Robots Blossom – Project Update 024

I thought it would be helpful to do a retrospective of my Unreal Engine 5 animation project, Robots Blossom. 

What Went Well
I think I had the right mindset from the start. Specifically, I focused on doing the least amount of work to tell the story. In other words, don’t spend time on details that don’t matter. I did have the right mindset but still spent time on details that didn’t matter. For example, I spent a lot of time creating the tree lined creek but only about half of it made it into camera view. Still, there were lots of opportunities to go off the deep end and drown myself in scrumptious details. All in all, I could have done better but I did pretty ok. One point goes in the win column.

I was able to problem solve fairly quickly. There was a fair amount of complexity in this animated short. The animation, the lighting, the set building, rendering, color grading all come to mind. The big win here is that I managed not to break something so completely that I had to ditch the project and rebuild it. I think this was the result of having a pretty good idea about where I am in my skillset and scoping the project accordingly.

What Could I Improve
I like the story I was trying to tell but I think I could have done a better job of conveying it with the dialogue. In the end, I think of myself as a story teller. Writing is where I plan to hang my hat. I think a few additional words could have clarified the drive of the story. 

Animation. I can definitely improve my animation skills. I really feel like UE5 is doing a lot to help make animating easier but I don’t want it to be a crutch for bad animation. I will continue to work on this skill. Yes, I know the 12 principles of animation. Thank you Mr. Johnston and Mr. Thomas for putting down for those that followed. 

Project estimation. I thought I would knock this project out in a couple of weeks. It took just over 4 weeks from concept to publishing. That’s double the amount of time doggone it! This is something that will come with experience. I need more completed projects under my belt.

Well, there you have it. I think a retro overview is enough for this post. Now, for real this time, on to the next project…

Stop by the Robots Blossom Video post here on High-Poly Low-Poly to take a look at the finished work. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. There’s more to come!