This project was created for a contest that AT&T is doing through zooppa.com. Here’s the concept, as posted on AT&T’s site.
The AT&T Simplify Your Life video contest is a chance for you to make your own video about AT&T’s Online Services, such as Paperless Billing, Account Management, AutoPay, and Online Support. Each of these services can help to make life simpler.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ36oN0mphg
my idea
My idea for this was to make a stop motion video using my collection of rotary dial phones, making them into a tree. At first, I was going to use a person as the tree trunk, but then I thought that would be a long time for someone to be wrapped up in phones and I wasn’t sure the cords were long enough.
The concept is to stay out of the trees, meaning the phone trees and paper trees, and to use the AT&T online services.
the studio
My family room was converted into a studio for the weekend. I borrowed the 12′ ladder from work, used 4 bungee cords to strap my Bogen tripod to the top, attached my Nikon D300 to it and ran a USB cable to my computer.
The software (made by Nikon, although there are some other versions out there) is awesome, as you can control almost all of the features and take photos right from your computer. I also set up some JTL continuous lights, another halogen lamp with the same temperature lights and a photography backdrop on the floor. 
The video is shot from the top, down to the floor. Thank heaven for vaulted ceilings!
This is a great plan if you don’t mind your house being in disarray for a little while, and of course, getting some odd looks from your neighbors. Multi purpose houses are great!
the backdrop
I started with an orange backdrop with some purple and pink accents, but the color just looked to angry…
The concept is to simplify and go green. After looking at this last test shot, I decided to try a green one.
Yes, this is the color I will use. Most of the phones are warm colors and bright tones, so they will show up better on the light center of this backdrop.
the props
Here’s the prop list:
- 10 rotary dial phones
- a clock with paper wings
- junk mail
- white paper pulled out of a recycle bin
- an old laptop
- a USB cord painted green
- a hand shovel
- a cell phone (smart phone)
- a really great neighbor for a hand model
- a photography backdrop
- a brown paper bag
- strapping wire
To start, I needed to test what an image on the cell phone screen would look like in a photo image. Along the way, I decided not to use an image on the phone, it was changed to a glowing light.
The main props used here are a collection of 10 old rotary dial phones. Making the phones into a tree shape was something that worked in my head, but I wasn’t sure if it would really turn out looking like a tree. So, holding my breath, I prepared the phones for this task. I used strapping wire, available at any hardware store (it was in my garage for those of you that know I’m in my one year of no shopping), and I ran it through the cords in order to make the cords go the way I needed them to.
So far, so good. I started to breathe a little bit. If you’re not familiar with stop motion, you move your props slowly taking a photo each time you make a move. There’s no going back without starting the process all over again. The number of photos in the 54 second clip is 319. It took the good part of a weekend to create the base images.
Next, the idea was to bring in the paper products, making it look like leaves growing from the tree. This was done with several sizes of paper, each being replaced by a larger one in the next image. As it progressed, the paper was moved for the rustling leaves effect and crumpled for movement.
Yeah! It really looks like a tree! And no new paper was harmed in the making of this video, as for the junkmail, well that’s another story.
Next is the laptop, as all of the stuff is getting sucked up into the laptop. This was a challenge, knowing this could not be accomplished without busting out the screen of the computer, and even then, it would need some digital editing. I pulled all of the phones over the laptop screen, then edited out the cords using a photo taken before they were placed over the top. The glow effect was added later in Photoshop.
After that, the clock flies in. The wing movement was one stroke up, two strokes down. I had to really concentrate not to mess up the pattern. The wings are not attached to the clock, they are placed separate under the clock body.
the rest
All of the items on the white background toward the last half of the video were all created and edited in Photoshop. The background is a paper texture, lightened and grunged. The images of the tree and clock were used, but made into a pop art look with a vivid light dark glow around them.
Once all of the images were ready, they had to be dropped into a video editing program and timed with the chosen music. Then sound effects were added, the shovel digging, leaves rustling and vacuum sucking. Then I added some textures, one motion by using the same image turned 4 ways and the other, by just doing a still overlay.
All in all, this was a fun project. This is an overview, but hopefully it gives you an idea of the process. If you haven’t voted for my video yet on Facebook, please help me by doing that. Even if I don’t win the contest, I could win the prize for the most votes. :) Thanks!!!