Lorena Benavides

My reel showcases my most recent personal lighting and compositing project, _The Awakening Hunt,_ along with three graduation projects, from my studies at Kwantlen Polytechnic University: _Metal Minds: Where Curiosity Shines, Warrior's Quest Against Mystic Forces,_ and _Unveiling the Corsair's Enigma._

Each project explores the power of light to create distinct moods, enhance the emotional arc of the characters, or bring spaces to life, allowing even environments without characters to tell stories.

Across these worlds, I move from a mystical environment where an ancient force awakens, to an intimate and innocent scene, a mysterious pirate-like room, and an epic moment before a great battle.

_The Awakening Hunt_ is a fully self-directed sequence, born from my curiosity to learn a new software (Unreal Engine 5) and to explore the endless possibilities for creating new worlds.

The other two projects, _Warrior's Quest Against Mystic Forces_ and _Unveiling the Corsair's Enigma,_ were inspired by early concept art of mine that gradually evolved into fully realized environments. Meanwhile, _Metal Minds: Where Curiosity Shines_ grew out of a desire to freeze a moment of innocence, driven by my fascination with how curiosity shapes emotion.

For all four projects, I was responsible for lighting, rendering, and compositing from start to finish. Together, these works reflect my passion for visual storytelling through light, texture, and depth.