Grace is a short film I created in Unreal Engine for the Maccines 3D contest in 2020. Participants had to choose between two characters, a soldier or a robot pole dancer, and make a real-time short movie in just 4 weeks.

Because I’m a pretentious idiot, I thought I could do it in 2 weeks… after only 3 glorious months of learning 3D. Obviously, I picked the pole dancer and immediately imagined an epic fight: giant robot smashing buildings, big shockwaves, missiles, wild camera moves, full-on One Punch Man style. Easiest thing ever, right?

I spent a week and a half collecting assets, learning rigging, materials, physics systems, building the city… and realizing I would never have time to finish it. 

So in the last 3 days, I focused on what I could still tell just through the intro. Montage, music, and sound effects all came together during the final night.

Even if it was insanely hard and I didn’t manage to make it as big as planned, I learned a ton in the process.

I’ll keep this story aside for now… maybe one day I’ll finish it properly when I become a “big boy.