Through the Lens is a virtual production short film that I co-directed with Faith Popov. It was filmed in November 2024 at ASU MIX Center.
After losing his prized possession, amnesiac James begins to think his neighbor Emily might have something to do with it, or perhaps, is involved in something more sinister.
Poster designed by Yannie Szeto
Story Design
The initial idea that I came up with is to reimagine a story by drawing elements from two famous films - Memento and Rear Window. The two big elements: short term memory loss and windows, could be seen in our film. Alex Block and Annie Foley wrote the script for the short film based on this idea.
Virtual Production
Virtual Production provided a highly effective way to achieve the look of peering through windows of a high-rise apartment while precisely animating and timing key events unfolding in the neighboring apartment. This approach allowed for greater creative control over lighting, camera movement, and environmental details that would have been challenging to achieve practically.
As the director, I worked closely with the Virtual Production technician to ensure a seamless Unreal Engine-to-VP stage workflow. Our set was built in Unreal Engine 5, where we carefully designed the digital environment to match the physical elements on set. To enhance realism in-camera, we incorporated practical props into the volume, blending physical and virtual elements seamlessly. Additionally, we utilized flats for window shots, allowing for accurate depth perception and lighting integration, making the final visuals more immersive and believable.
BTS
Photo credit to Annie Foley
Photo credit to Calvin Stanley
