Worldbuilding: The Last Light

THE LAST LIGHT

Shrinethraa Senthil Kumar | YInghao Zhang | Zhiyang Guo

Welcome to our world, where darkness reigns and resources are scarce. This immersive experience offers a glimpse into the life of a young child living on an oil rig, with only his handmade lantern to guide him through the shadows.

Through our story, you’ll witness the child’s struggle to survive in a world with limited resources and no traditional energy sources. It’s a world where darkness is pervasive, and only the most resourceful can survive.

Video Link

https://vimeo.com/826312504

VR Experience Recording

https://vimeo.com/826370803

World Background

In the past, access to electricity was a privilege reserved for a select few. However, in today’s world, we are facing a crisis of resource depletion, air pollution, and rising water levels that threaten the very foundations of our society. We may soon find ourselves facing a reality that we are not equipped to handle, one that will test the limits of our resilience.

As architects, we understand the importance of daylight in our designs, but what happens when there is none? How does it affect the built environment and our daily lives? These are the questions we asked ourselves as we created this world, and we invite you to ponder them too. These are some themes that are explored in our film, and we wanted to create a unique world with evidence from the past, present and future.

Storyline

Our film invites you to step into the shoes of the young child as he ventures into forbidden areas in search of answers. You’ll experience his desperation and fear as he discovers a mysterious light library and realizes it’s empty. But in this dark, lonely world, the light library also becomes a sanctuary where he finds solace and peace.

We started by designing his bedroom: mini science lab, we included his documentation and his lantern prototypes. He then ventures into a sewing room, where it appears others have been before, but they’re nowhere to be found. The child follows a sound, and in this world of silence, sound becomes his friend. He eventually finds a source of light, which leads him to the light library where he discovers the luminous plants that are being cultivated. Here, light becomes his friend. The library becomes a safe haven for him, and the story ultimately leads to the oil rig, his last ally in this desolate world.

Character Design Luminous Creatures

Designing kid’s character with waterproof rubber fabric and added elements like reflective tape and other scraps he could have picked up on

Fictional luminous creatures that could exist in this world

Book

Beyond the video, we have a booklet prototype that gives a more tap listronger idea of who lived here before and who’ll live here after, and we’ve attached an AR experience to it to experience and interact with the drawings

VR

We also provide a VR experience where you can explore the world of the oil rig for yourself. You’ll be fully immersed in the darkness and light, hearing the sounds of the environment, and seeing the luminous creatures which have become essential to survival.

VR Experience Recording https://vimeo.com/826370803