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:
- 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.
- 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: