Star Wars : The Challenge
One Soldier. One Flare. One Impossible Challenge.
Star Wars: The Challenge is a solo-created fan film set in the Star Wars universe. The story follows a lone soldier who stands against a towering Imperial AT-AT in a final act of defiance. Created entirely by Nelson Navarro, the project combines real-time environment art, cinematic storytelling, lighting, visual effects, editing, and sound design to deliver a short but immersive cinematic experience powered by Unreal Engine 5.
Unreal Engine 5 / DaVinci Resolve / Reaper / Fab / Sketchfab
My Role
Realtime Environment Art
Lighting & Look Development
Cinematic Direction
Sequencer Animation
Visual Effects
Editing & Sound Design
Visual Inspiration
To establish the sense of scale and battlefield atmosphere, I studied key visual references from Star Wars Battlefront (2015) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Particular attention was given to low-angle compositions, the relationship between human figures and AT-AT walkers, and the use of environmental effects to reinforce scale and cinematic storytelling.
Star Wars : The Challenge
The environment was assembled using assets from Fab and Sketchfab, then reworked through lighting, composition and atmosphere to create a cinematic battlefield inspired by the Star Wars universe.
From Asset to Final Cinematic Shot
From a simple asset to a fully realized cinematic frame, this process highlights environment creation, scene composition, lighting, atmospheric effects and final grading used to achieve the look of the film.
Asset Integration
Initial integration of the AT-AT asset used as the foundation for the scene composition and scale reference.
Environment Assembly
Establishing the battlefield composition, environment scale and placement of supporting elements to define the visual structure of the shot.
Lighting Development
Early lighting pass focused on silhouette readability, contrast and cinematic framing to enhance the sense of scale.
Final Cinematic Shot
Final look achieved through atmospheric effects, color grading, visual effects and cinematic lighting, creating the mood and visual identity of the film.
Creating a Sense of Scale
One of the main challenges was conveying the massive scale of the AT-AT walker compared to the lone soldier. This was achieved through camera composition, focal length choices and character placement within the environment.
The scale of the Imperial walker was reinforced through composition, environmental depth and character placement. By positioning the soldier as a small focal point within a vast battlefield, the scene emphasizes both the size of the AT-AT and the isolation of the character.
Viewport Composition Preview