KICHA 26

For the production "Kinder Charivari 2026" "Dr glaini CharivariTick Tack Schabernack" on the small stage at Theater Basel, I developed a video concept using Unreal Engine 5. Thanks to Marco Bernasconi at Archaeolab, I had access to a detailed 3D model of Basel Minster, which serves as the backdrop for the entire piece.

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Basel Minster in UE5

Concept

The first step was defining the projection screen. With a concept in hand, I needed a visualization — and thanks to my colleague Lukas, that came together quickly.

(https://www.lukasmarian.com)

The goal was to depict Münsterplatz in Basel. The projection features the Minster itself, while on the left side it transitions into trees that merge with the physical stage elements, creating the illusion of the square.

3D Model

How do you create a 3D model of Basel Minster? That's a task I couldn't have managed on my own and fortunately, I didn't have to. This is where Marco Bernasconi came in. He had already built a detailed 3D model of the Minster for another project. Without his work, this whole project would never have been possible. https://www.instagram.com/archaeolab/

Texturing

How do you apply textures to such a large 3D model? The answer: EasyMapper by William Faucher.

→ Watch the tutorial

Many of the assets and materials came from FAB / Quixel. For the roof, I started with a base material from FAB and customized it in Photoshop, adding a pattern that resembles the original Minster roof tiles.

Animation

In Unreal Engine, I created a film sequence to build out the entire animation. The main elements being animated are camera position, time of day, and lighting.

For another scene set in a living room, I animated a kind of time-travel sequence where objects fly through the room while new items from a different era swirl into the scene.

Living Room

UE5

For theater and stage design, Unreal Engine opens up exciting possibilities from projected backdrops that react to performers in real time to fully animated environments that transform a stage into virtually any setting imaginable.