Introducing our latest lighting project: Derelict Office. A collaborative effort between our talented Lighting, visual effects, and sound effects teams.
THE Blockout
We aimed for a soft, foggy, and rainy atmosphere. Calm on the surface, but with a subtle sense of unease beneath it.
To explore different options, we first created a series of rough blockouts to test the composition, before choosing the overall direction and refining the setup:
This was our first in Unreal Engine pass, with an initial lighting setup. Although simple, it already conveyed the intended mood. A cloudy HDRI provided soft skylight illumination, while the main attention was placed on the broken wall and the crane.
We then adjusted the composition to emphasize the main focal points more clearly. This not only improved the readability of the crane arm but also added more depth to the environment. Once satisfied with the setup, we refined both the scene elements and the camera.
Composition
Before diving into the lighting details (since composition, lighting and narrative intentions are closely interconnected), here is a quick breakdown on the composition to show how the framing, lighting and scene elements work together to create a scene with narrative and emotional impact. The visual storytelling aims to imply a dystopian atmosphere filled with desolation, danger and mystery.
Composition and framing
The shot uses leading lines formed by the broken pathway, illuminated by the dim moonlight filtering through the clouds, guiding the viewer’s eye from the foreground to the center of the frame : the point of attention (the sky).
The tilted and decayed structures frame the composition diagonally, again directing the viewer’s gaze to the center while creating a sense of instability and danger.
Foreground darkness, created by some structures silhouetted by the lighting, acts as a vignette further focusing the attention toward the center of the frame.
Lighting, color and contrast
The shot emphasize on various key lighting and color setups to create the desired mood and story.
The viewer’s eye is naturally drawn to the lightnings, creating brief, high intensity flashes revealing the environment’s shape, suggesting revelation and discovery. Those flashes are balanced by some blue ambient lighting and fog scattering, filling the shadows and preserving volume in darker areas.
The scene’s color contrast (blue vs red, cold vs warm) not only guides the viewer’s eye toward the focal point but also enhances the cinematic tone, conveying both mystery and unease. The balance between those cold atmospheric tones and warm accent lights aim to also create tension and depth.
Subtle red lights suggest remnants of human presence and warning signals, adding subtle narrative layers. They provide a warm counterpoint to the overall desaturated palette, helping define spatial layers while reinforcing a sense of danger.
Depth layering
Another key aspect of the image is the depth layering created by the fog. The scattered fog and the fog cards we placed are designed to create a strong sense depth:
Foreground (Blue : collapsed structure)
Background (Orange : distant towers)
Midground (Green : pathway)
This reinforce scale and cinematic depth while giving the impression of a vast world behind the intricate collapsed areas.
With all these elements, it is clear that the lighting plays a crucial role in the story telling and in shaping the atmosphere we aimed for.
Lighting
Base lighting
The base lighting was kept very simple: a skylight driven by an HDRI ensured soft overall illumination, while a subtle directional light cutting through fog helped silhouette and shape the main elements.
At this stage, we performed an initial grading pass to set the mood and rebalance the lighting
Details lights
We introduced additional lights to enhance detail and guide the eye. Rim and specular highlights were placed on key objects to bring back information in shadowed areas. To break the monotony and add visual tension, we also introduced subtle red accents on the crane.
For greater control over rim lighting, we used an outline shader to fake additional highlights. This allowed us to fine-tune the effect for artistic direction.
Custom fog cards
To add more depth and subtle detail, we placed custom fog cards and localized fog volumes. These elements helped shape the atmosphere and guided depth perception in targeted areas.
Final grading
A final grading pass was carried out to harmonize the scene and refine the overall balance.
Lightnings
Lightning Setup
For the lightning strikes, we used Sequencer to spawn VFX meshes, paired with a directional light that quickly reoriented toward each strike. Its intensity was animated to flash and fade, casting volumetric glows and briefly illuminating the scene for a realistic impact.
To amplify the drama, we also animated the exposure during each strike, enhancing both contrast and atmosphere.
Here you can discover the lighting in slow motion:
Project Evolution
We hope you enjoyed this breakdown. Our team did a fantastic job putting it together. Looking for more lighting content soon!
You can explore our recent work here, and if you have any questions feel free to reach out to us on BlueSky, X, or LinkedIn.
Thank you for reading!
Tuatara team
