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Flowing Starry Night, Sunset of Stars

I used fluid motion to build the texture of brushstrokes. From one Houdini FLIP simulation, I developed two works with distinct moods: a blue night and a red sunset.

Year · production period
2025
Apr 12 – May 3, 2025 (about three weeks)
Team
Individual
Role
Solo production of both films, from concept through Houdini FLIP simulation, look development, lighting, rendering, and post-production.
Tools
Houdini, FLIP Solver, After Effects

Film

0:000:00
Flowing Starry Night

Challenge

The physically based fluid simulation had to read as a painterly scene.

My part

  • Planned and directed the concept and visual flow of both films
  • Simulated fluid velocity and form with Houdini FLIP Solver
  • Developed the look and lighting for painterly color and particle density
  • Handled caching, rendering, and post-production in After Effects

Two paintings built with FLIP

The first piece shaped around a flow of blue starlight
FLOWING STARRY NIGHT
The second piece shaped around the flow of a red sunset
SUNSET OF STARS

Blue starlight and a red sunset

I developed one fluid simulation into a night scene and a sunset scene, using the contrast between blue and red as the starting point for each film's movement and texture.

  • Concept
  • Visual Direction
Blue FLIP fluid moving across the frame like brushwork

Shaping the fluid like brushwork

I tuned the FLIP velocity and particle density until the simulated fluid moved more like a brushstroke.

  • Houdini
  • FLIP Solver
  • Simulation R&D
A fluid sequence revealing the density of red and orange particles

Color and light from particle density

I adjusted light and color to reveal the overlapping particles and the grain of the flow, developing the look so changes in density read as texture.

  • Look Development
  • Lighting
  • Color
The same frame in the final film after contrast and color work in After Effects
The Redshift EXR render of the same frame before grading
Redshift renderFinal frame

Final grading for the exhibition

After preparing the caches and Redshift renders, I brought the renders into After Effects and adjusted contrast, color, and each film's editing rhythm for the exhibition screen.

  • Cache
  • Redshift
  • After Effects

Selected frames

A blue FLIP simulation evoking a flowing starry night
Flowing Starry Night
Red and orange particles swirling over blue in a Sunset of Stars FLIP simulation
Sunset of Stars

Result

Exhibited in Shanghai and awarded second prize at the Shanghai International Creative Culture Competition.

By changing fluid speed, particle density, color, and editing rhythm, I made the same simulation read as two independent works.

  • 2025 10th Huichang Youth Shanghai International Creative Culture Competition, Second Prize
  • Shanghai University of Engineering Science, May–Jun 2025

Credits

Created by Lee Joon-suh

Faculty advisor · Lee Dongho

Next workSeoul: The Beauty of the Four Seasons