We joined with Yes Events to produce a Christmas themed projection for the 2023 and 2024 Christmas at Waddesdon event. Working alongside the team at Waddesdon Manor over several months of the year, the creative direction was built around storytelling.
2023
2023’s Production was centred on three classic books: Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and The Snow Queen. Alongside the literary theme, the brief also called for elements of the manor's history and its collection to be incorporated throughout. We designed a loop built around these elements and presented the concept back to Waddesdon, who approved the direction. We took inspiration from the books and the artwork showcased within the manor. The structure that developed from there included a three to four minute hero section dedicated to the main stories, followed by an advent calendar sequence. This format allowed further pieces from the manor's collection to be showcased behind each door.
With the creative confirmation, work began on the 3D scan of the manor to produce the model and pixelmap needed for the projection. Animation started in August, with sound designed and mixed alongside the visual work throughout. In early November, the team spent several days on site to complete the mapping and programming ahead of the press launch on the 21st, with the public opening following the next day.
2024
After thousands of positive reviews and media attention as a result of the 2023 Projections, Jacob Rothschild,4th Baron Rothschild and Pippa Shirley, Director of Waddesdon Manor, were elated to invite Jamie Shiels to the artistic roster for a second year to tell one sole iconic fairytale: Sleeping Beauty.
We worked for over 4 months, bringing depth to the piece through high contrast and heavily saturated imagery and pinpointing key moments in Sleeping Beauty. Distraction from the key storyline could easily cause confusion as we only had 4 minutes and 30 seconds to tell the tale. Without dialogue, conveying emotion through audio posed yet another challenge. Therefore, we opted for silhouettes to create high-contrast depictions of distinctive actions. Drawing the eye naturally to the visibly contrasted region of the image, whilst working cohesively with our composed soundtrack.
National Recognition
In 2023, Jamie was interviewed by ITV News for their feature on Christmas at Waddesdon. The 2023 projection was also a finalist in the AV Awards 2024.
In 2024, Waddesdon Manor and its Sleeping Beauty projection were featured as an idyllic background to “Hotel Chocolat at Christmas” TV special on Channel 4. In the press, numerous articles were written featuring Jamie’s work, including The Guardian and The Times.
All footage shown is courtesy of the 2024 Sleeping Beauty Production.
Credits
Agency: Yes Events
Mutual Vision Team:
Concept and Art Direction: Jamie Shiels
Animators: Denis Harris, Fabien Escuerdo, Jon Toogood, Jamie Shiels, Leon Davis, Martin Stacey
Animation Assist: Becca Newsham
Music Direction: Marie Shiels
Music Composition: Sam Greening
Mapping: Illuminate Lighting
Camera Operator: Conor Shiels, Michael O'Brien Doran
Editor: Conor Shiels
Peter Pan (Actor - 2023): Thomas McShane