3D animation software giants like Maya and Blender have a challenger. More animators are embracing Unreal Engine, a graphics game engine that has expanded into the movie, TV and virtual reality markets. Unreal Engine animation shows up everywhere from video games and VR experiences, to blockbuster movies and indie video projects.
But why are animators choosing Unreal Engine over the more traditional solutions?
We talked to the award-winning writer/director and animator, Martin Bell to find out why he uses Unreal Engine. Bell is the first real time-visualization supervisor at DNEG 360 and has worked on 20+ blockbuster movies including No Time to Die, The Little Mermaid, and Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine. His short animated film Prazinburk Ridge earned multiple awards for Best Animated Film and Best Animation.
What is Unreal Engine?
Unreal Engine was developed by Epic Games in 1998 as a 3D graphics game engine. The first UE projects were PC first-person shooter video games. In 2014, Guinness World Records named it the world’s “most successful videogame engine.” Since then, technology has evolved and so has the software.
The latest version, Unreal Engine 5, came out in April 2022. It excels at real-time 3D content and features enhanced animation and development tools. The new 3D animation toolset now includes Control Rig, which lets you share rigs between characters and Full-Body IK solver which lets you save and apply body poses.
Who Uses Unreal Engine Animation Tools?
The primary audience for Unreal Engine is game developers at Epic and beyond. Gears of War, Final Fantasy VII, Yoshi’s CraftedWorld and Fortnite all make use of UE. But professionals in other industries have also embraced the technology.
Bell has worked on projects like Deadpool & Wolverine and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom entirely in UE. He animated shots and sequences to help the on-set team plan their shoot. The video below shows clips from Bell’s work alongside finished shots from Fallen Kingdom.
Now Bell works with Dimension Studio and DNEG creating real-time visualizations live in Unreal Engine. How work allows filmmakers to see and manipulate the visual effects for their projects on set, without waiting for post-production. This cuts down on editing costs and keeps production schedules on track.
Is it a Good Choice for Indie Creators?
Although big-budget studios have embraced UE for feature film development, the technology may be particularly valuable for indie creators. “We will be coming to a point soon where an indie sci-fi movie will look like a big budget movie and they’ll do it on a fraction of a budget,” Bell said.
The tools built into UE allow small teams, or even individual creators, to develop quality video projects quickly. Bell used an earlier version of UE to create Prazinburk Ridge, an award-winning ten-minute short film written, directed and animated entirely by Bell. He did the bulk of the layout and development in Unreal Engine, only exporting to Maya to polish important details.
What Does Unreal Engine Do Well?
Unreal Engine is great for layout and storyboarding. Users can do their own motion capture or use the extensive UE library. Then you can “stick those animations onto a character and blend them together.” The software includes tools to put in a control rig and create in-depth animation, although it may not be as fast as other options.
UE can speed up the production process by streamlining the rough layout step. Bell was able to complete a rough visualization for Prazinburk Ridge in just a few weeks working entirely alone.
What Are the Potential Drawbacks of Using Unreal Engine?
Where Unreal Engine falters is in the finish work. There are few editing options for those pre-built animations, and you can sometimes tell where the blending is happening. Bell’s solution is to export shots with vital details into Maya, which has more robust finishing tools.
Of course, these capabilities and limitations may change as the software is updated. Bell describes UE as “a permanent beta project.” Like most software providers, Epic Games continuously rolls out new updates. Often these updates move tools around or change how they can be used. Changing versions midway through a project could break your animation.
“That’s how I came to that look, that post-processed look for Prazinburk Ridge,” says Bell. “I needed a way to make everything sit together.”
Who Should Learn It?
“If you’re an animator and all you care about is animating, you don’t need to learn it. If you’re an animation director and you want to get film laid out very quickly, you want to learn it,” Bell said.
Anyone in the animation or film industries who is worried about the job market might want to jump on the Unreal Engine bandwagon. Proficiency with UE can help industry professionals stand out, since there aren’t that many who know how to use it.
Is Unreal Engine Animation Easy to Learn?
At this point, you may be wondering if Unreal Engine is easy to learn. Bell says the answer depends on your background. He started learning UE in 2020 when he had some extra time on his hands due to pandemic lockdowns.
“I watched two video tutorials and then I was away,” Bell said. Of course, Martin had training in video creation in general and animation specifically. So your results may vary.
“If you’re not from a real-time background, it’s weird.” Bell said the software feels like a video game, reminding him of when he was a 13-year-old gamer creating custom levels for his favorite 3D video games. Animators who come from Blender, Maya or 3Ds Max may find the software a little more challenging to learn.
Bell’s advice for animators learning Unreal Engine is simple: “Start with something achievable as your first project and finish it.”
For more animation industry insights check out 3 Ways Video Creation AI Needs to Improve Before Pros Will Use It. And subscribe to our newsletter below so you never miss an update.