ForestCode VJ Loops

ForestCode was created in Unreal Engine 5 using marketplace forest assets.

I started by testing an existing forest scene I had built for the DireWolf reward. I created a very wide and thin Rect Light to serve as the master beam from above, then duplicated and adjusted it to create narrower, brighter beams nested within it — repeating the process until I had four distinct beams moving together.

To shape the look of the beam, I tweaked the Rect Light’s Volumetric Scattering Intensity and the scene’s Exponential Height Fog Density, aiming for a beam that was visible and atmospheric without looking overly artificial. In order to confine the beam to a narrow area I tweaked the Barn Door Angle and Barn Door Length. I added a bluish Directional Light to suggest moonlight through the forest. For precision, I used the Path Tracer renderer — and when I saw the beam swiping through the trees with mystery and presence, I knew I had a solid proof of concept.

From there, I opened a new level, sculpted a wide landscape with some elevation (so the beam would reveal more trees in the distance), and painted in pine trees, rocks, grass, and pine needles using the Foliage Tool. In some spots, I manually added large rocks or trees for composition.

I repeated this process to create multiple scenes, sculpting, placing foliage, framing new angles, and rendering test loops — then testing them in Resolume. That’s where I explored effects like mirror splits, synced light flashes (via the Levels effect), and random jump cuts in playback — all designed to match the rising energy of music.