The (Unofficial) Unreal Engine Podcast

The (Unofficial) Unreal Engine Podcast

by Jacob Feldman and Alex Coulombe
Technology
Season 4
FMX 2026 Spatial Storytelling Track - No Instructions, No Controllers: Building Mixed Reality Attractions for the Real World
How do you design a mixed reality attraction that works for families, first-time players, noisy public spaces, and people of all ages without relying on instructions, traditional UI, controllers, or even headset straps? In this episode, Allan Yde shares a practical breakdown of building large-scale mixed reality experiences for location-based entertainment. He explores the realities of designing for public venues where players need to understand the experience immediately, interactions must feel natural, and every object should respond in a satisfying way. Topics include hand tracking, no-controller interaction design, diegetic UI, physical wand prototypes, non-linear attraction layouts, spell-based mechanics, simplifying puzzles, testing outside the studio, designing for children and older adults, and using body occlusion to keep shared MR spaces safe. A grounded look at what it takes to move mixed reality beyond the prototype stage and into real-world attractions people can actually play, understand, and enjoy.
S4 · E3
Jul 3, 2026
52:40
FMX 2026 Spatial Storytelling Track - Alex Coulombe & Agnes Bakk
Agnes Bakk joins the FM Spatial Storytelling track to discuss Sanctuary, a VR nature experience designed through co-design and clinical research to support elderly adults and long-term hospitalized patients. The conversation explores theater, magic, immersion, accessibility, healthcare design, and the therapeutic potential of spatial storytelling.
S4 · E2
Jun 24, 2026
45:03
FMX 2026 Spatial Storytelling Track - Alex Coulombe & Tupac Martir
Alex Coulombe interviews Tupac Martir for FMX 2026’s Spatial Storytelling track, discussing VR, mixed reality, virtual production, AI agents, and why immersive technology must serve the story. Alex Coulombe was invited to host the very first Spatial Storytelling track for FMX in Stuttgart, Germany. There were 4 speakers on-site and four remote. Alex interviewed 3 of them, and FMX has kindly allowed us to re-post those discussions here. Learn more at https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026/list?t=1938
S4 · E1
Jun 15, 2026
51:54
FMX 2026 Spatial Storytelling Track – Alex Coulombe with Kevin Young
In this session from the FMX 2026 Spatial Storytelling Track, host Alex Coulombe sits down with creative director and creative technologist Kevin Young for an engaging conversation about spatial storytelling, immersive experiences, and the future of interactive media. Drawing from his work across Framestore, Wētā FX, Nexus Studios, The Mill, HBO, and The Guardian, Kevin shares the design principles that guide his approach to creating compelling XR experiences. He explains how successful immersive projects balance narrative, technology, aesthetics, mechanics, audience presence, and meaning, using real-world examples from award-winning productions. Alex and Kevin discuss 6x9: A Virtual Experience of Solitary Confinement, designing accessible mobile VR, spatial audio, creator tools, rapid prototyping, ShapesXR, Quill, Unreal Engine workflows, intelligent virtual creatures, HBO's House of the Dragon: DracARys, machine vision, location-based entertainment, immersive cinema, and the creative tradeoffs between accessibility and premium experiences. Throughout the conversation, Alex's thoughtful questions help translate complex technical concepts into practical insights for developers, designers, filmmakers, technical artists, and immersive storytellers. Topics Discussed • Spatial storytelling and