Homeward Bound - Graduation Shortfilm

Arthur is a 70-year-old man who has lost his wife. Since her passing, he has been trapped in his grief and sorrow. He no longer leaves his house and has stopped truly living. His home has become a chaotic mess, with dirty plates and cutlery scattered everywhere. The energy to take care of himself has vanished. What was once a warm and vibrant home is now bleak and colorless.

One day, a golden light appears at the door. Arthur is drawn to it and begins a journey to the afterlife. During this journey, he is guided by a butterfly. The butterfly leads him to visions of Helen. Each time he tries to reach her, the images fade away, until Helen finally stands before him and no longer disappears. She walks toward Arthur, and in a deeply emotional reunion, they vanish together.

For this graduation project, I fulfilled the role of director. I was responsible for the artistic and narrative vision of the film and oversaw every aspect of the visual storytelling. I designed the lighting for all scenes, including the environments, characters, and additional atmospheric lighting. In addition, I rendered the entire film and was responsible for the compositing and color grading, bringing together all the separate elements into the final image. By combining these tasks, I ensured a visually consistent and emotionally powerful narrative, where every frame contributes to the themes of loss, hope, and love.

Internship at Guerrilla Re-lighting assignment Thebes

Last year, during my internship at Guerrilla, I was tasked with a project to familiarize myself with the game engine I’d be working with. To achieve this, I was assigned to relight several pre-existing levels. A task to not only help me learn the engine but also give my mentors a clear understanding of my skill level in lighting design.

For my second assignment, I worked on the level Thebes, which had a dramatically different look and feel compared to my first project. This level featured three distinct visual styles: the golden Egyptian aesthetic, the grimy basement vibe, and the sterile hospital look. Each room had its own unique color palette, and I enjoyed experimenting with how the transitions between these styles could be made while maintaining visual consistency.

This assignment also allowed me to experiment with different lighting designs and explore how various colors interacted aesthetically. I learned how to evoke specific moods and atmospheres, tailoring the lighting to enhance the narrative and emotional tone of each space.
Not only did I have fun experimenting and pushing the visuals within the game engine, but I also developed a deeper understanding of the software and its capabilities.

In this project, I used pre-existing assets from Guerrilla’s library. My responsibilities included: placing and configuring all lights, light fittings, and light flares; integrating holograms and utilizing particle systems and atmospheric effects such as mist, puddles, and water droplets.
Once the relighting was complete, I revisited the levels to evaluate their performance. This involved ensuring that the lighting and effects met Guerrilla’s high standards for in-game optimization without compromising visual quality.

Internship at Guerrilla Re-lighting assignment bunker

Last year, during my internship at Guerrilla, I was tasked with a project to familiarize myself with the game engine I’d be working with. To achieve this, I was assigned to relight several pre-existing levels. This assignment not only helped me learn the engine but also allowed my mentors to assess my skill level in lighting design.
 
For my first assignment, I worked on a bunker scene. The scale of the final room initially felt daunting, as its vastness made it challenging to create a cohesive and visually striking design. Despite this initial intimidation, the project became one of my favorites. I’m incredibly proud of how it came together, both aesthetically and technically.
 
In this project, I used preexisting assets from Guerrilla’s library. My responsibilities included: placing and configuring all lights, light fittings, and light flares; integrating holograms and utilizing particle systems and atmospheric effects such as mist, puddles, and water droplets.
Once the relighting was complete, I revisited the levels to evaluate their performance. This involved ensuring that the lighting and effects met Guerrilla’s high standards for in-game optimization without compromising visual quality.
 
The experience provided me with valuable insights into balancing artistic ambition with technical constraints, a skillset I carried forward to subsequent projects.

Library

I got this lovely scene from Rachel Rietjens, she modelled the entire scene and I did everything from textures to lighting and volumetrics. This post really shows how much I’ve grown in skills and how many things I’ve learned during my internship at Guerrilla.

Terror

This was for my shortfilm TERROR. I had to establish the correct mood for a dark and eerie feeling story. I used lots of green undertones to bring out the cold in the room, and played with the point where the lights came from to keep in lots of shadows.

Cozy Booknook

This was one of my own project. I wanted to create a cinematic scene by making god rays come out of the stained glass. It had to be warm and cozy, so i gave it a warmer light, with lots of pink, orange and purple.

Diner

This was my first school assignment where I got to work with only light. I wasn’t allowed to use any textures and had to set up my own scene. This was also the first time that I truly discovered how much I enjoyed working with lights and creating the perfect scene for myself.

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