A Holiday Stop Motion Video and How it Came Together

January 14, 2014Phillip Barnhard

The annual agency holiday video is a project I'm always excited to work on. The last few years, I've been allowed to let my imagination run free, which usually results in really great creative work. In 2011, I dabbled in stop motion art using sticky notes and other office supplies. In 2012, I decided comedic storytelling and puppeteering was the best route to take. This holiday season, I got to check another art off my video bucket list: shooting stop motion straight onto the ground. I accomplished that with The Gift Exchange.

Stop-motion animation is always the most grueling, yet rewarding production technique. Sometimes it may take up to 10 minutes to set up a single frame. The reward comes when you step back after hours of shooting, and you watch the story come together on screen. Dragonframe stop motion software — the same used on ParaNorman and Frankenweenie — made it easy to cycle through captured frames and see how our project was coming along.

With The Gift Exchange, it took a consistent crew of three animators working 8-hour days a little over a week to film. We had to play production and cleaning crew with fabric scraps and lighting cables getting in the way of the perfect shot. With pre- and post-production included, that amounted to roughly 300 man-hours. Luckily, everyone was happy to help.

Looking back, I would say it was one of the most ambitious projects that I've taken on, but I love a challenge. I was excited when we couldn't find a video trestle to rent/purchase because that meant we got to wander the aisles of Lowe's dreaming of how to build such a contraption. [In case you're curious, a photography backdrop stand, roof framing bracket and some metal screws should do the trick.] Whenever there was a production hurdle, we cleared it with logic. With that mentality, there's a sense of pride earned in that final capture.

Snappy Service at Nammi

January 07, 2014Phillip Barnhard

From left, Gary Torres and Teena Nguyen showoff their new digs at the Nammi Test Kitchen.

Any chance I get to hang around the Nammi crew, I take it. My camera usually follows close behind. Nammi — owned and operated by Gary Torres and Teena Nguyen — is a pioneer in the Dallas food truck movement. While Nammi wasn't the first food truck on the scene, they certainly staked their claim at the best corners of the metroplex and built a strong following. A solid menu and friendly service helped earn it Best Food Truck 2012 by The Dallas Observer. Don't take my word for it. Go try Nammi out yourself.

Anyway, when I heard Nammi was opening up a brick-and-mortar location, I wanted to help Gary and Teena get the word out. The Nammi Test Kitchen at Valley View Center was an extension of their beloved trucks that featured new menu items and gourmet ice cream from their popular DFW truck Coolhaus. I met with the two and talked about presenting the information in a way that was familiar to their fun, energetic brand. Time was limited, but I was able to get a few key components for a successful launch. As a former journalist and PR guy, I wrote them a flavorful press release (PDF) to help spread the word to the food blogging community. I also snapped a few pictures to accompany the press release. Just as I suspected, the food community gobbled up the prepared content, and the news about Nammi's new location grew hotter than a banh mi with extra jalapenos. It was picked up by the Dallas Morning News and other food bloggeries, not to mention being talked and tweeted about on social media by their fans. Congrats, Nammi!

Gary scoops out some cold goodness from the icebox.

Into the Wild - My Houston Excursion

September 23, 2013Phillip Barnhard

In case you missed me, I was down in Houston recently. I did a quick overnighter for a video shoot at one of our client's Houston office. On this trip, I decided to drive rather than fly. The last time I flew to H-town with video equipment, I got to hear my name paged over the airport's PA system while I sprinted through the terminal carrying 70 pounds of camera equipment. After I missed my flight, I buried myself in the tallest beer at the Chili's Too. It was as beaten as I've ever been. On this trip, I sailed down in a rented Chevy Malibu — the yacht of Interstate 45.

When I arrived, the weather was a putrid 102 degrees, so obviously I chose to wear black to the shoot. Luckily it was mostly indoors, but when it wasn't, I paid dearly for that decision. Overall, the shoot went really well. One of the marketing guys was kind enough to snap a few shots of me filming. I love behind-the-scenes looks but rarely remember to ask someone to snap a few pics. Here are a few moments from the all-day event: