This personal project is a temple like environment where I experimented and learned more about USD workflows, FX creation, lighting, modelling and texturing in Houdini FX. Individual passes were rendered using Karma XPU for the FX and light-rays and the compositing took place inside Adobe After Effects. Sound design and editing was all done inside Premiere Pro.

Software: Houdini FX - Adobe After Effects - Adobe Premiere Pro
For the project to work, I created this HDA, in order to be able to work more procedural, streamline my workflow and change the way my walkways looked. I modelled the assets that were used on the rendered version of the walkways, with the pillars being one of the most complex shapes I had to create.
A small VFX breakdown of how I composited all my shots for this project. A beauty pass was rendered for all of them, and then I rendered an alpha pass as well, to avoid roto-scoping in order to integrate the light and Pyro FX into the scene. A different alpha pass was rendered then, just for the FX Pass. After this I integrated my light rays as well as my Pyro FX, where extra details were added, like glows and some manipulation of the brightness and contrast. Finally I added a small layer of dust particles and shining light footage for stylistic purposes.
Some test renders, where I was testing new ideas, optimising my models for faster renders and trying new lighting rigs. 
Unfortunately I decided not to create this project in a sky setting, but learning how to create high quality clouds really inhanced my understanding for VDB workflows and tools that are used to create clouds.