immersive design • Experience design frameworks • Narrative, technology, and mechanics • 6x9: A Virtual Experience of Solitary Confinement • Mobile VR and accessibility • ShapesXR, Quill, and Unreal Engine • Intelligent AR creatures and machine vision • HBO's House of the Dragon: DracARys • Rapid prototyping and creator workflows • Location-based entertainment • Immersive cinema • The future of spatial computing Guest Kevin Young is a creative director and creative technologist specializing in immersive entertainment, XR, interactive storytelling, and spatial computing. His career includes work with Framestore, Wētā FX, Nexus Studios, The Mill, HBO, and The Guardian. Host Alex Coulombe is an XR developer, educator, and host of the Unofficial Unreal Engine Podcast, where he interviews industry leaders shaping the future of real-time technology and immersive media. RSS Keywords FMX 2026, FMX, Alex Coulombe, Kevin Young, Spatial Storytelling, Immersive Storytelling, XR, VR, AR, Mixed Reality, Spatial Computing, Unreal Engine, Framestore, Wētā FX, The Mill, Nexus Studios, Experience Design, Interactive Storytelling, AI, Machine Vision, House of the Dragon, DracARys, 6x9, Location-Based Entertainment, Immersive Cinema
S4
Jul 14, 2026
1:00:10
Season 3
Alex's Unreal 2025
Tickets for the FINAL live shows of A Christmas Carol VR this weekend:https://xmascarolvr.com Unreal Fest and XR Bootcamp Talks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1J25jJ79U8&list=PLBHPEwkDnRDemC1EPbDIyKhkXu5gPGWFN&index=1 Unreal NYC Talks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skftiacxR2E&list=PLpC5Swh5jFZK-EafIStqWIu5SEOcj5d0i&index=3 Unreal NYC Discord: https://discord.gg/4852FvQtj5 Unreal NYC Community:https://communities.unrealengine.com/new-york/ Unreal Academy: https://academy.unrealengine.com/ Unreal Galaxy XR Template: https://github.com/agilelens/AndroidXRTemplate Star Wars Halcyon VR Archive: https://github.com/agilelens/halcyonvr SIGGRAPH Paper "Seeing Yourself on Stage": https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3721244.3742445 New Agile Lens website: https://www.agilelens.com Worlds in Play: worldsinplay.com Your Mind Girls Live Mixed Reality Theatre: https://www.hopehutman.com/ymg-2025 Glassbreakers: https://www.glassbreakersgame.com/
S3 · E11
Dec 19, 2025
1:10:50
Stranger Things on Stage: Unreal Engine Magic with Tom Wexler
In this episode of the Unofficial Unreal Engine Podcast, host Alex talks with Tom Wexler of 59 Productions about bringing Stranger Things: The First Shadow to life on stage. They explore how Unreal Engine powered stunning flyovers of Hawkins and enabled rapid iteration for a groundbreaking theatrical experience. Tom shares insights into his journey from live music visuals to cutting-edge VR tools for previsualization and stage design. Learn how the team balanced ambitious real-time tech with rock-solid reliability for a show that feels both cinematic and theatrical. Plus, behind-the-scenes stories from their Royal Shakespeare Company collaboration and why liveness in theater still matters in a digital age. StrangerThingsOnStage.com https://59.studio/ https://www.tomwexler.com #UnrealEngine #VirtualProduction #StrangerThingsTheFirstShadow #UnrealPodcast #TheaterTech #VRDesign #59Productions #StageDesign #Previs #RoyalShakespeareCompany #UE5 #LivePerformance #VolumetricCapture #ImmersiveTheater
S3 · E10
Jul 19, 2025
1:22:51
Unreal Fest Orlando 2025 Preview !
Alex takes you on a literal walkthrough of the facilities, useful tips for Unreal Fest 2025 and talks with guest Filip Iliescu about current projects. Filip Iliescu https://github.com/Ancient23 https://x.com/firechant https://www.ayadog.com/
S3 · E9
Jun 3, 2025
42:35
FAB is Good Now! And other updates!
