Weeks 7 & 8: The Crown's Selection

For my final project, I was assigned to create a scene that tells a story without using people; the objects must communicate the narrative. My concept revolves around a sacred crown in a chamber deep inside a mountain. This crown is destined for a worthy soul, and the objects scattered around the chamber—shields, swords, and cloaks—tell the tales of numerous brave individuals who have attempted and ultimately failed. Below is my current render for this project.

Concept Inspiration

This environment was inspired by fantasy games like Skyrim, Oblivion, and other story-driven RPGs. I envisioned a medieval dungeon-like space that the player might discover at a critical moment in the story, but I wanted it to be my own. I wanted the room to feel like a trial or a threshold: a place of silence, reverence, and unspoken history.

At the center of this idea is the crown, which I designed to carry a holy or divine presence. The environment needed to support that tone, so I used strong architectural symmetry, grounded lighting, and symbolic relics to create a space that feels ancient and consequential, like only the worthy would be allowed to step forward.

Reference Ideas

Lighting Techniques

To emphasize the significance of the crown, I designed a volumetric keylight that shines down through a carefully positioned ceiling opening. This lighting choice effectively isolates the crown, drawing the viewer's eye while adding an air of mystery. To enrich the atmosphere, I also included ambient fill light and fog, creating layers that add depth to the scene without losing dimensionality.

Shader Development

I am still in the process of completing my full shader quilt for the project. At the moment, I am using procedural techniques to create materials, starting with perfecting the steel for the sword and the shield. Additionally, I am working on creating a very old, damaged floor using a similar material. By utilizing VRayNoiseTex, VRayBumpMap, and eventually displacement, I made a base that captures the details that feel realistic to my other surfaces. Furthermore, I applied a worn marble texture to the steps leading up to the crown's platform, giving it a "divine" appearance. Below, you can see some close-up images of the current state of my textures.

Next Steps

This represents the progress I’ve made so far in bringing The Crown’s Selection to life. I set the foundation for my lighting, materials, and layout, establishing the visual tone and story framework.

In the coming weeks, I’ll focus on adding camera animation, secondary motion, and additional props to enhance storytelling. I also plan to further refine texture detail, particularly in bump mapping and displacement, to add grime and wear on my objects to push realism even further.

Thank you for following along on my journey, and I look forward to sharing the final version with you soon!