One at Optimus Director Michael Chaves helmed a spot for Soles4Souls Inc., a global not-for-profit dedicated to fighting poverty through the distribution of shoes and clothing. Chaves and his team took the project from development through production and into post. The 30-second spot is airing now and the 60-second version can be viewed at http://www.optimus.com/reels/michael-chaves/play/soles-4-souls-soles-4-souls.
Soles4Souls‘ “Journey” tells an epic story of a pair of shoes that embark on a trek to find a barefoot little girl across the world. We follow them through a series of imaginative vignettes as they make their way and join up with other shoes.
“As we were developing the idea, I knew I wanted to shoot as much in-camera as possible, keeping it real and tactile,” said Chaves. “Because we’re following a pair of children’s shoes, I wanted there to be a very human, child-like quality to the piece.”
Soles4Souls was looking for a spot that would work on TV and on the web, and that would address the organization’s mission in an uplifting manner. By following a pair of shoes in a series of whimsical vignettes, “Journey” was able to address a significant problem in a light and hopeful way.
“Before we shot, we did a lot of tests with animation and puppeteering,” commented Chaves. “I found it was hard to get the weight and compression right, and a lot of the early tests were always missing something. Our best and final solution was shooting actors wearing the shoes and then removing the talent in post.”
Chaves had Music Supervisor Tricia Halloran approach Sigur Ros member Jonsi about licensing his song ‘Go Do’ for the piece. Chaves adds, “It really makes it work. The song is so bubbly and magical – it’s impossible not to love it.”
“We’re very honored to be the focus of Mike Chaves’ creative and inspiring production,” said Soles4Souls Chief Executive Officer Buddy Teaster. “It actively captures the joy we get to witness every day on the faces of children seeing their new shoes for the first time.”
View the spot at http://www.optimus.com/reels/michael-chaves/play/soles-4-souls-soles-4-souls.
Credits
Director: Michael Chaves, One at Optimus
Director of Production: Craig Leffel, One at Optimus
Executive Producer: Lisa Masseur, One at Optimus
Producer: David Moore
Director of Photography: Tristan Nyby
Casting: Dina Buglione, DB Casting
EP/Managing Director: Therese Hunsberger, Optimus
Editor: Justin Amore
Color: Dan Swierenga, Optimus
Music Supervisor: Tricia Halloran
About Optimus and One at Optimus
Optimus is a leading post-production and production house with offices in Chicago and Santa Monica. A true one-stop shop, Optimus offers a full suite of creative services, including production, editing, color correction, visual effects and design, audio mixing and finishing. With ONE, the company’s live-action production arm, Optimus offers all production services, from shoot through post, under one roof – a singular, streamlined creative-driven machine. For more information, please visit www.optimus.com and <a href="http
