The BTS process of this project was filled with unexpected challenges, discoveries and personal moments that shaped the final outcome. When I first attempted to animate the Mixamo character inside Unreal, I underestimated how difficult it would be to blend multiple animations into something believable. I spent several late nights adjusting the transitions sometimes by single frames so the character wouldn't snap between poses. Those were the moments that made me appreciate how much detail goes into professional animation work.

Another major BTS struggle came from the dome conversion. My first few test renders looked almost comical. Faces were stretched into strange shapes, buildings curved unnaturally and some footage even looked like it was sinking into the centre of the dome. At first, I thought there was something wrong with my render settings in Unreal, but soon I realised the issue was entirely about non panoramic rendering. I had to deep dive into immersive video documentation, watch hours of tutorials and even manually test combinations of VR effects to find a pipeline that didn’t distort the footage. The breakthrough came when I used AE’s VR Converter with the precise 180° fisheye settings.

There were also moments where the emotional weight of the project hit me unexpectedly. While selecting vlog clips for the memory sequence, I realised how many meaningful moments were captured in simple videos. Laughing with friends, walking down unfamiliar streets or catching a sunset at the last minute. These weren't dramatic shots; they were everyday fragments. Editing them made me feel the significance of Erasmus all over again. It reminded me that memory is less about events and more about feelings attached to them.

In Unreal, there were technical mishaps that turned into learning experiences. One time, my CineCameraActor disappeared entirely because I misconfigured a sequence binding. Another time, the entire floor reflected too much light, making the floor look like a mirror mirroring the surroundings. These moments pushed me to understand lighting, camera behaviour and material settings in ways I never expected. I learned to experiment more confidently, knowing that every mistake taught me something valuable.

The most rewarding BTS moment came during the first polished playback of the full intro. Seeing the character wake up, walk into the void, touch the brain and transition into the glitch sequence felt like the concept had finally come alive. It made every correction, every re-render, and every moment of frustration feel worth it. The project became not just an assignment but a personal memory embedded into digital form.