ABOUT

This project explores a cinematic Dragon FX shot developed using a hybrid pipeline across Houdini, Unreal Engine, Nuke, and DaVinci Resolve.

The dragon FX was created using layered particle and smoke simulations in Houdini, focusing on motion, density control, and visual hierarchy. FX elements were rendered separately in ACES to optimize performance and allow greater flexibility during compositing.

The environment (marketplace asset) was heavily relit in Unreal Engine, with camera matching to ensure seamless integration between FX and background.

In Nuke, custom passes (Fresnel, AO, UV) were used to create masks for targeted grading, contrast shaping, and effects such as heat distortion and lens-based enhancements. Final look development and color grading were completed in DaVinci Resolve.

This project focuses on combining procedural FX with real-time environments to achieve a cinematic result while maintaining efficiency and control across the pipeline.