Sunset Shores

Inspired by America’s classic turn-of-the-century boardwalks and piers, this originally produced 3D environment explores the alluring entertainment that takes place along the promenade of the water’s edge. Experience golden hour like never before with a stroll down Sunset Shores and immerse yourself in exciting nightlife, delectable dining, and nostalgic recreation.

When creating this short, we aimed to demonstrate the lively atmosphere of communal spaces, even without the presence of people in these locations. As environment artists, we hoped to convey the impact that a setting can have in terms of contributing to a narrative and, in some cases, creating a narrative for itself.

  • Caden William Rivera
    Student Animation Team
  • Corbin Ryan Campbell
    Student Animation Team
  • Arin Blake Larson
    Student Animation Team
  • Rebecca Ann Small
    Student Animation Team
  • Ryan James Pardo
    Student Animation Team
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Animation, 3D, CGI, 3D Animation, Ambient
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 5 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 28, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Computer Generated imagery
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Central Florida
Director Biography

Sunset Shores was conceptualized and produced by five students in the UCF Emerging Media BFA, Experimental Animation track as part of the Spring 2023 Experimental Animation workshop class. The class was taught by Professor Matt Dombrowski, and we utilized the entire four months of the Spring 2023 semester to complete the production timeline.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Our collaborative process started with research and communication in order to establish the look of our shared vision and understand how we planned to create it. We divided up the task of asset creation and began modeling in Maya and texturing our models in Adobe Substance 3D Painter. Eventually, our scene began to take shape within Unreal Engine 5 as we organized all of the individual assets into what the boardwalk eventually became. We then began to utilize the expansive capabilities of Unreal Engine to develop both the water and the lighting for our shots. After the rendering was complete, we compiled everything into After Effects and finalized the short with the additions of music and 2D animated credit sequences.