New Year's Eve L.A. | 2023

Role: Creative Lead - Unreal Engine Design Unreal Based Cinematic Rendering

Project Overview

For the New Year's Eve 2023 celebration in downtown Los Angeles, I played a key role in creating a spectacular virtual production video montage that was projection mapped onto City Hall. This high-profile project, featured on all local news stations just before the ball drop and fireworks, showcased the spirit of Los Angeles through a series of animated environments. Despite challenging weather conditions, including pouring rain and a thunderstorm, our team delivered a memorable visual experience that captivated both in-person attendees and television viewers.

Technical Highlights

• Unreal Engine Utilization: Leveraged Unreal Engine to create real-time rendered environments with dynamic lighting and effects.

• Projection Mapping: Collaborated with projection specialists to optimize content for large-scale architectural projection onto City Hall.

• Weather-Resistant Production: Adapted our workflow and technical setup to ensure flawless execution despite severe weather conditions.
  

Key Contributions

Animated Environment Creation

• Griffith Park Flythrough: Designed and animated a detailed recreation of Griffith Park, including the iconic Observatory and surrounding landscape.

• Space Flight Sequence: Crafted a breathtaking journey from Earth's atmosphere into space, showcasing LA's position in the cosmos.

• Stylized Los Angeles Drive: Developed a visually striking, stylized version of Los Angeles for a virtual drive-through experience, highlighting key landmarks and the city's unique character.
  

Technical Deep Dive

Environment Design Process

1. Research and Reference: Gathered extensive photographic and video reference of Los Angeles locations to ensure accuracy and authenticity.

2. Modeling and Texturing: Created highly detailed 3D models and textures, optimized for real-time rendering and large-scale projection.

3. Lighting and Atmospherics: Implemented dynamic lighting systems to capture the essence of LA's diverse environments, from urban streets to the stars above.
   

Real-Time Rendering Optimization

• Developed custom LOD (Level of Detail) systems to maintain visual quality while ensuring smooth performance for live projection.

• Implemented efficient particle systems for weather effects, city lights, and space elements.

• Optimized shaders and materials for maximum visual impact when projected onto the architectural surface of City Hall.
  

Weather Adaptation Techniques

• Created real-time rain and lighting effects within the Unreal Engine environments to harmonize with the actual weather conditions.

• Implemented dynamic fog and atmospheric systems to enhance the visibility and impact of the projection through the rain.
  

Challenges and Solutions

• Weather Resilience: Worked closely with the technical team to ensure all equipment was weather-proofed and that the projection remained visible despite the rain.

• Real-Time Adjustments: Developed a system for making last-minute adjustments to brightness, contrast, and color to compensate for the unexpected weather conditions.

• Seamless Integration: Ensured smooth transitions between real-world fireworks and digital effects, creating a cohesive experience for viewers.

Impact on the Event

• Delivered a visually stunning centerpiece for the New Year's Eve celebration that became a talking point across local media.

• Successfully merged the physical and digital worlds, enhancing the traditional New Year's Eve experience with cutting-edge technology.

• Demonstrated the resilience and adaptability of virtual production techniques in challenging, live event scenarios.
  

This project showcases the power of Unreal Engine and virtual production in creating memorable, large-scale public experiences. By leveraging advanced real-time rendering techniques and creative environment design, we were able to transform City Hall into a canvas for a virtual journey through Los Angeles and beyond. The success of this project under challenging conditions demonstrates my ability to deliver high-quality, impactful visual content for live events, adapting to unexpected circumstances while maintaining artistic vision and technical excellence.