Porcelain God.
Pitch:
"Layla's Vertical World" is a whimsical and poignant stop motion animation that explores the cultural shock of immigration through the eyes of a 5-year-old Iranian girl. As Layla's family prepares to move to the UK, her world begins to shift - quite literally - from horizontal to vertical. This charming and humorous tale uses innovative visual storytelling to depict the challenges of adapting to a new culture, all from a child's perspective.
Synopsis:
​porcelain god follows a day in the life of 5-year-old Layla in 2005 West Iran, as her family prepares to move to the UK. The story opens with an overhead shot of sleeping family members, Layla's grey duvet standing out among colorful ones. We follow Layla through her day, from a traditional breakfast on the floor to watching Dora the Explorer, overhearing discussions about the impending move. As Layla navigates her predominantly horizontal world, including a squat-style bathroom and her shisha-smoking grandfather, vertical objects begin to appear. The cultural shift culminates in Layla's hilarious encounter with a Western-style toilet, depicted through a change in aspect ratio. After several failed attempts to use it, including a creative but misguided use of makeshift tools, Layla ends up with wet trousers. The story concludes with her handing the soaked clothing to her cousin for washing, symbolizing the family support she'll need in adapting to her new vertical world. Throughout, the film uses stop motion animation and the horizontal-vertical contrast to portray the challenges of cultural transition through a child's eyes.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Character profiles:
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Layla: 5 year old stubborn girl, slight tomboy mannerism and a bit too mature for age until she faces a challenge that she must embarrassingly take on herself .
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Grandfather: An avid shisha smoker but also the unity of the family unit . His purpose is to show the context of the traditional value, he is a role model to Layla.
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Mother, young/middle aged 35 year old mother. Layilas mother. afraid of the change in the environment and the effect it will have on their family .
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Animation techniques:
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I will be 3D printing replaceable faces and modelling on Blender. hence the blender donut below. the props and sets will be hand made. The clean-cut toilet will be 3d printed and glossed to make it look fake .
