Lunar Gala 2025 : Elysium
description
Lunar Gala is a student-run fashion show at Carnegie Mellon University, where designers bring
to life their interpretation of the year's theme to display for thousands of attendees.
For Lunar Gala 2025, I was part of the motion design team, tasked to work hand in hand
with select designers to support their vision through animated backdrops, while fulfilling
the theme of 'Elysium' and following the motifs meant to be shown throughout the entire show.
Elysium is a place of paradise and happiness, and Lunar Gala approaches this theme through an
exploration of the journey of finding Elysium by following four distinct acts: Emergence,
Blossom, Hubris, and Embrace.
timeline
09/2024 -
03/2025
role
member of motion
design team
(7 people)
tools
blender,
adobe premiere pro
line animations
Recupera-Se
Recupera-Se is showcased in Act II, with fashion designs by Mikayla Gee, Jason Asiedu, and Nataniella Essang, and music by Samyuktha Athreya. Act II revolves around the theme 'Blossom', encompassing aspects of beginnings, growth, and awakening. The designers wanted a sandy vibe, and to showcase a storyline of someone being scarred and their journey to recovery and healing, with time being the ultimate healer. For this line, I incorporated colors from the designers fashion line, used the circle motif that appears in all of Elysium's line motions, and explored using particle systems in Blender to simulate sand.
Self Love
Self Love is showcased in Act IV, with fashion designs by Nate Neira, and music by Evan Neely. Act IV revolves around the theme 'Embrace', and is all about the acceptance, fulfillment, and hope of oneself. The designer wanted something metallic, and bold, to align with the street-style fashion of their line, in order to showcase the idea of self-love and growth by being true to oneself. For this line, I modeled several different abstract objects, and added metallic textures, making sure some of them had slight color variations as to match the bold colors in the fashion line. I added different timings and directions to the animation of several objects, and followed the circle motif that all the Elysium line motions hold.
act animations
act animations are played in between each of the four acts.
I was in charge of scenes one and four for the act animation that
plays before Act II : Blossom.
Act II Scene I
Act II Scene I is a drop of water falling into a reflection of leaves. For this animation, I modeled leaves and textured them using BlenderKit, I then simulated a water droplet and its ripples.
Act II Scene IV
Act II Scene IV is water pooling off of a pile of rocks. For this animation, I modeled simple rocks and textured them using BlenderKit. I then used fluid simulation to have the water drip down the rocks.