Catch the latest Unreal Engine news with Alex Coulomb! This episode covers: 🌎 Unreal Fest 2025 – From Orlando to Stockholm and beyond! 🔥 FAB integration updates in Unreal Engine 5.5. 📚 Unreal Engine training resources & classes. 👁️ Unreal Engine VR blink detection improvements. 💡 Tips & insights for Unreal developers. Subscribe & Follow: [YouTube.com/IBUs] Unreal Engine Training - www.alexcoulombepresents.com Matt Workman's 'This Week in Unreal' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWNOQikrjUk&list=PLlzGoJuY2GCqYDDPVnSCNArVeG_d7c7tM Epic Games at GDC - https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/events/gdc-2025 Unreal Fests - https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/news/unreal-fest-2025-is-coming-to-a-city-near-you Fab - www.fab.com Connect on Socials: Alex Garland Presents Hashtags: #UnrealEngine, #UnrealFest, #GameDevelopment, #UE5, #VirtualReality, #UnrealEngineTraining, #FABUpdate, #GameDesign, #UnrealCommunity,
S3 · E8
Mar 21, 2025
31:50
How to Teach UE5 and Twinmotion with Sam Anderson
In this episode of the Unofficial Unreal Engine Podcast, host Alex welcomes Sam Anderson, an Unreal Engine expert with a background in architecture and visualization. They discuss Sam’s journey from architecture to working at Epic Games in technical marketing and training, where she helped create visual content and educational materials for Unreal Engine and Twinmotion users. They also explore the differences between the two tools, highlighting Twinmotion’s ease of use for quick visualizations and Unreal Engine’s power for advanced projects. Sam shares insights on her learning approach, emphasizing structured preparation, while Alex describes his hands-on, experimental style. The conversation covers recent Unreal Engine updates, including Fab’s takeover of the marketplace and workflow improvements between Twinmotion and Unreal Engine. They also discuss Unreal Fest’s shift to Orlando in June 2025, speculating on potential Disney collaborations. Sam reflects on her experiences at various Unreal Fests, comparing their unique atmospheres. The episode provides valuable insights into the Unreal Engine ecosystem, learning strategies, and the importance of networking within the game development and visualization communities. Follow Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantharanderson/ A Conversation with Sam Anderson, Interactive Archviz Specialist | Creator Spotlight | https://youtu.be/m-85iLPMufc?si=P5XIDaXAXVWb7qOy Developing Twinmotion projects further in Unreal Engine | Webinar https://youtu.be/eI1blbMi_KM?si=jbAKkiV23SHanJSu Ask Me Anything: Epic Games Tools with Sam Anderson https://youtu.be/ifcqd3OLjYY?si=xrRUZu-UgTbHjxj3 How to add easy Post Process Effects in Unreal Engine | Twinmotion & Unreal Tutorials https://youtu.be/_NEao502z7s?si=d66PQ8hPpiJUaPZ_ https://www.studioladder.com/videos https://dev.epicgames.com/community/learning/courses/MGy/twinmotion-for-art-departments/0yGY/twinmotion-and-epic-ecosystem-overview #UnrealEngine #Twinmotion #EpicGames #UE5 #GameDev #3DVisualization #Architecture #CGI #TechEducation #UnrealFest #VirtualReality #AugmentedReality #MetaHuman #GamedevCommunity #DigitalArt #Simulation #TechTrends #CreativeWorkflow #Training #LearningLab #Gaming #Design #Innovation #3DRendering #RealTimeRendering #VisualizationTools #Networking @ibrews @Alan_GOTSVR​
S3 · E7
Feb 8, 2025
1:19:28
Does UE5 Virtual Production have New Competition? Feat. Mahmoud Alkawadri
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahmoudalkawadri https://www.artstation.com/mahmoudalkawadri https://www.behance.net/Mahmoud_kw https://www.chaos.com/vantage https://www.chaos.com/virtual-production #unreal engine #virtual reality #game developement #virtual production #tech art #ue4 #ue5 #lighttwist #blueprints #vision pro #Epic Games #Meta #Meta Connect 2024 #XR Development #Augmented Reality #FutureOfXR #ImmersiveTech #MetaVerse #AR #VR #ContentCreation #RemoteWork @ibrews @Alan_Gotsvr #adobepodcast #adobepodcaststudio
S3 · E6
Nov 19, 2024
1:22:27
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