Lighting Artist Léo Forestier unveiled a breakdown of a cinematic lighting study created in Unreal Engine 5. The project's main focus was to explore two visual directions within a single environment: grounded and realistic, alongside stylized and high-contrast.

Léo Forestier also analyzed how analog photography influences atmosphere and composition. According to the artist, each shot was built light by light, starting with key, followed by fill, rim, and practical sources. Color carries meaning throughout the scene, with the teal shade representing the human essence, red signalling the threat, and supernatural light marking the uncanny, with color grading handled via Post Process Volume.

Take a look at more renders from the project:

The artist shared a breakdown of the lighting process, focusing on mood, color, and visual storytelling, and demonstrated in-progress shots featuring details of the lighting setup, along with frame and color choice:

Have a look at more of Léo Forestier marvelous works representing cinematic environments with a focus on lighting:

Along with renders, Léo Forestier shares technical details, so if you want to learn more about lighting in Unreal Engine, check out the artist's ArtStation.

Also, subscribe to our Newsletter, join our 80 Level Talent platform, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, and Instagram, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.

Are you a fan of what we do here at 80 Level? Then make sure to set us as a Preferred Source on Google to see more of our content in your feed.