Blossom sHANGHAI

Jan - April 2024, 3D Artist, 3D Environment Design

This project seeks to transport the audience back to 1990s Shanghai. Drawing inspiration from the TV series Blossoms Shanghai, particularly the vibrant night scenes of Huanghe Road, we crafted an immersive environment art piece in Unreal Engine 5. Our focus was to breathe life into the street even in the absence of people.

Highlights

  • Proactive Problem-Solver

    • Conducted research on architectural references for Huanghe Road, developed the street layout, and created the building blockout.

    • Defined the color palette and lighting direction to establish the scene's visual tone.

    • Collaborated with designers and producers to compose the scene and implement lighting setups in Unreal Engine.

  • 3D Modeling

    • Create hero assests and props by observing and replicating subtle details, applying realistic traits like textures, lighting, and imperfections to create authentic, immersive art

Video

Final Outcome

Research

Huanghe Rode during the 1990s

Before starting the project, I conducted thorough research on various aspects of Huanghe Road during the 1990s, drawing from both the TV series Blossoms Shanghai and real-life references.

I gathered a street plan, a list of restaurants, and archival photos from the 1990s. Additionally, visual references from the TV series helped us accurately recreate key "hero" buildings.

Given that our project is set at night, lighting played a crucial role. I studied the types of light sources prevalent on the street, paying particular attention to neon signs, which were a defining feature of Huanghe Road's nighttime atmosphere. To establish the visual tone, I developed a color palette inspired by a combination of photo references and evocative oil paintings.

As the project progressed, we extended our research to include other elements, such as building materials, vintage cars, newspapers, and other details that helped enhance the authenticity of our scene.

Maya, Substance Painter, Unreal Engine

Hero Assest Modelling & UVs

Apply Materials in Substance Painter

Check Model in Unreal Engine

Lighting & Animation in Unreal Engine

3D Modelling & UVs in Maya

There are a lot of columns in this project, including the ones in the 8 Golden Spirits Restaurant. So I made a smart material using substance 3D Designer so it is adaptable in terms of the pattern, the colour and the texture.

Substance 3D Designer

Parametric Column Material

Neon signs

Hero Neon Light & Animation

Other Neon Lights

Final Render in the Unreal Engine