Case Studies
Answers in Genesis – Noah’s Ark Animation
Year – 2025
Role – 3D Generalist, VFX Artist, Virtual Cinematographer
Client – Answers in Genesis
Category – Video
Credits – Anthony Collins, Thomas Stephen
Project Summary
For this project, I created a cinematic Unreal Engine animation depicting Noah’s Ark enduring a violent storm at sea. The goal was to transform a static 3D model into a believable, immersive sequence that could be used across Answers in Genesis media productions, presentations, and educational content.
The project required a full end-to-end workflow, including UV remapping, texturing, environmental simulation, physics setup, virtual cinematography, compositing, and final color grading. Using Unreal Engine, Fluid Flux, Ultra Dynamic Weather, Maya, Substance Painter, and Premiere Pro, I developed realistic ocean behavior, storm effects, buoyancy physics, and cinematic camera work to bring the scene to life.
In addition to being featured in conference and keynote environments, animation assets from this project were later incorporated into Answers in Genesis educational media, including the YouTube video Debunking the Climate “Crisis” in 10 Minutes. The video was distributed through the Answers in Genesis YouTube channel, which reaches an audience of more than 899,000 subscribers and has generated over 30,000 views to date.
This project challenged nearly every stage of my production pipeline and served as an opportunity to combine technical problem-solving with cinematic visual storytelling in a real-world production environment.
Process
1. Model Prep
I started with the original Blender file for the Ark, but the UVs and textures needed some love. I re-mapped the UVs in Maya and re-textured the model in Substance Painter, tweaking the roughness to get that soaked, rain-battered look. Simple fix, big payoff.
2. Simulations & Weather
For the water, I used Fluid Flux, and for the rain, Ultra Dynamic Weather. Getting the splashes to behave naturally took way more fine-tuning than I’d like to admit, but the end result felt worth it. I also added a few rock/mountain assets from Bridge.
3. Buoyancy & Motion
Once the Ark was in Unreal, I gave it buoyancy physics (specifically adding pontoons on each corner) through the Blueprint Editor. I had to dial down the movement so it didn’t bob like a toy boat. If I could redo anything, I’d probably slow the waves a bit more for realism. But hey, a deadline’s a deadline.
4. Cinematography
I set up my shots in the Sequencer, adjusting focal distance, aperture, and even overlaying a subtle dirt map on the lens for atmosphere. There was a fun bug where the Ark occasionally floated above the water… turns out the Blueprint needed to be keyframed directly in the Sequencer. Problem solved.
5. Final Touches
I brought the exported renders into Premiere Pro for SFX, color grading, and compositing. This project stretched every part of my workflow, including modeling, texturing, simulation, cinematography, and post.
Impact
Since its release, Abe’s contribution has garnered…
30,000+ views
Distributed through a YouTube channel with 899K+ subscribers
End-to-end ownership of environment animation, simulation, cinematography, and post-production