Heels for a Jazzy Night (Shoe Commercial) Animation

Discipline

3D Modeling, Motion Graphics, Animation, Video Art

Timeline

November - December 2024 (3 Weeks)

Tools

Adobe After Effects, Procreate, Blender

Overview

Goals

  • Explore hybrid animation (2D in Procreate & After Effects, 3D in Blender)

  • Tell a visual story through movement, typography, and transitions

  • Experiment with character abstraction (legs, shoes) and collage techniques

  • Develop a short fashion-focused animation with a jazz-inspired tone

Heels for a Jazzy Night is a 30‑second animation that follows a pair of heels on an evening adventure, from a mysterious arrival in a box to the dance‑floor glow of a jazz club. The brief was simple: tell a story through a pair of shoes. I leaned into the romance of late‑night city streets, Art‑Deco‑meets‑Bauhaus geometry, and the shimmer of moonlight on polished pumps and stilettos. Abstract figures, organic shapes, and bold color blocks move in rhythm with a swing‑inspired soundtrack, creating a playful fashion vignette that feels equal parts collage, music video, and dream sequence.

Process and Visual Identity

I started by gathering visual inspiration, heels in motion, bold silhouettes, playful leg styling, and sketched out a storyboard to map out the energy and pacing of the piece. From there, I developed my assets: modeling shoes and simple environments in Blender, creating textured 2D elements and motion graphics in Procreate, and combining both worlds in After Effects for final animation.

The visual language blends abstract color blocks, curved organic forms, and clean Art Deco-inspired geometry, creating a layered, jazz-infused mood that plays with contrast, rhythm, and style.

Step 1: Storyboarding & Inspiration

Sketched out scenes and transitions in Procreate and gathered visual references; heels in motion, abstract legs, and bold night city shapes.

Step 2: Visual Language

Defined a style blending collage-like color blocks, organic curves, and geometric forms inspired by Bauhaus and Art Deco posters.

Step 3: Asset Creation

Built 3D assets like shoes and boxes in Blender, and created 2D elements: textures, type, and illustrations, in Procreate.

Step 4: Animation Pipeline

Composited scenes in After Effects, blending 2D and 3D assets with synced transitions and camera moves to match the jazz rhythm.

Step 5: Refinement & Rhythm

Refined cuts, lighting, motion easing, and text overlays to keep a consistent tone while allowing playful shifts in pace and scale.

3D Asset I made in Blender

2D Asset I made in Procreate

3D Asset I made in Blender

Reflection

This project really helped me explore how to tell a story by combining mixed mediums, 2D and 3D, in a way that feels cohesive. I learned a lot technically, especially working between Blender, Procreate, and After Effects, and figuring out how to bring those elements together fluidly. There was a lot of trial and discovery, but I really enjoyed that process.

One of the biggest takeaways was learning how to create a sense of brand, not just visually, but through tone and rhythm. The audiovisual choices needed to match the energy and personality of the shoe. In my case, heels felt like they belonged in something a little more stylized, artsy, jazzy, a bit theatrical. So the scenes, sound, and visual language were all designed to reflect that. That’s what brand means to me: making sure all the pieces speak the same language.

We also worked within a creative constraint: the story had to revolve around a pair of our own shoes. That prompt gave just enough structure while still leaving room to experiment, and I think it pushed me to be more intentional with how I framed the entire piece.

Final Prototype: