[Click here for Resource Pack]

Build a stylized haunted street with a director’s eye, not a software endurance test

If you can model a single prop but you stall when it is time to build a full environment, this class is designed to pull you through the “Uncomfortable Middle Bit” and out the other side with a finished scene you are proud to show.

You will build a complete stylized haunted street using a strict 50/50 workflow: Blender 5 for clean, reusable asset creation, and Unreal Engine 5.7 for real-time world building, lighting, atmosphere, and a final cinematic.

You will work with modern production friendly concepts without turning this into a ten app circus
You will use a GLB pipeline a binary glTF 2.0 export format that preserves transforms and materials for a smooth engine handoff
You will use Lumen real time global illumination that bounces light naturally
You will use Nanite displacement virtualised geometry detail with displacement for high depth surfaces
You will use PCG Procedural Content Generation rule based tools that automate environment placement
You will learn vertex painting painting masks on the mesh to blend grime and variation
You will use volumetric fog 3D fog that catches light and creates depth to lock in the haunted mood

Most importantly, you will build with The Director’s Eye. Time is your real budget, so you will put effort where the camera rewards it.

This is not make a building and hope for the best This is build a system prove it by finishing a scene and walk away with something portfolio ready.

The 50/50 pipeline Blender 5 foundation creation cohesion export

Blender is where you engineer the modular kit and the rules that make the whole environment feel intentional:

1 Blockout to Money Shot fast iteration clear decisions

Establish big shapes and a readable silhouette early then refine with purpose
Use simple material checks clay or AO style look tests so you can spot proportion and value problems before you decorate them
Lock the hero view early so every decision supports the final image

2 Build a modular kit that actually fits together

Walls corners and supports that snap together cleanly
Roof pieces with controlled wonk stylised variation without trashing your mesh
Windows frames trims and connectors that make repetition look deliberate
Set dressing that sells story without exploding your workload

3 The 20 Material Rule cohesion and performance

You will use the 20 Material Rule limiting the environment to roughly twenty core materials to keep:

A consistent stylised look across the whole street
Fast iteration less fiddling more finishing
Real time friendliness once you move into Unreal

4 Stylised shaping without breaking everything

You will use non destructive shaping techniques including lattice based deformation so you can push silhouette and charm while keeping:

Clean topology where it matters
UVs that stay usable
A kit that still behaves like a kit

5 Clean handoff the GLB pipeline

You will prep assets so Unreal does not punish you later with:

Consistent scale using a human scale reference
Sensible pivot placement for props and modular pieces
Clean transforms and exports using GLB binary glTF 2.0 for a low friction handoff

The 50/50 pipeline Unreal Engine 5.7 implementation world building mood cinematic

Unreal is where the environment becomes a place terrain atmosphere lighting and that final this feels real punch

1 Terrain and layout tools that keep you moving

Landmass a terrain sculpting system for non destructive landscape shaping
Water a spline based river and water body system for fast controllable waterways

2 Next gen lighting and surface depth

Lumen real time global illumination for natural bounce and readable shadows
Nanite displacement virtualised geometry displacement for stylised surface depth where it matters
Volumetric fog 3D fog that catches light to control atmosphere depth and focus

3 Materials without the headache

Vertex painting to blend grime moss and wear without multiplying materials
A practical approach to stylised surface consistency across the kit
Optional workflow notes around Substrate materials when it benefits the look

4 PCG for speed dress paths and details intelligently

PCG tools to automate repeatable dressing patterns
Spline based placement where it makes sense paths curbs edge dressing
Manual art direction on top so the scene still feels designed

5 Cinematic finish camera motion final output

Subtle animated beats such as lantern or sign pulses to add energy without turning it into a theme park ride
A cinematic camera move using Unreal sequencing tools
A final presentation pass that reads at thumbnail and holds up at full resolution

Class roadmap lesson pacing and resources

Modular lessons built for real life

This class is paced so you can make steady progress in modular sessions typically in the 5 to 10 minute range per lesson.

Roadmap milestones

Money Shot blockout and scene direction
Modular kit build core architecture
Cohesion pass materials and the 20 Material Rule
Export ready prep and GLB handoff
Unreal landscape Landmass and Water
Real time look development Lumen fog and materials
Variation pass vertex paint and PCG dressing
Cinematic camera move and final presentation

Resources included

You will get a Resource Pack to keep things zero friction including:
Starter assets and materials to jump in quickly
A human scale reference for consistent proportions
Tools and scene helpers used throughout the workflow
Unreal ready setup pieces so you can focus on building and finishing
You will download everything inside Skillshare via the Projects and Resources tab

Quick FAQ

Do you need Substance Painter?

