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Virtual Filmmaking with Unreal Engine 5

Name: Virtual Filmmaking with Unreal Engine 5
Author: Hussin Khan
ISBN: 9781801813808

by Hussin Khan

February 2024

Beginner

480 pages

10h 58m

English

Packt Publishing

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Virtual Filmmaking with Unreal Engine 5
ForewordContributorsAbout the authorAbout the reviewer
Preface
Who this book is forWhat this book coversTo get the most out of this bookDownload the project filesConventions usedGet in touchShare Your ThoughtsDownload a free PDF copy of this book
Part 1:Pre-Production: Project Development and Gathering Resources
Chapter 1: Getting Started with Unreal Engine
Technical requirementsWhat is Unreal Engine?Creating an Epic Games accountDownloading and installing Unreal Engine 5Launching Unreal Engine 5Exploring the Unreal Engine user interfaceNavigating the ViewportTransforming objectsSummary
Chapter 2: Understanding the Principles of Photography, Film Cameras, and Lenses
Technical requirementsFilmmaking history 101Understanding camera lenses and camera featuresUnderstanding key camera propertiesUnderstanding camera angles and camera movesCamera anglesCamera movesSetting up cameras in Unreal Engine 5Opening the projectSetting up the UI and navigating the LevelCreating bookmarksCreating your first cameraSummary
Chapter 3: Understanding the Art of Storytelling and Creating Your Storyboard
Technical requirementsLearning the universal patterns of narrativesThe hero’s journeyThe questOvercoming the monsterRags to richesTragedyComedyImplementing the three-act structure of storytellingCollecting ideas and references for a short filmCreating your storyboardDeveloping a storyboardOur narrative and storyboardSummary
Part 2: Production: Creating the Environment
Chapter 4: Importing 3D Objects and Creating Levels
Technical requirementsUnderstanding Unreal Engine terminologyReviewing our film’s shot list and structureCreating the Unreal Engine projectImporting Marketplace projectsOrganizing the OutlinerRemoving LightmapsCreating LevelsAdding BookmarksImporting 3D objectsBuilding the space sceneCreating an empty LevelCreating the planetCreating the moonCreating the starsPositioning and adding Materials to the Earth and MoonAdding the spaceshipSummary
Chapter 5: Creating Environments with Quixel Megascans
Technical requirementsUnderstanding compositionsBuild only what you seeGetting started with Quixel BridgeDownloading and using Megascans assetsCreating the landscape environmentCreating a landscape using free asset packsAdding rocksAdding treesAdding mountainsSetting the space shuttle landing areaSetting up the final shotSummary
Chapter 6: Creating and Applying Materials to 3D Meshes
Technical requirementsUnderstanding Materials and TexturesUnderstanding MaterialsUnderstanding TexturesUnderstanding PBR MaterialsCreating Master Materials and Material InstancesCreating plastic, rubber, and metal Master MaterialsCreating and using Material InstancesWorking with Materials with image-based TexturesApplying Materials to scenesDownloading Material packs from the Unreal Engine MarketplaceApplying Materials to the cryo-podAdding photorealistic Materials to the Earth objectAdding the cloudsAdding the atmosphere MaterialSummary

