︎

Zhu,Xiangyi

Environment Artist / Cinematic Animator


       

         

       

⇩

scroll down

On the Road

Award-Winning Short Film made in Unreal Engine 5

Role: Full Scope Creation
Category: Short Film
Release Date: N/A

>>> Full Film（Password Upon Request）
>>> Trailer

Project Overview:

Based on personal experience, this short film captures the journey of self-discovery, as a seventeen-year-old embarks on an odyssey of new sights and experiences while haunted by memories of home. As the quest unfolds, the hometown becomes a distant, irretrievable past, symbolizing a journey of time, place, and transformation.

The project demonstrated the ability to manage and deliver a complete production independently. It involved designing immersive environments, developing animations using the Niagara system, material shaders, and Level Sequence in Unreal Engine. Motion capture for MetaHuman was also performed, bringing characters to life with realistic movement. Additionally, 3D assets were created in Maya, with color and light correction handled in Nuke, ensuring a polished and immersive experience.


Cyberpunk

Mixed Reality Experience about Virtual Production Technology

Role: Environment Artist, 3D Artist
Company: Magnopus
Client: The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
Category: Mixed Reality Experience
Platform: Meta Quest 3
Release Date: 2025

>>> More About It


Project Overview:

Designed and developed immersive environments for CYBERPUNK: A Virtual Production Experience at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Collaborating closely with Oscar-winning VFX artist Craig Barron and the team using Unreal  Game Sync and Perforce.

A key aspect of the project was optimizing assets and materials to meet the performance constraints of Meta Quest 3. This involved refining meshes, UVs, and lightmaps to reduce draw calls, ensuring smooth real-time rendering. I also created hard-surface and environment models, unwrapped UVs in Maya, and developed textures and materials using Substance Painter and Unreal Engine 5, maintaining visual fidelity while ensuring seamless performance on VR hardware.


Karol G MSB Fortnite

Immersive Music Experience in UEFN

Role: Environment Artist, Unreal Generalist
Company: Magnopus
Client: Epic Games, Karol G
Category: Game
Platform: Fortnite
Release Date: 2024

>>> Full Experience
>>> More About It



Project Overview:

Designed and developed immersive environments in Unreal Editor for Fortnite, collaborating closely with the team through Perforce to create engaging and dynamic virtual spaces. A key focus of the project was managing set dressing and scene design for the tunnel scenes, with particular attention to refining the transition into the epilogue garden.

Additionally, I enhanced the visual and musical experience by converting 2D images into interactive 3D graffiti flipbooks, adding a unique, interactive element to the environment. Asset and material optimization played a crucial role in ensuring smooth gameplay performance throughout the project.




Arif at Munch 

Short film for Norwegian Artist Arif

Role: Unreal Generalist, VFX Artist
Client: Object & Animal, Arif, Munch Museum
Category: Short Film
Release Date: 2025

>>> More About It





Project Overview:

Designed and developed immersive visuals for the short film featured in Arif’s Exhibition at the Munch Museum, collaborating with Grammy-nominated director Andrew Thomas Huang. The short film seamlessly blended innovative VFX with live-action footage to craft an engaging and immersive narrative for museum visitors.

A significant part of the project involved high-poly UV unwrapping in Maya and applying photoreal textures using Substance Painter to create highly detailed assets. Additionally, I produced 4K visuals and animations using Unreal Engine 5’s Niagara system and Level Sequencer, ensuring seamless visual consistency and smooth integration between live-action footage and VFX for a fully immersive experience.








Liminal

French Contemporary Artist Pierre Huyghe’s Exhibition

Role: Unreal Generalist, Technical Artist
Client: Pierre Huyghe Studio
Category: Digital Art Exhibition
Release Date: 2024

>>> More About It





Project Overview:

Collaborated on Pierre Huyghe’s "Liminal" exhibition at the Punta della Dogana in Venice, where the fusion of new and past works challenges conventional realities through speculative narratives.

I resolved technical challenges in Unreal Engine 5, focusing on animation stitching, rigging, and motion-matching to ensure seamless character animations. We utilized Plastic SCM for efficient developer collaboration and version control, streamlining workflows and ensuring smooth integration across the team. This collaboration contributed to the creation of an immersive experience, pushing the boundaries between human and non-human experiences.