Institute of Art Design + Technology Dún Laoghaire
Ireland’s campus for the Creative Industries
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Aoife Shorten 

BA [Hons] 3D Design Modelmaking + Digital Art

Hi my name's Aoife and I have always been interested in modelmaking amongst other creative interests such as painting, drawing and general diy. I love reading and watching movies where a whole world can be brought to life. I would like to be a part of bringing what is written in a book or a screenwrite to life in a move or show. I was unsure of what creative course suited me but as soon as I heard about this course in first year of secondary school I knew this is what I wanted to do. My final project combines everything I have learnt, learning new things along the way. I look forward to joining the modelmaking industry and exploring new ideas in the future.

Front view of the wooden box inspired by the Irish mythology 'Tuatha Dé Danann'.
The walls of each side, each representing a city from the otherworld.
The miniature tower has been revealed and transports the character from the story to the other realm.
The tower protected inside the box by a red velvet lining. While three of the leather straps act as handles for carrying the box, the last strap is disguised, acting as the handle to open the door.
The tower comes apart easily for access to the lights for any readjusting or issues. It is attached using magnets, similar to how the door to the box stays closed.
The small lights inside help bring the prop to life, giving the illusion of life inside the tower.
Close up shot showing the detail involved in the miniature model.
Video showing how to open and close the box. To open this box in the story the user must speak the inscription written along the top, using the ogham alphabet: 'When darkness falls and the script is sounded, the city shall fall and the path to the other world shall then be revealed'. This unlocks the box and allows for it to be opened. The tower is the taken out and put on top.
Path to Falias

For this project I decided to create a wooden box inspired by Celtic times, with a miniature tower inside. This box would be used as an interactable prop in a hypothetical fantasy film.

During my research I came across the 'Tuatha Dé Danann' in celtic mythology, who were a supernatural race living in Ireland with magical abilities. According to the myth, they lived in four different cities, Falias, Gorias, Findias and Murias. This would be the base of the story for the film where these people would live in another realm. The leader of each city would own a sacred box that, when unlocked, could open up a portal from the castle grounds to the human realm and back. These boxes were kept hidden from people who wanted the box for its power and access to the castle. The miniature model represents the part of their castle the user would be transported to. The box I made would belong to the royal line of Falias.

The aim of this project was to combine different elements of what I have learned throughout college including prop-making, sculpting, digital sculpting and miniature modelling.


The Importance and Impact of the Stimulation of the Senses through Visual, Aural, and Sensory Suggestion, and the role these Techniques play, in the..

.. Creative Process filmmakers use to Produce their Works.

The goal of my thesis is to explore world building in film and how it is brought to life so the audience can experience it as well. When creating an environment on screen it requires a combination of multiple tools such as camera movement, light, sound, and set layout. This thesis focuses on how audience members can immerse themselves into the movie, evoking the senses, by using these tools. In the real world the physical space around us impacts what we can see, hear and feel. Therefore to bring the viewers in, these senses are replicated. As filmmakers only have access to two of the senses, sight and sound, it can be difficult to convey the remaining senses of touch and smell. It also opens up the opportunity of altering the senses and changing how the world is perceived in a way that may not be experienced a lot in the real world. For example in horror films there is often limited use of sound effects to evoke fear or drama. As a result this can increase the sound of any slight movement made. This research gives a variety of examples in films and details the techniques used to bring the audience in. In some cases this can alter the reality viewed and lean more towards a fictional complex world.

3D Design Modelmaking + Digital Art
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