The Guatemala City Children's Museum contacted us with a simple but exciting task: to bring back to life an old 3D video about minerals that they used to use in their Rocaventura exhibit.

This projection is part of a physical exhibit in the museum that looks like a cave. Kids learn how to tell minerals apart and identify them in this area. The goal was to make the visuals modern, the animation up-to-date, and the story more engaging for kids today, all while keeping the original piece's educational spirit.

They gave us the basic idea, the script, and the old version. After that, it was our job to reinterpret the adaptation.

We wanted to bridge traditional filmmaking with real-time 3D technology. Instead of using a classic render-based workflow, we adapted a film production pipeline to a real-time Unreal Engine workflow, integrating DaVinci Resolve for color grading and After Effects for motion design.

This approach gave us faster iteration cycles, the ability to see near-final results inside Unreal, and the flexibility to mix camera direction, facial capture, lighting, and animation all in one ecosystem.

We started by redesigning the main character, who is a friendly explorer who shows kids around the world of minerals. We made three outfits to show different stages of learning:

Explorer: inspired by Indiana Jones, full of adventure and discovery.

Miner: showing the safety and prevention that are needed for mining work.

Scientist: highlighting the curiosity and intellectual side of learning.

Alongside character design, we conducted asset gathering and visited a real mine to collect environmental texture patterns, rock formations, and the unique atmosphere of underground spaces. This visit deeply influenced our world-building later inside Unreal.

This is where Unreal Engine really stood out.

We started our pipeline with grayboxing, which set up the basic layout and camera paths. After we were happy with the foundation, we moved on to:

Lighting

Materials

World dressing

Character modeling, rigging, texturing

Animation

We experimented with the Motion Sample System to make the character interactive and responsive in real time. It worked great until we tried to integrate it into Sequencer, where unexpected leg and pose issues appeared. So we pivoted, building a simpler, custom character blueprint that allowed us to combine Mixamo and Unreal Mannequin-compatible animations seamlessly.

For facial animation, we used Live Link Face on an iPhone to capture expressions in sync with the original voice recording from the old video. This was trickier than expected; the subtle performances didn’t translate well on the cartoonish character. We had to exaggerate our acting, like stage performers, to bring those emotions to life. The result? These approach resulted in a significantly more expressive and engaging guide for children.

Once the sequences were rendered out in EXR format, we moved into DaVinci Resolve for color grading. This allowed us to take full advantage of the color data, adjusting the mood and richness of the cave environment to feel both cinematic and friendly.

From there, we added motion graphics and VFX using After Effects, refining titles, transitions, and other small elements that enhanced the visual clarity of the learning points.

While working on the video, we also redesigned the Rocaventura logo and refreshed the visual design of the physical exhibition desks since the museum no longer has editable source files. The new design aligns better with the updated look of the video and creates a cohesive experience between the digital and physical spaces.

The new Rocaventura video is now being played continuously at the museum's exhibit. The director, subdirector, and the entire educational staff loved the result, describing it as “a perfect blend of fun and learning.”

For us, it was more than just a remake — it was a case study on how real-time engines can transform traditional film pipelines and open new possibilities for educational storytelling.

Unreal Engine 5 Niagara, Environment, Animation, Motion Design Tools, Live Link Face DaVinci Resolve Color Grading, SFX, EXR Handling After Effects Motion Graphics & Compositing Autodesk Maya Character modeling, Rigging Adobe Substance Painter Texturing GitHub Version Control

Client: Museo de los Niños de Guatemala Production: PostHuman Grafx Director: Axel Oliva 3D Cinematography: Axel Oliva 3D Design & Motion: Axel Oliva, Cesar Marroquín Character Design: Walter Oliva Rigging: Walter Oliva Texturing: Walter Oliva Animation: Axel Oliva, Walter Oliva Motion Capture: Axel Oliva, Walter Oliva Post-Production: Axel Oliva, Cesar Marroquín Source Control: David Carrera Tech Support: David Carrera Audio Design: Luis Fuentes Year: 2025