The Cloud of Unknowing | 2024
The Cloud of Unknowing is a short film I created about a crusader knight on a quest to hunt creatures of the night. This project was an opportunity to refine my skills in cinematography, lighting, and storytelling within Unreal Engine 5.
Role: Solo Project
Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Genre: Dark Fantasy - Short Film - Cinematic
~ Narrative ~
I’ve always been captivated by games and films set in dark, medieval worlds. With this project, I aimed to bring such a setting to life visually, relying solely on atmosphere rather than dialogue. To provide a glimpse into the story and set the tone, I opened the cinematic with the following quote:
"The night is the time of fear and the time of wonder. There are things that walk in the shadows, things that no eye can see, things that no tongue can name. They are the secrets of the world, the mysteries of creation, the powers of darkness. They are the enemies of light, the foes of faith, the tempters of the soul. They are the things that make us shiver, and the things that make us dream."
This quote is paraphrased and inspired by a Christian mystical text. The rephrasing, assisted by AI (Microsoft Copilot), was crafted to retain the style and spirit of medieval spiritual writings, reflecting the themes found in Christian mysticism.
The quote introduces the audience to the lurking dangers in the shadows, setting the stage for the arrival of a knight bearing a cross, a symbol of a holy protector. The cinematic visually explores the theme of light versus darkness. As the knight prays, he is illuminated by flames, symbolizing faith and protection, while the creatures remain shrouded in darkness, embodying the unknown and the sinister. During the battle, this contrast becomes even more pronounced. In a pivotal moment, as defeat looms for the creatures, their leader retreats into the shadows, leaving the confrontation unresolved, further emphasizing the lingering mystery of the night.
~ Development ~
I began the development process by gathering assets from the Epic Marketplace and Mixamo that aligned with my vision. The assets I used are listed here.
Next, I transformed the environment into a forest and re-lit the entire scene to create a moonlit, foggy medieval aesthetic. I also used post processing, lumen lighting and volumetric fogs. Once the atmosphere was established, I focused on visualizing each shot determining the placement of cameras, characters, and key points of action, as if I was a director scouting the filming area.
With the groundwork complete, I moved on to setting up the sequencer. This involved positioning cameras and actors in the scene, fine-tuning transitions between shots, and animating camera movements using keyframes to bring the
cinematic to life.
