Insight Behind the Film
Vader Wants His Saber is a silent film conveying a relatively comical concept. A miniature figure of Darth Vader lands on a mysterious and treacherous location known as a suburban home and endures a perilous journey to get his lightsaber back from a ruthless beast. When I came up with this concept, I was immediately inspired by Pixar's Toy Story. In that movie, the toy characters interact with their setting, a simple house or a kid's room, and treat it like an elaborate obstacle course. I wanted to convey a similar atmosphere. Throughout the film, Vader uses a substantial amount of power in order to do menial tasks such as opening the back yard door or scare a way a small kitten. I conveyed this story as a Silent film to really hone in on getting the audience to focus on the visual aspect of the film. For added effect, I also employed a black and white aesthetic to fit that vintage look in the early 1900s.
Characterizing a Toy
Utilizing an action figure as the main protagonist was not a particularly challenging feat because I was able to easily manipulate it to carry out desired poses. Since the protagonist is a still figure, I had to make composition a main device to tell the story. I used various shots conveying rule of thirds, close ups, pans and more to convey this figure as a dynamic character.
The Feline Antagonist
I chose my cat as the villain to really emphasize the antithesis of having a quiet and normal home and a relentless character who treats the setting as a hostile environment. My cat did a phenomenal job conveying the antagonist. He got a lot of the scenes in one take. His mannerisms, the way he fiddles with the lightsaber and looks off screen were just perfect. My cat's performance was truly lightning in a bottle.
