How to Simulate a Residual Haunting with Pencil 2D in Blender
In the world of the paranormal, a residual haunting is not a conscious spirit. It is defined as an energy imprint, similar to a recording, that an intense or repeated event leaves fixed in a place. This entity repeats its actions mechanically, without perceiving or interacting with the present, like a fragment of film projected in a loop. This tutorial shows you how to recreate this phenomenon in a modern hotel hallway, where a translucent 1920s figure passes through a current guest. 👻
Prepare the Base Environment in Blender
The first step is to build the main scene. Start Blender and set up the workspace. Model or import simple geometry for a hotel hallway, including doors and a carpet. Add a camera that frames the desired shot and set up dim lighting that evokes the nighttime light of a hallway. Place a contemporary character, from the back and in a static pose, simulating looking at the screen of their mobile phone. This model must be opaque and with natural colors, without animating its movement.
Key elements of the base scene:- Setting: A hotel hallway with doors and carpet.
- Lighting: Dim ambient light to simulate night.
- Current character: Static and opaque model, absorbed in their mobile.
- Camera: Fixed framing that captures the entire hallway path.
A residual haunting acts like an echo, an energetic footprint trapped in time, not as an interactive entity.
Animate the Entity and Apply the Spectral Effect
Now, create the second character: the 1920s woman. Animate a basic walking cycle that makes her advance through the corridor and, crucially, pass through the modern character. Select this "ghost" model and go to the material properties. To achieve the effect, activate the Pencil 2D node from the Render Properties tab. Within the shader nodes editor, blend a transparent BSDF with a desaturated color, in bluish gray or sepia tones.
Steps for the shader and VHS effect:- Transparency and color: Combine a transparent BSDF with a desaturated color (bluish or sepia).
- Glitch effect: Add a Glitch or Pixelate node to distort the image.
- Effect animation: Use keyframes to slightly animate the offset or distortion, creating flickers.
- Opacity: Adjust the value so the figure is translucent, not completely solid.
Render and Conclude the Effect
When rendering the sequence, verify that the ghost appears as an inconsistent overlay on the real scene, achieving the sensation of a damaged VHS tape or a temporal glitch. The practical advantage of this method in a visual narrative is clear: the modern guest never perceives the apparition, even though it passes through him, which creatively and economically resolves the need for complex interactive elements. 🎬