Boots Riley talks about why stop-motion—paired with live action—helps “I Love Boosters” feel human, while miniatures and old-school effects power its finale chase.
Spoilers have a way of sneaking up on you in “I Love Boosters.” Just when the story starts leaning into glossy, big-screen chaos, it turns the dial further—into a chase that ends with stop-motion-animated antagonists chasing designer-clothes booster Corvette (Keke Palmer) around Oakland.
The filmmaking team even debated whether to bring “Bodies” exhibit imagery into that finale. as stop-motion-animated antagonists who wind up chasing Corvette (Keke Palmer) all over Oakland. It’s not a casual choice, either. The finale is led by Don Cheadle’s seemingly benign pyramid schemer Dr. Jack. and the instruments of capital—along with designer Christie Smith (Demi Moore)—are set up to destabilize the community and thwart Corvette and her crew’s attempt to expose Smith’s exploitation of workers across the globe.
As Riley frames it, the stop-motion isn’t just a visual flourish. Dr. Jack and Christie Smith’s willing instruments of capital wear literal skin suits. and the film leans into the idea that the larger the stop-motion objection. the more time it takes—so the VFX team ultimately worked at a smaller scale.
Riley’s affection for that kind of tactile unreality goes way back. In a recent episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast. he told IndieWire that he’s always loved visceral special effects and stop-motion animation. ever since his older brother showed him Ray Harryhausen films like “Sinbad. ” “Clash of the Titans. ” and “Jason and the Argonauts.”.
What sticks with him now isn’t only the craft—it’s the sensation in the audience. Riley says stop-motion carries an “in-built sense of humanity” and human touch. even as viewers know they’re buying into an illusion. That blend matters to him. particularly when the story demands moments that feel a little off. or when a sinister force invades the characters’ space.
He’s specific about the contrast with CGI. “I often say that with CGI. you could have a skyscraper stand up. walk over. and take a shit. and it wouldn’t be amazing. you know?. There’s something about it. It’s not about us thinking it’s not real, because that’s fine. We know it’s not real. But there’s something about the way we know the light is hitting it. something that feels less tangible to us and too smooth in the wrong ways. ” Riley told IndieWire.
By contrast, he argues that stop-motion gives you imperfections and a living sense of movement—something that feels like music. And he links that to his broader goal for the film: not “real,” exactly, but “unreal” in a different way. “I’m not about stuff having to seem real. It’s just more that I want it to seem unreal in a different way than we’re used to. ” Riley said.
On “I Love Boosters. ” Riley and the VFX team push his stop-motion tendencies further by pairing stop-motion sequences with real actors and intercutting between them. Even when stop-motion takes over from live action, Riley’s approach isn’t separation—it’s precision. Animators Ri Crawford and David Lauer had to be “super precise about facial structures and mouth movements. ” so the stop-motion felt distinct but not too disconnected from the live-action work.
Riley also acknowledges how unusual the method is, and he framed it as a real challenge rather than a gimmick. “They’re always down for a challenge. and with this. it is not the norm — I’d be interested to figure out when the last time was where you’re comping stop-motion in with live-action actors. ” he said.
That tactile instinct extends to the movie’s larger action mechanics too—especially the chase sequence built through miniatures. Off a recommendation from Roman Coppola, Riley turned to Blind Beagle VFX lead Chris Warren and his miniatures team. Riley points to Warren’s unusual track record. including the fact that Warren’s grandfather won an Academy Award for “The Time Machine. ” and that Warren’s team also hired people blacklisted in the 1950s. Riley connects the dots from there. describing how Warren’s father later won an Academy Award for “Terminator 2” and was “like the head of the DSA in Hollywood. ” recruiting LA skater punks to learn the work.
Riley said Warren is “actually the kid poking the Pillsbury Doughboy. ” and that they were doing stop motion too—but the way Warren’s miniatures were employed on “I Love Boosters” was different. Riley added that the team does effects. often in miniature. and that Warren’s background includes work on “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” alongside his father.
For this chase, the miniatures team used many old-school techniques. The goal wasn’t just to shoot small—it was to keep everything aligned with both the animation on the naked skinsuits and the live-action work on Corvette and her crew. Riley described the commitment to “shooting small. using old school miniatures. ” and grabbing flares in miniature with “a bit of contortion. ” which ultimately expanded the amount of action the film could include.
“We had to get the [car chase] cost down. Then it was like. ‘OK. maybe we could find a really interesting way to make 90 percent of it happen within the car.’ But it was just getting not good. And while we’re in these meetings, Chris is sitting there, like, ‘We could just do it in miniature. I got the buildings, man. We would just make a few more; we put it on a board and slant it,’” Riley said. “It became this whole thing in miniature. and that then expanded what we could do — cars jumping over hills. things like that.”.
There’s a clear through-line in how Riley talks about the movie’s craft. The visuals aren’t built to feel seamless in the way blockbuster CGI often aims for—they’re built to feel touched. imperfect. and slightly off-kilter on purpose. Whether it’s stop-motion working alongside real actors with facial and mouth precision. or miniatures stretching a chase into bigger terrain. the choices serve the same push: make the unreal feel alive.
“I Love Boosters” is now playing in theaters.
Boots Riley I Love Boosters Keke Palmer Demi Moore Don Cheadle stop-motion miniatures visual effects Roman Coppola IndieWire Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast Oakland chase