Ideas
So when coming up with ideas of how to portray shoes, I made a decision that I wanted to entertain people and make them enjoy the piece.
Idea 1- Destroying the rooms
This idea was based on the idea that shoes might come alive them the owner is not around. I was going to use the pump style shoe as they are small and like dogs can be seen as aggressive. The pair of shoes was going to attack the room, ripping up bits of paper and causing havoc. The shots were going to be from above like a CCTV camera with an effect on it. Below is a storyboard of how the scene would play out:
Once I had drawn out the story, I realised that it didn’t have much depth or a storyline, so I decided to scrap this idea and rethink the storyline. From this I have took the fact I want the shoes to act like they are alive and have a personality. So time to move on to idea 2.
Idea 2- Shelf Argument
This idea involves a shoe wardrobe and the hierarchy of shoes. For example, the posh, fancy shoes i.e. stilettos could be found at the top of the shelf and dirty Wellington boots are at the bottoms. Due to this class system, the lower shoes begin a rebellion the over throw the higher-class shoes. There is one lead boot leading the coop over the wardrobe, and then the others follow. They will all have voices even though they wouldn’t be human ones, for example heavier shoes will have a rougher, lower voice while fancier lighter shoes will have high pitch voices. Below is a storyboard of the scene:
So after that I began modelling the shoes that were going to be used for it and they can here:
Unfortunately I felt that they didn’t show enough realism and didn’t feel believable as an object. This idea is just too hard to complete in the time frame I had. I felt sad I had to give it up, as I believe the storyline was very strong and could of worked if I had used real shoes. However I have now could up with an alternative that takes the spirit of this idea and incorporates it into the video.
Final idea- Wellie comes home
After planning the idea 2 completely and having to go back on it was such a deflating time. Yet I believe it was for the best as this idea not only simulacrum of the object, it introduces an extra factor of film. I have used my strongest medium I work in with is live-action video and added elements of 2D and 3D design into the idea to help aid it.
The idea is that there are two Wellington boots, and they are next to a gate and it has been unlocked. One decides he wants to explore the outside world while the others decides just to sit there. However when wellie, the name of the boot goes through the gate, the world is very different to how he imagine. As he goes on his journey, the genre of film changes so the first shot is an old school film reel, then progresses to a talkie and finally the colour appears. From there, it starts to come more cartoon-like, until it eventually becomes a 2d flash animation and that turns into a 3d animation. He begins to tumble out of the 3d world and lands back outside the gate next to his mate.
This video includes the ideas of changes and development of the journey, shown by the progression of the film genres. Here is the storyboard of the film:
So rather than use an unrealistic 3D model, I have decided to animation a real boots using stop frame and wiring pullies to make them look alive. The wire shall be cotton thread show will not show up on the camera, so the boot will look like it is moving by itself. Here is some footage I took to test the idea, before I went ahead:
Next I began filming, I used my back gate for the gate shot, as it looks quite mystical and ominous. For the exterior shots, I went to my local park, as there are big green lands and some amazing views. Plus the day I filmed all my shots, no one was hardly around which was perfect, as it appears more surreal that way.
Here are some pictures of the progress:
When I came to edit the film and add the effects to it, I decided to use the program Adobe After Effects as it allows not video editing, but to change the film completely. I used preset and custom effects such as old age film and the colour changing effect. I found it the most useful as I tested others such as Final Cut Pro and Windows Movie Maker, but they were inferior to After Effects.
Here is the 2D animation I did on flash:
Here is the 3D animation I did on 3D Studio Max:
I decided on the name Wellie Come Home as it’s a play on Will he come home after his adventure, which makes it quite ambiguous.
Evaluation
The film turned out a lot better than I expected as I thought the animation of the Wellington would look cheap and unrealistic, where it was completely the opposite. I believe that I have fulfilled the brief, as the story of the boot is a simulacrum. I have brought it to life and given it a personality and story, and also I have created a reinterpretation and innovatory development of the Wellington boot. It is not just something to be worn, instead has its own life force. I have as well explored the different genres of film through the film using effects and sounds. Below is a list of things that didn’t go according to the storyboard.
- Instead of just having the boot travelling from left to right, I decided to have more fun with the boot and put it on the swing and slide. I had some shots that were very funny but I left them out as the tone of the video changes towards the end as it becomes more serious and sinister.
- The 3D model turned out better than I hoped, though unfortunately due to something I must of done I could not add a material skin to the model. Yet I believe you don’t notice that factor when you are watching the film. I added green lights to give the effect of a green Wellington boot.
- The film over runs by 3 seconds but I could not cut it down as it would make the film look rushed. Plus it doesn’t feel like it drags on, as the piece is very fast paced and moving.
I really enjoyed doing this project as I got the opportunity to explore the medium of 3D and film further and I really want to incorporate more of this into future projects. Here is the final outcome:
