Look what we made!!!
Scifest 2010 Promo from David Callahan on Vimeo.
Every bit is made out of paper.
Wanna know how we did it? Keep reading.
So, I have this co-worker. A videographer named Dave Callahan, but, for inside-joke purposes, we're going to refer to him as Reginald Houghton: A Man of Action. Reggie for short.
Now, I'm pretty good at having great ideas, but pretty bad at seeing them through. Insert Reggie: A Man of Action (and of ideas.) I'm not at all sure who came up with the "Let's make a video out of paper" idea, but, Reggie gets all the credit for it actually happening.
It started with a few storyboarding sessions:
(imagine pictures of awesome storyboard scans)
After several revisions and attempts at keeping ourselves reigned in, it was time to hit the most evil of all art stores – *cough*artmart*cough* – which unfortunately has the best selection of paper.
If you absolutely have to go there, be sure to buy way more than you actually need because when you go back to get more, they will be out of it and will have no idea if or when they will get more. In fact, use this rule of thumb for any products you buy there, and don't get too attached. They love to discontinue. I also suggest bringing your taxes along so you'll have something to do while you wait in line.
Armed with a box of 200 blades (I used them all), 4 cans of rubber cement, and my wicked skills, I start cutting. And cutting. And glueing. And crying (on the inside). I think it payed off though.
Most of these items were free cut due to laziness, but there were a few items that needed a template. Like the building:
I pulled a reversed photo into illustrator.
Then I started outlining. 
I printed it out in chunks, covered the back of the print out in graphite, (a handy trick if you need to trace anything) and traced over all the lines on the proper color paper. And let me tell you people: these cuts were tiny. Bit by bit, each chunk came together.
Once the pieces were finished, John Schmitt, our photographer and my own personal opposer of everything, shot the shots.
After the photos were taken, the chunks were clipped out by either John or myself depending on whether he felt like doing it and I felt like letting him do it.
Then I flipped the picture back to it's rightful orientation and layed all the bits where they rightfully belong.
Once this was done, I gave all the files back to Reggie who did whatever it is that videographers do in After Effects. I was able to watch him work a little bit. It all seems about as simple as flying a spaceship to me. It's probably the same feeling others get when they watch me whiz through an inDesign file.
It doesn't seem so hard, does it? Well, multiply this process times a hundred and stretch it out over a period of 4 months all while trying to get your "real" work done and dodging the "when is that going to be done?" "Are you done yet?" "How many weeks until that video is finished?" questions from your work superiors. It was a little stressful at times, and I'm sure that a few years from now, when my skills are much sharper, I will look at it and cringe, but at this moment, I'm proud.
