This opening lesson introduces the workshop objective: how to build a polished, production-ready shot of a charged energy beam in Unreal Engine. Instructor Raúl Ruiz breaks down the final target, the three main phases — charge, beam, and blast — and the expected deliverables. He also clearly establishes the workflow, scope, and decision-making lens used throughout the workshop from start to finish.

Duration: 3m 45s

In this second lesson, Raúl gathers visual references to define the shot language. The goal here is not exhaustive preproduction, but to create clear direction. By identifying key timing beats early, he shows how to reduce guesswork and keep the VFX work aligned with presentation needs, right from the start.

Duration: 3m 34s

This lesson covers creating a short custom animation blockout in Cascadeur to support the shot. Rather than relying on a generic placeholder pose, Raúl builds motion that reinforces intent, energy, and timing. The process helps to support the decision-making throughout the remaining lessons of this workshop.

Duration: 8m 50s

In this lesson, Raúl shows how to import the animation and assemble the shot inside Sequencer. This lesson focuses on camera placement, composition, lighting, and the overall visual read of the moment. He also shows how, even before the Niagara work begins, strong shot context can elevate the final effect and guide artistic priorities later on.

Duration: 4m 13s

Before building the final systems, Raúl shows how to use simple placeholder geometry and create a quick storyboard with anchor frames. This practical lesson keeps the shot grounded and prevents unnecessary iteration. He also explains how proxies make it easier to judge composition and pacing before investing time in more detailed Niagara work later.

Duration: 14m 45s

This lesson begins the core Niagara build by constructing the charge-up phase. Raúl shows how to create materials and textures as needed, he exposes practical controls, and explains the math behind masks, falloffs, and noise shaping. His emphasis is on building a flexible setup that reads clearly and remains art-directable throughout.

Duration: 15m 46s

In this lesson, Raúl develops the beam system itself: its shape, breakup, motion language, and timing behavior. He focuses on material-driven shaping and parameterization so that the effect remains controllable within the shot. This lesson is about readability, energy, and making the launch feel intentional both technically and artistically in motion overall.

Duration: 16m 33s

This lesson is all about the final build, where Raúl shows how to create the blast and dispersal phase. His goal is to reveal how to make every phase feel related, purposeful, and presentation-ready.

Duration: 24m 38s

This final lesson covers exporting the final shot from Sequencer and applying a subtle After Effects polish pass. Raúl demonstrates how to do a cohesion pass across all stages of the effect; he explains how he keeps the post-work light and supportive rather than corrective.

Duration: 11m 46s

In this bonus lesson, Raúl showcases how to use the work completed throughout the workshop to quickly create variations and develop new effects without building entirely new assets from scratch. His approach is an effective technique for producing quick versions with consistency and placeholders for gameplay testing.

Duration: 20m