Bella LeBlanc
He Ain’t Here (2025) - dir. Patrick M. , prod. Malia L.
designed and modeled by Patrick M.
Face Material Demonstration
developed by Patrick M. in Unreal Engine 5.4
when developing our first animated films, our teacher expected those with custom characters to have them ready for use a month before production started.
due to scheduling decisions outside of our control, we weren’t formally taught how to rig faces, and with so little time to create my character i applied what i already knew from blender to create a node system in unreal engine, taking advantage of various tools that come with the program by default.
my 2d face rig was only the second time such a technique was used at the film school, with my work inspiring my classmates to experiment with the same system.
brainstorming the design of Bella LeBlanc wasn’t the most consistent journey. she was initially two emo girls, who navigated the forest with a handheld camera rather than a red gas lamp. next she became a victorian werewolf hunter with steampunk gadgets.
at this point i realized i had dug myself into a complex hole, losing the message of my story in a sea of camcorders and monster hunting.
starting from the beginning and avoiding overthinking allowed me to create a character with an interesting yet relatable design, who doesn’t outshine the world she lives in.