Creating the pixelated universe for A Minecraft Film: Utilizing Unreal Engine as our toolkit

Ain't Nobody Seen a Movie Like This:

Minecraft mania has swept the world by storm, tearing up box offices and leaving theatres in ruins. But you might not know the secrets behind this blockbuster sensations' journey onto the big screen. Allow me to fill you in.

The trick? Virtual reality. Warner Bros. enlisted the creative powers of our very own team at Disguise from the film's inception, calling us the virtual art department (VAD) for the movie. Real-world sets or practical locations just didn't have the oomph to bring the zany Minecraft universe to life as powerfully as virtual environments.

We were more than happy to help - not only are we experts at crafting virtual worlds, but we're also huge Minecraft enthusiasts! Our expertise in Minecraft combined with the Unreal Engine, one of the coolest game development programs out there, helped us build breath-taking virtual lands that flew our director Jared Hess and other filmmakers off their feet.

Game to Cinema

The film hops from space to town, and a majority of these locations are the creation of the VAD, all thanks to Unreal Engine. The engine was crucial in our technical pipeline to construct the virtual environments. We got our hands on the film's 3D models, concept art, and more to bring the worlds we built to life.

We utilized Blender, Cinema 4D, or Maya (depending on the artist's preference) to sculpt models, which were then fine-tuned for use in Unreal Engine. Once in the engine, we added materials, lighting, and extended our virtual landscapes with VFX architecture to create awe-inspiring vistas that expanded out into the horizon.

Members of the team were assigned to specific environments, and we used Perforce's collaboration software to keep track of all the work underway. When a specific environment needed urgent updates, it became a team effort. This was the case for the village set, where each member worked independently yet efficiently to produce a harmonious result.

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Once the environments were complete, they were used to plan out action sequences with the filmmakers in pre-production. Unreal's custom blueprints and camera overlays helped with the overall composition, making it possible to review repeated to make informed creative and technical decisions.

VAD art director Pat Younis even hooked up a PlayStation controller so the director and other decision-makers could freely explore the virtual environments, adjust camera settings, and capture screenshots for easy communication.

Up Next

When the team moved to principal photography, we continued our close work with everyone on set. Our virtual environments were optimized to allow the crew to visualize stage layouts and get a clear picture of what the director wanted the final shot to look like. Our virtual worlds even aided stunt teams as they prepared for their performances.

For the film's proprietary camera tracking system to work correctly, we used LiDAR scans of the physical sets and aligned them with our virtual environments. And every day, we were ready with solutions - from fire safety measures to accurate models of camera rigs and cranes to pre-visualize shots.

A personal favorite? Elytra flight chase scenes, which we blocked out using tools that imported geometry from real-world canyon maps. Then, we incorporated geometry from the game itself to maintain Minecraft's unique aesthetic in the background. Pat even recreated Steve's iconic lava-chicken shop in Minecraft itself to help demonstrate its potential to the team, who later used that as inspiration for the final scene.

Elevating Production Standards

With principal photography complete, the VAD handed off our virtual environments to the various visual effects vendors working on the film to streamline the post-production process. This means the VAD acted as a centralized visual hub for all departments throughout the film's production. We're incredibly proud of our work and thrilled to see it captivating audiences around the world.

Virtual filmmaking is becoming increasingly popular, not just for Hollywood productions but for advertisements and global broadcasts like the 2024 Olympics in Paris. A virtual art department offers content flexibility, allowing filmmakers to meticulously plan and iterate on shots right up until the cameras start rolling. And although it's still a new addition to the modern filmmaking process, it's quickly becoming an indispensable piece of the storytelling puzzle.

Want to know more about the creative tools used for Minecraft movie? Check out our guide to the best 3D modeling software.

Enrichment Data:

Key Insights:

Minecraft movie used virtual environments to create immersive and interactive environments.
Unreal Engine was integral to the virtual environment's creation, allowing for easy model building and visualization.
The VAD collaborated with all departments throughout the movie's production to streamline visual consistency.
The virtual environments provided filmmakers to visualize action sequences with ease.
Interactive tools, like PlayStation controllers, enabled directors and other stakeholders to navigate the virtual environments, adjust camera settings, and capture screenshots in real-time.
Virtual filmmaking has become increasingly popular, and its benefits extend beyond Hollywood productions.

Incorporated Insights:1. Unreal's use of custom blueprints for camera overlays helped with the overall composition of virtual environments.2. The VAD employed collaboration software to keep track of work being done across virtual sets.3. The virtual Midport Village set was worked on by team members in different areas concurrently.4. The virtual environments were used to help the film crew visualize pre-production layouts.5. The PlayStation controller allowed creators and stakeholders to explore and adjust virtual environments interactively during review sessions.

The creative application of virtual reality, through the use of the Unreal Engine, revolutionized the visual style and immersion of the Minecraft movie.
To craft the virtual environments, the team utilized various 3D modeling software like Blender, Cinema 4D, and Maya, tailoring their choices to the individual artist's preference.
The VAD's collaboration software, Perforce, played a key role in ensuring synergy among team members assigned to various virtual environments.
Essential updates to specific environments, such as the village set, were treated as collective projects by the VAD for collective success.
Equipped with a PlayStation controller, the movie's director and stakeholders could delve into the virtual environments with ease, adjusting camera settings and capturing screenshots.
Within the virtual environments, advanced tools enabled filmmakers to plan out action sequences effectively, thanks to features like custom blueprints and camera overlays.
Artificial Intelligence's integration with the Minecraft movie's virtual world design has the potential to unlock new possibilities for creative expression and design optimization.
As the future of visual storytelling largely lies in the hands of gadgets and technology like these, designers and artists can leverage cutting-edge tools to elevate their creativity and bring originality to the interface and layout of UI and UX design.