Laundry Day
Bomper releases a heartfelt debut in-house short – a snapshot tale of love, loss, and laundry – directed by Lead Animator Bianca Iancu, as part of its internal talent development programme in nurturing tomorrow’s filmmakers.
Wanting to explore Unreal Engine with Blender as part of the studios pipeline and upskilling the wider team, Bomper opened the floor for ideas to be pitched forward as part of the development. After completing a BFI Academy course ‘Explore Filmmaking: from Script to Screen’, Bianca pitched the 1 minute micro short which was selected as an opportunity to realise her new skillset and explore her creativity.
The atmospheric film uses Blender and Unreal Engine to explore the intersection of technology and humanity in an inner-city laundromat. The film follows Ren-303, a service bot designed to assist with household chores, as it patiently waits for its master’s wash load to finish while reading a book. What follows is an emotionally resonant journey as Ren-303 reflects on its role in the life of its host family and contemplates the impending moment of its retirement. The film’s storytelling brings out a poignant and timely theme, urging audiences to ponder the implications of advancing technology and its impact on human connections.
Bomper Studio launched it’s internal development programme Bomper Academy in early 2023, as part of its commitment to shaping the future of the creative industry in Wales and inspiring the next generation. The programme provides a more structured way to facilitate learning and development to foster talent, and put those new skills into practice on live projects as part of a selected pitching process.
Credits
Production: Bomper Studio
Studio Director: Emlyn Davies
Director/ Concept/ Art Direction/ Lead Animation/ Rigging: Bianca Iancu
Producer: Robyn Viney
Production Coordination: Molly Stracy
3D Modelling / Lighting & Rendering: Mark Procter
3D Modelling / Lighting & Rendering: Allie Holmes
3D Modelling / Sound: Rhodri Teifi
3D Modelling / Compositing: Zach F Evans
Animation: James Evans
Studio Manager: Ceri Davies
Special Thanks: Colin Wood, Levi Harris-Browning, Chris McFall
“I was extremely lucky to get this opportunity as I’d wanted to try directing in a studio setting for some time but hadn’t had the opportunity at larger studios. It was such a highlight to watch a story so personal to me take shape in other people’s minds too. I feel fortunate to be trusted with fully steering the ship on this project creatively”
– Bianca Iancu, Lead Animator @ Bomper Studio
Development
Wanting to explore Unreal Engine with Blender as part of the studios pipeline and upskilling the wider team, Bomper opened the floor for ideas to be pitched forward as part of the development. After completing a BFI Academy course ‘Explore Filmmaking: from Script to Screen’, Bianca pitched the 1 minute micro short which was selected as an opportunity to realise her new skillset and explore her creativity
Assets & Environments
Taking influence from vaporwave aesthetics, ‘Laundry Day’ leans into that through a vibrant colour palette, glitch effects, retro appliances and embraces imperfections through a wonky art style.
