StudioLab xR: Create Custom Metahumans in Unreal Engine Workshop
Get ready to unleash your creativity in the Unreal Engine Workshop where you’ll craft custom metahumans like never before!
This two-day workshop provides a comprehensive, hands-on introduction to building high-fidelity digital humans using Epic Games’ MetaHuman ecosystem and Unreal Engine.
Led by Montreal-based Unreal Authorized Instructor and digital human specialist Nida Arshia, the session walks participants through a real-world production pipeline used in film, advertising, and virtual production. Participants will move from real-world capture through to a fully animated and rendered digital character, gaining practical skills grounded in professional workflows.
When: March 25th and 26th, 2026
Time: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, both days
Where: StudioLab xR | C100 – 201 Portage
Cost: $199 not including fees and taxes
Learning Outcomes
Day 1 — Digital Human Creation & Look Development
Photogrammetry → MetaHuman → Custom Textures → Materials & Groom
- Photogrammetry capture workflow
- Converting scan data into a MetaHuman
- Custom skin texturing using Substance Painter
- Material setup in Unreal Engine
- Hair and facial groom workflows
- Look Development fundamentals
- Pipeline overview and Q&A
By the end of Day 1, participants will have a customized MetaHuman created from real-world scan data.
Day 2 — Animation, Cinematics & Rendering
Facial Animation → Sequencer → Lighting → Rendering
- Facial animation using MetaHuman Animator
- Performance capture, processing and refinement
- Sequencer and cinematic camera setup
- Shot composition and camera language
- Look Development, lighting, and mood
- Final render output
- Production workflow review and Q&A
By the end of Day 2, participants will have an animated, lit, and rendered digital human suitable for real-time or cinematic use!
Who Should Attend
- 3D artists and animators
- Filmmakers and virtual production professionals
- Game developers and real-time creators
- XR and immersive media artists
- Anyone interested in professional digital human workflows
Requirements
- Basic understanding of 3D content creation
- Epic Games account
Instructor Bio:
Nida Arshia is a Montreal-based Unreal Authorized Instructor and Unreal Engine Generalist with over eight years of experience across VFX, advertising, virtual production, and real-time storytelling. Her work is driven by a strong passion for visual storytelling, with a focus on lighting, composition, and cinematic techniques to create immersive and emotionally engaging experiences.
She has worked on cinematic and CG campaigns for clients such as Netflix, HP, HDFC, and Nat Geo at advertising studio Monks, and previously contributed as a Texture and Look Development Artist at Moving Picture Company, where she was credited on major VFX feature films including Detective Pikachu and The Predator. This blend of high-end VFX and real-time production informs her approach to realism, character look development, and cinematic lighting in Unreal Engine.
Nida has participated in Epic Games’ Unreal Animation Fellowship and has mentored creators through the Unreal Engine Women Creators Program. She currently mentors students in Unreal Engine courses at CG Spectrum, working with learners from around the world.