film is a reflection on resilience, emotional healing, and the quiet power of self – compassion — themes I hope will resonate with the audience.

I believe that every individual has potential within them. Often, we focus so much on observing the outside world through our eyes that we forget to turn inward and explore our true needs. We may overlook the inner strength we already possess. That strength has always been there—it just hasn’t been recognized yet.

This idea deeply influenced my short film, as I wanted to explore how the protagonist reconnects with her own inner power.

Title Explanation: “Body is My Spacesuit”

The title “ Body is My Spacesuit ” carries both literal and metaphorical meaning. On a literal level, the protagonist’s body has been cybernetically modified, functioning as a protective and functional suit for survival in the vast, isolating environment of space. Her body literally supports and enables her journey, much like a spacesuit shields an astronaut from the harsh conditions of the cosmos.

On a metaphorical level, the title reflects the idea that our bodies are vessels that carry us through life, bearing our experiences, emotions, and vulnerabilities. Just as a spacesuit allows an astronaut to survive and explore, our bodies allow us to navigate the world—but what truly drives us forward is the mind and spirit inside. The short film emphasizes that understanding, accepting, and reconnecting with ourselves is what enables growth, resilience, and the courage to embark on new journeys.

Music

The music for the short film was created specifically to reflect the protagonist’s journey and the emotional tone of the story. I wrote a monologue based on her experiences and the narrative context, and used ChatGPT to help translate and polish the text.

The final song was produced using Mureka.AI, (https://www.mureka.ai/create) a platform I subscribed to, which grants me full copyright and legitimate usage rights for the track.

BGM Lyrics

Production Process：

Character process:

Final outcome:

Process:

Scene Building & Cinematic Shot Development:

Visual Effect:

1.Process of making material for earth:

Week 9 Scene Building & Cinematic Shot Development 2

2.Process of making particle effects of the space:

Week 10 Scene Building & Cinematic Shot Development 3 – Niagara Particle Effects

3.Process of making liquid effects:

Week 11 Climax Sequence & Grid3D Particle Effects

References and assets used:

1. Used environment assets for shot of lab:

Sci-fi Laboratory Environment: https://www.fab.com/zh-cn/listings/6a45cd12-929e-4dfe-bf87-6d60fb01aec3

2. Earth texture picture (6 imgs) is from: https://www.motzify.com/ (course)

3. Chat gpt: I used Chat GPT to help translate and polish the text of the song.

4. The final song was produced using Mureka.AI, (https://www.mureka.ai/create) a platform I subscribed to, which grants me full copyright and legitimate usage rights for the track.

This week, I focused on creating the climax of the film. In this scene, the protagonist and her other self comfort each other amidst a field of particles. She embraces her vulnerability, imperfection, and comes to terms with her past. This moment marks the emotional peak of the story, visually represented through dynamic particle effects.

For the particles, I used UE5’s built-in Grid3D Flip Hose system and implemented the following workflow:

1. Replaced default particle models with stars and spheres to create a celestial, ethereal atmosphere.

2. Set different lifetimes and model sizes to add depth and variety to the particle field.

3. Applied a combination of emissive and non-emissive materials to enhance visual contrast and glow effects.

4. Assigned different colors to particles to achieve a layered, visually rich effect that emphasizes the emotional interaction between the two characters.

In the process of creating this sequence, I found the experience itself to be very therapeutic. I was genuinely moved by the idea that my character could achieve happiness and inner peace. It made me realize that creators themselves can also be healed through their work.

This emotional reflection is one of the reasons I decided to revise the previs shots earlier in the project. I wanted to create a gentler, more tender sequence that not only conveys the character’s emotional journey but also evokes a sense of calm and warmth for the audience.

This week, I continued developing the cinematic shots, focusing on the story’s conclusion. I combined the Earth material created last week with a particle system built in Niagara to create a visually and emotionally compelling ending sequence.

In this shot, the protagonist floats through space, gazing at a massive yet unknown planet. Memory and emotion particles surround her, guiding her direction. She embarks on a new journey carrying feelings of regret, love, determination, and gentleness.

For the planet, I used the previously created material instance and adjusted parameters to achieve a semi-translucent, slightly dark appearance.

This visual approach was partially inspired by the “Ending of the Stars” scene in Elden Ring, where the universe feels isolated yet full of possibility：

Similarly, my sequence places the protagonist in a secluded cosmic space, marking the start of a new chapter. The scene evokes a contemplative mood, emphasizing the emotional transition of the character：

Regarding the particles, I created the Niagara system entirely from scratch. My workflow involved first designing a primary emitter to define the core particle behaviour. I then duplicated this system multiple times, adjusting parameters such as noise, vortex forces, color, and emissive intensity. This allowed the particles to form a dynamic, flowing field around the protagonist, visually representing her memories and emotions guiding her forward：

This week’s work helped solidify the narrative and emotional tone of the short film’s ending, while also allowing me to experiment with procedural particle effects in UE, integrating both visual storytelling and technical skill.

This week, I mainly focused on creating the master material for the Earth, along with several related elements in the environment.

