The Visualization Summer Industry Course (SIC) was a challenging yet rewarding experience where we collaborated with industry mentors at Stray Vista Studios to create Cardboard Camelot. This short film, which took us 10 weeks to complete, tells the story of a mom who, after discovering a cardboard castle her son had built in his room, enters and explores a lifesize, magical cardboard kingdom. I served as the Virtual Production Operator, and my main focus throughout the project was creating the digital environments. Rachel Barner was responsible for much of the bedroom layout and setdressing, while I focused on bringing the castle environment to life. We also fabricated real cardboard props for the bedroom, and I used photogrammetry to scan in props like the railing, pillars, drawings, throne, crown, picture frame, and torches to use in the castle environment. Using the motion capture knowledge I gained from working at the Soft Interaction Lab, I was able to help all 3 teams obtain pre-viz animations. I also managed the sound and animated the film’s credits.

Cardboard Camelot was the most fulfilling project I’ve worked on in Visualization. It allowed me to apply everything I had learned from 3D modeling, layout, animation, surfacing, arts and crafts, and a year’s worth of Unreal Engine experience. The most exciting but stressful part of the experience was the two weeks we spent in Dripping Springs, TX, at Stray Vista Studios. Our team was the last to film, and by then, we had learned from the first two teams and developed a solid plan. Each team had three days—one for prep and two for shooting—and we had to get everything right. Luckily, everyone involved in SIC was there to support each team as they went.

As Virtual Production Operator, I was constantly monitoring the LED wall and frustum to make sure the environments looked realistic. Due to our tight schedule, I had to know exactly where everything was in the scene and how to adjust it in seconds. I worked closely with Ace, Stray Vista’s Virtual Production Operator, and learned a lot about troubleshooting in Unreal Engine 5, as well as valuable lighting and filming tips. Despite losing 2-3 hours from both of our shoot days due to various challenges, we had to make it work with roughly six hours less than other teams. Thankfully, we pulled through, and I couldn’t be prouder of my teammates and the final film we created.