Where Giants Sleep
Where Giants Sleep is a cinematic environment created in Unreal Engine 5, centered around a deactivated mecha resting near abandoned Soviet-era apartment buildings. The project explores scale contrast, atmosphere, and storytelling through lighting and composition. Developed over two weeks.
The mecha and building kit were created using Blender and ZBrush, with UV mapping in RizomUV and texturing in Adobe Substance 3D Painter. Final assembly, lighting, and atmosphere were completed in Unreal Engine 5.
Beauty Shot
Flythrough
AOV Breakdown
Asset Overview
Foliage and ground textures were sourced from Quixel Megascans. Pine tree asset from Sketchfab (free asset).
Workflow
The project began with collecting visual references using PureRef. I focused on Soviet-era architecture, and large-scale sci-fi mechs to establish direction before starting production.
The workflow started with a rough concept and blockout to establish scale and silhouette The mecha frame was built using a combination of kitbashing and custom modeling to quickly establish mechanical complexity. Armor plates were then modeled separately and layered over the frame to create depth and structural logic. Finally, the internal frame and outer armor were combined.
A master material was created for the mecha inside Unreal Engine 5, allowing control over color, hue, and brightness through adjustable parameters. This made it easier to fine-tune the final look without retexturing, giving flexibility during lighting and mood exploration.
To enhance the buildings without fully modeling interior spaces, a parallax mapping technique was used to simulate interior depth visible from the outside. This approach added visual complexity while keeping the scene efficient and manageable.
An invisible mesh was placed above the scene to subtly control shadow distribution in front of the mecha. This technique helped focus attention on the main subject and enhanced the overall atmospheric mood.
A side-by-side comparison between the initial blockout and final render demonstrates the development of scale, composition, and detail refinement throughout production.