To build the Earth material, I used a set of six texture maps sourced from:

Textures are from：https://www.motzify.com/

Here is the material breakdown:

Here is the full process of how I constructed the material:

Several key nodes play an important role in achieving the final look:

1. Three-component vector with PixelNormalWS and Dot – This setup generates a volumetric shadow gradient across the surface, giving the planet a more realistic sense.

2. Panner – Used to animate the cloud layer and create subtle atmospheric movement.

3. Two Fresnel nodes – These were blended to achieve a soft, glowing rim-light effect around the Earth, enhancing depth and readability in the dark environment.

Cinematic: Gazing at the Earth

Shot 1 – The protagonist gazes at Earth from afar
The main character stands alone, looking out into space. The Earth floats quietly in the distance, emphasizing her isolation and emotional distance from her own body and identity.

Shot 2 – She encounters another version of herself on the deck
As she steps onto the deck, she unexpectedly meets another version of herself.

Shot 3 – The other self greets her
The second version raises a hand or speaks softly, acknowledging her presence.

Shot 4 – Mutual observation
The protagonist stares at the other self, while the other version looks away into the distance with a calm smile.

•This shot is a pivotal moment in her transformation:

•She still hesitates and clings to the past, looking back with longing.

•Yet her inner self—the part of her that has always been within—has already found the strength to move forward.
She is ready to let go of the past and step into the future.

Shot 5 – Sitting together
The two sit side by side. The other self wraps an arm around the protagonist, symbolizing connection, comfort, and the merging of consciousness. This shot carries the emotional peak of the entire sequence.

This week, I focused on constructing the main environment and developing the cinematic shots for the opening sequence. The scene takes place inside a cold laboratory where the protagonist’s consciousness has not yet fully connected with her reconstructed mechanical body. I wanted the environment to visually communicate this sense of detachment and unease.

To achieve this atmosphere, I used fog cards to build a dense, heavy mood within the room. The space is intentionally dark and quiet, with minimal movement, in order to reflect the protagonist’s numb and fragmented state of mind. Outside the laboratory window, I placed a distant view of Earth and scattered stars to remind the audience of her separation from home and humanity.

For lighting, I put a weak direct light coming through the window, casting a horizontal beam across the wall. There were two main reasons for this choice:

1. Balancing the composition — most of the visual elements in the scene are vertical, so adding a horizontal light stripe helped break the monotony and create a more dynamic structure.
2. Adding breathing space — the environment was originally dominated by large areas of shadow, so the horizontal light provided contrast, layering, and a subtle sense of openness within the otherwise oppressive setting.

In terms of motion, the laboratory intentionally remains still. Aside from the faint shifting of fog, the only moving elements are the mechanical arms surrounding the protagonist. Their slow, deliberate motions naturally draw the audience’s attention toward the center of the frame, reinforcing the focus on the character and her vulnerable state during the awakening process.

The Earth material visible outside the window was created entirely from scratch, and I will discuss the full workflow and technical details in next week

For this week’s environment, I used this assets:

Sci-fi Laboratory Environment: https://www.fab.com/zh-cn/listings/6a45cd12-929e-4dfe-bf87-6d60fb01aec3

Some screen shots:

This week, I focused on painting the materials for the character’s mechanical body. Due to time constraints, I was unable to invest as much time as I originally hoped into highly detailed texturing, so my approach prioritised clarity of structure and readable surface variation over micro-level realism.

My main texturing strategy was to emphasise subtle variations in base color and roughness to enhance the form. By slightly shifting the roughness values across different planes, I allowed the lighting to catch the surfaces more effectively, making the mechanical shapes feel richer and more dimensional. Even minor roughness differences can create clear specular separation when the light hits surfaces with similar angles, which was important for highlighting the hard-surface construction.

I also added several emissive elements to the design to reinforce the sci-fi aesthetic. These include the glowing tubes, the small gaps within the hand components, and the light points embedded in the central circuitry of the torso. The emissive intensity can be adjusted freely inside Unreal Engine, which provides flexibility for creating mood and atmosphere during lighting and rendering.

Although I worked under a limited timeframe, this week’s material pass successfully established the overall visual direction of the character’s mech body. The combination of surface breakup and emissive accents gives the model a functional, technological feel that harmonises with the narrative and design language of the project.

The remaining body components were created using the same workflow as the previous week. For some of the smaller mechanical parts, I used a variety of hard-surface brushes to sculpt and refine details more efficiently. The image below shows all the individual parts that make up the character’s mechanical body. Each component was intentionally designed as a separate piece so that it could be properly integrated into the later rigging process：

This week, I focused on building the mechanical body of the character in ZBrush. My workflow was largely guided by the research and visual analysis completed last week. I began by sketching the major muscle flows and structural divisions directly onto the model. Since the mech body is partially open and layered, I needed to carefully consider the hierarchy of components—understanding which parts sit deeper inside and which parts are exposed on the surface. Ensuring these layers wrapped around each other in a logical and functional way was essential, especially because the model needs enough space for later rigging and articulation.

Hard-surface sculpting workflow in ZBrush

To create the hard-surface elements, I followed several key steps:

1. Establishing form through subdivision and sculpting
I first subdivided the model enough to sculpt in structural details such as panel edges, surface breaks, transitions, and height differences. These early sculpted guidelines helped define the scale and proportion of each mechanical plate.