Part 3: Production: Adding and Animating Characters
Chapter 7: Creating Actors with Unreal Engine MetaHumans
Technical requirementsGetting started with MetaHuman CreatorUsing MetaHuman CreatorUnderstanding the MHC interfaceReviewing the Face controlsReviewing the hair controlsReviewing the body controlsCreating our MetaHumansDownloading and importing your MetahumansSummary
Chapter 8: Retargeting the MetaHumans for Unreal Engine 5
Technical requirementsWhat is character rigging?What is an IK Rig?Downloading and importing Mixamo mocap filesDownloading a mocap file from MixamoImporting the character file into UEImporting the mocap file into Unreal EngineCreating an IK Rig in Unreal Engine 5Creating an IK Retargeter for a UE5 MannequinCreating an IK Retargeter for MetaHumansTesting the animationSummary
Chapter 9: Adding Animations and Facial Expressions to Your MetaHuman Characters
Technical requirementsRecapping the storyboardAdding pre-made animations in the Level SequencerExploring Unreal Engine’s Level SequencerMigrating assets from another projectAdding MetaHumans to the Level SequencerAdding the walk animationsUsing Unreal Engine’s FK Control RigCreating the final shotAdding an idle animationAdding the FK Control Rig and an Additive layerUsing Unreal Engine’s Facial Control RigSummary
Part 4: Production: Shooting the Scene
Chapter 10: Adding and Animating Virtual Cameras Using the Level Sequencer
Technical requirementsCreating individual shots using the Level SequencerCreating the sequencesManaging multiple LevelsAssembling the Master SequenceAnimating the virtual camerasAnimating the first sequenceAnimating the second sequenceAnimating the last sequenceSummary
Chapter 11: Enhancing Set Dressing, Retiming Shots, and Adding Niagara Particles
Technical requirementsIdentifying missing set dressing elementsAdding set dressing elements to each shotShot_01 – Adding a HUD that turns on to indicate a habitable planet has been foundShot_02 – Animating the camera focus settings for a DOF effectShot_03 – Adding cryo-pod smoke effects to mimic a cold environmentShot_04 – Adding a holographic HUD indicating the space shuttle is launchingShot_05 – Adding a jet trail to the launching space shuttleShot_06 – Adding animals in the foreground and a flock of birds flying in the distanceShot_07 – Slowing down the shot and adding smoke and debris particle effects to the landing space shuttleCreating Niagara particlesSummary
Chapter 12: Setting the Mood with Lighting and Adding Post-Processing Effects
Technical requirementsLooking for lighting referencesUnderstanding lighting in Unreal Engine 5Lighting terminologyRendering and shading termsDifferent light typesLighting toolsCommon lighting propertiesSetting the mood with lightingIlluminating the spaceship console areaChanging the Cryo-Pod area light colorAdjusting the planet atmosphericsAdding Post Process effectsAdding the Bloom effectAdding the Chromatic Aberration effectAdding the Dirt Mask effectAdding the Lens Flares effectAdding the Vignette effectAdding the Color Grading effectFilm (tone mapper)Adding the Film Grain effectSummary
Part 5: Post-Production: Adding Post-Processing Effects and Music
Chapter 13: Exploring Color Management, Additional Camera Settings, and Rendering Your Shots
Technical requirementsUnderstanding color managementColor spacesColor management workflow in Unreal Engine 5Exploring additional Unreal Engine camera propertiesLookat Tracking SettingsFilmback (Sensor Size)Film OverlaysLens SettingsFocus SettingsSetting up Movie Render QueueWhy should we use image sequences?Enabling Movie Render QueueOpening Movie Render QueueConfiguring Movie Render QueueRendering your final shotsSetting up the OCIO configuration fileSetting up Movie Render QueueSummary
Chapter 14: Adding Sound and Finalizing Your Virtual Film
Technical requirementsSetting up DaVinci Resolve for ACES Color WorkflowImporting rendered image sequencesReviewing the DaVinci Resolve interfaceExploring color correction and color gradingReviewing the color pageColor-correcting shotsDownloading free LUTsColor grading with LUTsGenerating your own LUTsAdding music and sound effectsImporting music and sound effectsAdding audio files to the timelineAdding end titlesExporting your filmSummary
Appendix: Creating Material IDs Using Blender
Technical requirementsUnderstanding Material IDsGetting to know the Blender interfaceImporting the cryo-pod 3D objectDefining surfaces for Material ID applicationExporting to FBX
Index
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Content preview from Virtual Filmmaking with Unreal Engine 5

3 Understanding the Art of Storytelling and Creating Your Storyboard

Storytelling has been an essential part of human culture for thousands of years and can take many forms, including verbal, written, visual, and digital storytelling. Regardless of form, it mainly involves creating a connection between the storyteller and the audience by sharing a common experience or emotion and using techniques such as characterization and dialogue to create a compelling narrative. Storytelling can be used to educate, inspire, and influence people’s behavior, making it a powerful tool for building relationships and creating a lasting impact on people’s lives.

This chapter emphasizes the importance of storytelling by exploring narratives, references, and storyboards. ...

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Virtual Filmmaking with Unreal Engine 5

by Hussin Khan

3

Understanding the Art of Storytelling and Creating Your Storyboard

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.