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James Jean Prada advertisement

trembled-blossoms.jpg

Trembled Blossoms is a short animated Prada ad based on some mind-blowing designs from James Jean. Some of the stuff is rendered beautifully while other stuff misses the mark and lands somewhere in the uncanny valley (like the figure above).

Interesting to see Jean’s work in motion though.

(via Cartoon Brew )

Also of interest:
James Jean: Process Recess 2
James Jean Interviewed by Little Chimp Society
The Hundreds: James Jean Interview

  • http://www.tonguestubble.co.uk/ tonguestubble

    A bit of a shame this – James Jeans designs are incredible and he’s posted a few on his blog (http://www.processrecess.com/), but he obviously left hiring the animator to the Prada people. For the main figure it looks like they took a poser model, stretched it a little bit and propelled it with some dodgy motion capture (check out the stiff hands and the way the feet BEND IN THE MIDDLE – yipe!)

  • http://www.tonguestubble.co.uk tonguestubble

    A bit of a shame this – James Jeans designs are incredible and he’s posted a few on his blog (http://www.processrecess.com/), but he obviously left hiring the animator to the Prada people. For the main figure it looks like they took a poser model, stretched it a little bit and propelled it with some dodgy motion capture (check out the stiff hands and the way the feet BEND IN THE MIDDLE – yipe!)

  • http://jedalexander.blogspot.com/ Jed Alexander

    I agree about the figure animation–and the most jarringly out of place figure–the one with the goat’s head–seemed to be have the least fidelity to Jean’s designs. Still, there’s enough intriguing stuff going on in this not to consider it a completely failed attempt.

  • http://jedalexander.blogspot.com Jed Alexander

    I agree about the figure animation–and the most jarringly out of place figure–the one with the goat’s head–seemed to be have the least fidelity to Jean’s designs. Still, there’s enough intriguing stuff going on in this not to consider it a completely failed attempt.

  • penguinmints

    I have to say I find the video to be disturbing. It reminds me of death, the destruction of the environment and demons. I don’t think those are what you want in an advertisement.

    The model seems to be walking through nature and sucking up lifeforms to use as fashionable couture. Is that Prada’s new angle?

  • penguinmints

    I have to say I find the video to be disturbing. It reminds me of death, the destruction of the environment and demons. I don’t think those are what you want in an advertisement.

    The model seems to be walking through nature and sucking up lifeforms to use as fashionable couture. Is that Prada’s new angle?

  • http://www.brownlowdesign.com/ muse

    I really admire James Jean’s work and the concept art on his blog is hauntingly beautiful. This animation falls flat in execution though. The 3D modeling misses all of the nuance and grace of the concept art. The rendering and animation fall into the range of what I would expect to see at a junior college, not from a super luxury fashion company. I agree with penguinmints that there is an unnerving, exploitive tone to the concept of using lifeforms as fashion, but I actually like that it is a little disturbing. Honestly, seeing this alien model wearing flowery insects like shoes, made me think that leather shoes are really just cow skins…that isn’t much different. As humans, we have always used other lifeforms for our own purposes. Maybe this is just reflecting that truth in a slightly unflattering way.

  • http://www.brownlowdesign.com/ muse

    I really admire James Jean’s work and the concept art on his blog is hauntingly beautiful. This animation falls flat in execution though. The 3D modeling misses all of the nuance and grace of the concept art. The rendering and animation fall into the range of what I would expect to see at a junior college, not from a super luxury fashion company. I agree with penguinmints that there is an unnerving, exploitive tone to the concept of using lifeforms as fashion, but I actually like that it is a little disturbing. Honestly, seeing this alien model wearing flowery insects like shoes, made me think that leather shoes are really just cow skins…that isn’t much different. As humans, we have always used other lifeforms for our own purposes. Maybe this is just reflecting that truth in a slightly unflattering way.

  • http://www.mStudiosTALK.com/ mStudios

    Yes, I agree, the figures animation – mainly notable in full view – is what breaks the beauty of the movie. The drawings, colors, fish, flowers, flowing and all are beautiful and the music most fitting.

    It truly seems that a Poser model was used for the girl and that the models geometry at times just folds into painful gaps, next to that it seems that shoes have been attached in a n off angle to the feet which makes her look quite often like a broken stick.

  • http://www.mStudiosTALK.com mStudios

    Yes, I agree, the figures animation – mainly notable in full view – is what breaks the beauty of the movie. The drawings, colors, fish, flowers, flowing and all are beautiful and the music most fitting.

    It truly seems that a Poser model was used for the girl and that the models geometry at times just folds into painful gaps, next to that it seems that shoes have been attached in a n off angle to the feet which makes her look quite often like a broken stick.

  • http://www.pauzak.blogspot.com/ pauzak

    I think they made an AWESOME work. It’s not about some pretty animation or smth. it’s about the main concept* – colors and etc. and the way they did it (~quite rough styled 3d anim) leaves a better memorable and idiosyncratic feeling, immpression or whatever, you name it. look at our TV adverts – most of it is just SOAP. so I’d say they made it exclusive.

  • http://www.pauzak.blogspot.com/ pauzak

    I think they made an AWESOME work. It’s not about some pretty animation or smth. it’s about the main concept* – colors and etc. and the way they did it (~quite rough styled 3d anim) leaves a better memorable and idiosyncratic feeling, immpression or whatever, you name it. look at our TV adverts – most of it is just SOAP. so I’d say they made it exclusive.