2. Masking and separating panels
Once the overall layout was clear, I used masking to isolate specific shapes or panel blocks. These masked selections were then split into separate subtools, allowing me to work on each component individually.

3. Refining edges using polish and manual adjustment
After splitting the mesh, I used Polish by Features to clean up rough edges. I also used the Move brush to manually adjust silhouette lines and ensure each boundary looked intentional and readable.

4. Painting color-based groups
To organise the model visually, I painted temporary color lines to mark the boundaries between each mechanical plate. ZBrush’s plugin allowed to convert these painted areas into multi polygroups, making the model easier to control and manipulate.

5. Improving topology with ZRemesher
I alternated between Polish by Groups, ZRemesher (keeping groups and creases), and Crease by Polygroup to optimise the mesh. This process reduced polygon count while preserving group edges and mechanical sharpness.

6. Finalising panels with QMesh
After cleaning the topology, I removed the creases and used the QMesh function in the ZModeler brush to extrude consistent thickness for all panels. This step solidified the hard-surface look and gave the mech body its final physical form.

This week, I focused on researching mechanical design references and exploring hard-surface modelling for the first time. Since I had no prior experience with hard-surface workflow, everything—from structural logic to sculpting methods — was new to me. This week became an important breakthrough as I pushed myself into an unfamiliar area of design.

To begin, I collected and analysed a wide range of references related to mechanical joints, armour structures, and robotic models. Because the character will later need to be rigged, I paid special attention to functional joint designs. I looked at articulated action figures, mechanical model kits, and robotic limbs to understand how they reserve enough space for bending and rotation. These observations helped me plan my own mechanical parts so they would move naturally without causing mesh intersections.

Secondly, anatomical study became essential in shaping the mech body. Many well-designed mechs are essentially stylised abstractions of real human muscle groups. With this in mind, I approached the mech surfaces with anatomical logic, ensuring the plates and structures followed physiological forms rather than random decorative shapes.

Third, I considered the silhouette and visual balance of the design. Hard-surface models tend to rely heavily on sharp lines and rigid forms, so I intentionally incorporated curved tubes and flexible elements to soften transitions and maintain a readable silhouette. I also organised the density of details. Since I wanted the visual weight to fall mainly on the chest core area, hands, and feet, I simplified other regions to avoid overwhelming the design with excessive components.

Finally, I examined the transition between the organic head and the mechanical body. The character retains a human-like face, while the body is fully robotic, so the neck area needed a believable transitional structure. Although the modelling here will stay relatively simple, the material and texture work later will be crucial to visually connecting organic skin with mechanical components.

This week allowed me to build a structural and aesthetic foundation for the mech body. The research has helped me better understand functional design and will guide the following modelling and rigging stages.

This week, I focused on summarizing the hair creation workflow for the character, as well as conducting software import and hair simulation tests to ensure that the hair could later be properly bound to the character and simulated in Unreal Engine (UE). Initially, I planned to perform the hair simulation in Maya, but during testing, I found that the calculation speed was too slow, making it inefficient for the project’s needs. Therefore, I ultimately decided to import the hair into UE for simulation.

The following is a summary of my complete workflow:

Initially, I create the hair in ZBrush using a low-polygon hair brush. A key advantage of this brush is that the ends are not closed, which makes it easy to extract curves later when importing into Maya.

After importing the hair into Maya, I divided it into three main groups, as different areas require different hair density, curl, and thickness.

I separated the hair into bangs, long hair, and short accent/outline hair groups.

I used Maya’s Ahoge plugin for this process, which is very user-friendly and much easier to work with compared to XGen. The plugin allows adjustment of density, color gradients, hair cut length, curl, as well as noise and clumping effects based on the curves.

After exporting the hair as an ABC file, I imported it into Unreal Engine (UE).

Since Maya’s hair color cannot be transferred directly—some patterns, like tiger stripes, can be controlled via base color for a hair cluster, but it’s not possible to create a color gradient along individual strands—I created the hair material directly in UE.

This material allows filtering of some variegated hairs using the hair seed number, and produces color gradients along the hair length using the length and lerp nodes. By promoting these vectors to parameters, the gradient can be easily adjusted in material instances later. Additionally, I added noise to introduce variation in the colored strands, enhancing the realism of the hair：

4. Hair Simulation:

In UE, hair simulation focuses on functional movement—while the results are not perfect, it is fast to calculate and render. I created a character blueprint, placing the character’s skeletal mesh within it, essentially using the game engine’s standard logic.

The hair was then added to the blueprint and parented under the skeletal mesh. Before this, the hair needed to be bound to the skeletal mesh and the appropriate binding file selected. To achieve better results, it was necessary to adjust the collisions in the skeletal mesh’s physics asset; otherwise, the capsule around the character’s shoulders would push the hair upward.

I set up the hair physics simulation using Unreal Engine’s built-in strand solver. I configured the relevant simulation parameters and curves to control hair behavior, ensuring realistic movement while maintaining performance suitable for real-time rendering.