Can Unreal Engine replace traditional 3D motion design workflows and tools like Cinema 4D and After Effects for TV/film title sequences?
After watching Antibody's brilliant title sequence for the TV series Prime Target, I wondered if I could re-create something similar in Unreal Engine using only its native tools, especially the new motion graphics features. So I went down a bit of a rabbit hole and spent far too much time on it. Here's the result, with a shot for shot comparison to an edited version of the original.
I think it works as a proof of concept but I had to jump through many hoops to get it working properly. I tried to use Unreal Engine tools for pretty much everything - asset creation, materials, text and grading, while utilising UE 5.6's new cloner system for the animation. Although I rendered everything to disk and constructed the edit in Premiere, all shots played back individually in real-time on the timeline using Lumen.
I think it really depends on the project as to whether Unreal gives you an edge over more traditional motion graphics pipelines. But it definitely shows promise, especially for creating high-end 3D titles on the fly, adaptive live event visuals, or projects that need loads of high-res variations and quick turnarounds. I will continue to explore the capabilities and refine the workflow.
