My team members completed the sound design and editing. Here is our final piece.
Here’s our project presentation.
I sincerely thank each team member for their contributions. This collaboration has been incredibly enjoyable, and I’ve gained valuable insights and inspiration from everyone.
Our workflows are slightly different. For my part, I create all the animations in Maya, including the camera animations, then import them into Unreal Engine, place them in the scene, and adjust the lighting.
I try adding a subtle depth-of-field effect when transitioning between shots to create a cinematic feel. To give my shots more texture, I also experiment with lowering the saturation and applying a cooler color temperature.
Screenshot：
We each create our own animation segments and then merge them at the end.
I’m working on my part of the animation in Maya, focusing especially on the camera movement transitions. Since each shot is very short, I want to use motion to connect the camera, so it looks more seamless.
Here is the animation for the part I’m responsible for:
This week, the team completed the car livery and rigging. We now have fully rigged assets for both the driver and the racing car.
Initially, we selected a set of realistic racetrack assets;
however, I felt they lacked visual impact. Therefore, we refined our references and adopted a darker overall tone, combined with Audi’s signature red lighting to enhance the sense of speed and technological aesthetics, ultimately strengthening the visual impact of the scene.
new reference style：
I aimed to enhance the scene’s visual impact while maintaining a cohesive color palette and achieving a more stylised and visually striking aesthetic.
This week, I uploaded the character model to Mixamo to perform automatic rigging and generate a base skeleton, then exported the rigged model as an FBX file.
Subsequently, the FBX was imported into Autodesk Maya, where an advanced (ADV) rigging system was developed based on the existing skeleton, including the creation of controllers and IK/FK setups, completing the character rig and animation control system.
We sourced a suitable racing car model; however, its livery did not match the Audi brand. A team member was responsible for redesigning the livery in Substance Painter and adding the necessary rigging where required.
AI-generated reference：
Based on the requirements of the World Rendering Competition, I developed an initial storyboard iteration.
Key words:
Short Film Concept：
This film focuses on a racing driver in the critical moments before the start of a race. Through sound, rhythm, and subtle bodily micro-movements, it portrays the transition of emotion from tension to restraint and ultimately to a state of calm control.
The narrative is driven by the driver’s internal state, intercut with the preparation process of the race car—engine ignition, system calibration, and mechanical responses. These elements echo the driver’s breathing, focus, and physical adjustments, forming a synchronized relationship between human and machine under extreme conditions.
Rather than depicting the race itself or its outcome, the film concentrates on the moment just before pressure reaches its peak. As layers of sound and rhythm intensify toward a critical threshold, both visuals and audio suddenly fall into silence. The driver takes a deep breath.
Immediately after, the engine roars to life. The screen cuts to black, leaving only the sound of the crowd and the low-frequency rumble of the engine.
Finally, the Audi logo appears.
The entire film is presented in fifteen seconds: the first twelve seconds establish emotional tension and system readiness, while the final three seconds reveal the brand identity and message.
Through the concept of “calibration,” the film metaphorically expresses Audi’s brand philosophy—achieving peak performance through rationality, order, and control under conditions of extreme pressure.
Reference: