VFX Graduate uses iClone & Character Creator in Final Project

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April 6, 2025

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Muhammad Ibrahim – CG Generalist / Filmmaker

Muhammad Ibrahim

Muhammad Ibrahim, a CG generalist and filmmaker, recently unveiled his captivating short film, Echoes. A graduate of Seneca VFX, Ibrahim was granted a remarkable opportunity by Reallusion to bring his vision to life using their advanced software tools, Character Creator and iClone. Echoes takes viewers on a haunting journey through the perspective of a character trapped in a surreal loop within a subway station. As the protagonist strives to connect with others around him, he confronts the unsettling realization that he is a ghost—a revelation that serves as the emotional crux of the narrative.

This project showcases Ibrahim’s ability to merge storytelling with technical mastery. By leveraging Character Creator for designing stylized digital characters and iClone for crafting seamless animations, he demonstrates how Reallusion’s tools can empower creators to produce cinematic-quality content. The software’s user-friendly interface and robust features made it possible for Ibrahim to focus on refining the intricate emotions and atmospheric tension central to Echoes.

Muhammad’s ArtStation

With Echoes, Muhammad Ibrahim not only showcases his artistic talent but also exemplifies how emerging filmmakers can harness cutting-edge technology to create impactful narratives. This short film is a testament to his dedication to storytelling and the innovative potential of Reallusion’s tools in the world of independent filmmaking.

“One of my proudest achievements is a short film called Echoes. To bring this concept to life, I relied on Reallusion’s tools like Character Creator and iClone. CC allowed me to craft detailed, lifelike characters efficiently, while iClone and Actorcore helped me with fluid animations that brought emotional depth to the story. Unreal Engine Live-linked with iClone tied everything together, providing a cinematic quality that elevated the visuals.”

Muhammad Ibrahim – CG Generalist / Filmmaker

Your short film Echoes is deeply emotional and atmospheric. What inspired the story, and how did you approach translating that vision into a cinematic experience?

My natural affinity for psychological and eerie themes and the hybird artstyle—mix of realistic and stylized—has always driven my storytelling. I’m fascinated by exploring solitude, the boundaries of reality, and the emotional journey of self-realization. A few years ago, my friend and I began an exercise where we would come up with random words and transform them into storylines. Echoes emerged from this exercise, where I thought about the concept of being stuck in a place, unable to move on, and exploring the tension that comes with realizing you are no longer part of the world you once knew. The subway setting was ideal—it’s a place that feels both crowded and isolating, amplifying the psychological aspect of the story.

Translating this concept into a cinematic experience meant creating a mood that matched the eerie tone of the narrative. I focused heavily on lighting and composition to highlight the atmosphere of the subway, evoking a sense of quiet tension. The pacing and the use of long takes were also key in building the unsettling feeling. Reallusion’s tools allowed me to create the environment and characters in a way that felt both realistic and surreal, helping to bring the story’s eerie and psychological elements to life.

As a recent graduate of Seneca VFX, how did your training prepare you for the challenges of creating a project like Echoes?

My time at Seneca VFX was crucial in shaping both my technical skills and creative mindset, preparing me for the challenges of a project like Echoes. Throughout my courses, I learned how to balance the artistic side of filmmaking with the technical aspects, which helped me transform ideas into something cinematic. I learned to approach pre-production, planning, and iteration with discipline, and I had the chance to experiment with a wide range of tools and workflows, which provided the flexibility I needed to make informed creative decisions.

A significant part of my success came from the support of my professors. They helped me build the confidence to push my limits, offering valuable insights on problem-solving and troubleshooting as challenges arose. Their guidance was essential in navigating the obstacles I faced, from scene assembly to camera compositions, colors and lighting. They taught me the importance of adapting and staying persistent when things didn’t go as planned, which was crucial for completing a project like Echoes.

Character Creator played a key role in crafting the lifelike characters in Echoes. Can you share how you utilized its features to bring your characters to life?

“Character Creator was essential in helping me bring my characters to life in Echoes. One of the features I relied on most was the ability to create highly customizable characters quickly. With CC’s intuitive interface, I could experiment with different facial expressions, body types, and clothing styles to match the tone of the film. I used the morph sliders to adjust the details of the characters’ faces and body language, which helped convey their inner emotions more effectively.”

Muhammad Ibrahim – CG Generalist / Filmmaker

Skingen and dynamic wrinkles system in CC were also crucial, allowing me to add realism to the designs. Whether it was the subtle details of skin or clothing, these features helped create characters that felt both grounded and expressive, adding depth to the emotional weight of the story.

The optimization that you get out of the box with reallusion’s suite of tools played a vital part for an artist working on lowbudget equipment and hardware.

Character Creator (CC) has been a game-changer in how I approach character design and animation. It’s one of those tools that I use for almost every project because it lets me quickly create lifelike characters that can be tailored to my specific needs. I typically start by choosing a base character and then customize it by adjusting facial features, body shape, and proportions with the morph sliders. This flexibility means I can design a character that fits the story’s mood and tone without being restricted to pre-made models.

One of the things I really appreciate about CC is how easy it is to tweak the details. I can fine-tune the skin textures, adjust hair styles, and even design clothing that’s perfectly suited for each character.

For a project like Echoes, this was especially important since I needed a character that felt both grounded and surreal at the same time. I could make the character look realistic enough to evoke empathy but also have subtle design choices that made them feel slightly out of place in the eerie setting of the film.

What really ties everything together for me is how well CC integrates with other tools I use, like iClone and Unreal Engine. Once I’m happy with the design, I can easily export the character into iClone for animation, and then bring it into Unreal Engine for rendering. This streamlined workflow allows me to focus on the creative aspects without worrying about compatibility issues between programs.

You also integrated ActorCore Motion capture, with iClone and Unreal Engine during production. What were the benefits of using this pipeline, and how did it enhance the storytelling process in Echoes?

Integrating ActorCore Motion capture, iClone, and Unreal Engine was a game-changer for Echoes. The motion capture gave the characters a more realistic and natural range of movement, which was critical for making the emotional moments feel authentic. With iClone, I could fine-tune the motions, adjusting them to fit the mood of each scene. The real-time feedback in Unreal Engine allowed me to see the final result immediately, making it easier to adjust the lighting, camera angles, and overall composition to match the tone I wanted.

This pipeline streamlined the production process, saving time and allowing for more iterations, which in turn helped enhance the storytelling. The realism in the character performances added emotional weight to the story, especially since the narrative relies so much on subtle facial expressions and body language.

Congratulations on having ECHOES officially selected for the Nahal International Short Film Festival! As an aspiring filmmaker, what advice would you give other artists who are considering Reallusion assets for their productions?

Thank you! My advice would be to embrace the versatility of Reallusion’s tools. They are incredibly user-friendly, but also provide a high level of customization, which is great for both beginners and seasoned artists. The ability to work with characters, animations, and environments seamlessly can help you focus on the creative aspects of your story, rather than getting bogged down with technical limitations.

I’d also recommend exploring the full pipeline—Character Creator for character design, iClone for animation, and Unreal Engine for rendering. This combination creates a powerful workflow that can help bring your vision to life quickly and efficiently, without sacrificing quality. Don’t be afraid to experiment and push the boundaries of what these tools can do. Reallusion offers the flexibility to create something truly unique.