No.

Can you stay Blender only or Unreal only?

Yes.

Is this beginner friendly?

Yes with one caveat - this is aimed at the Uncomfortable Middle Bit student.

Who this class is for?

Blender users who can model but cannot finish environments
Unreal users who want better assets and cleaner handoff
Indie devs and environment artists who want a production mindset and real time polish
Stylised world builders who want charm and mood with discipline under the hood

Why this Skillshare class stands out

It is genuinely 50/50: Blender creates the kit and rules Unreal delivers the world and the cinematic result

Director's Eye workflow: you focus on silhouette composition and readable mood instead of invisible detail

Answer first: teaching you learn the reasons scenes break and how to fix them

Built to finish: every stage has a clear deliverable so momentum does not die halfway through

Meet your instructors

This class is taught by Neil and Luke as a true two part pipeline:

Neil teaches the Blender phase modular kit creation cohesion the 20 Material Rule and a clean GLB export for engine handoff
Luke teaches the Unreal phase landscape building PCG dressing Lumen lighting fog and atmosphere vertex paint variation and the final cinematic

If you are ready to stop nearly finishing and start shipping scenes jump in and build this haunted street properly!

Until next time happy modelling everyone,

Neil and Luke

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Image Gallery

Haunted Street Master Shot shows the final night render with fog warm window glow and a clock tower focal point that sells scale and mood.

Stylized Modular House closeup shows timber frame walls stone base and clean modular edges designed to tile and snap without visible gaps.

Instructor callout highlights modular kit workflows texel density vertex paint variation and Lumen lighting for stylized Blender to UE5 environments.

Modular Kit Breakdown displays the full parts library from Blender including roofs walls windows trims and props laid out for fast environment assembly.

System in Practice shows the kit assembled into a full street layout confirming consistent style clean repetition and a readable hero composition before the Unreal lighting pass.

Fog and Atmosphere stage shows layered volumetric fog ground mist and silhouette control that pushes depth and directs the eye through the haunted street.

Optimized Variation shows UE5 vertex painting masks adding grime wear and colour breakup across repeated assets creating variety without multiplying materials.

Stylized Clock Tower breakdown shows a bent silhouette shaped with a Blender lattice modifier and modular trims that keep the centerpiece readable from the hero camera.

Final Polish shows a quick compositor pass that boosts contrast glow and atmosphere so the hero render reads clearly at thumbnail size and full resolution.

Blender viewport shot shows clean topology UV ready surfaces and modular joins on a stylized house asset prepared for a reliable Unreal import.

Set dressing props lineup shows lanterns crates signs graves and small story pieces that add mood while keeping the scene build manageable.

Modular Kit Breakdown graphic highlights key materials and prop categories showing how the Director's Eye keeps cohesion and performance while adding stylised charm.

PCG Path Dressing screenshot shows Unreal PCG and spline placement creating repeatable curb stones and slabs then finishing with manual art direction on top.

Scale and Quality Check shows the first hero building imported to UE5 after GLB export verifying scale pivots and material response before full street assembly.

Stylized building assembly screenshot shows modular pieces snapping into a readable silhouette while the workflow focuses on UV texel density and clean structural logic.

Haunted River Water shot shows UE5 water tuned for a stylized night look with coloured absorption surface glow and foggy reflections that support the scene mood.

Landscape material tuning screenshot shows roughness noise and displacement adjustments that dial wet sheen for Lumen reflections under moonlight and atmospheric fog.

Course poster over a foggy haunted street summarises the Blender to UE5 pipeline modular kit GLB handoff Landmass terrain vertex paint variation and Lumen lighting.

Parts library overview shows roofs windows stairs and props grouped for quick reuse with consistent UVs and texel density across the haunted street kit.

Resource pack organization screenshot shows clearly labeled Blender and UE5 folders with thumbnails and references so students can start building without file hunting.

Prebuilt house set provides a clean starting point for layout letting you expand the street using the same modular rules and kit logic taught in class.

Final Result: hero render shows the complete stylized haunted street assembled from the modular kit lit in UE5 with fog and warm windows for a cinematic finish.

Alex Che

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