BENT ANIMATES ALLTEL SPOTS IN CLASSIC STOP-MOTION STYLE
December 19, 2007

BENT ANIMATES ALLTEL SPOTS IN CLASSIC STOP-MOTION STYLE

Bent Image Lab partner Chel White directed the campaign's Best Holiday Ever and The Holiday Which Almost Didn't Rock, and Bent's Rob Shaw helmed the Little Helper spot as well as the interstitials staged as behind-the-scenes testimonials. In the interstitials, each character gets to tell his version of how the events of the commercials went down. 

White and Shaw were given artistic license to develop the spots and interstitials. According to White, the backgrounds were given tremendous detail, so viewers can see something new each time the spot plays.

The agency, he recalls, was looking for an updated style that still had its roots in the look of classic Christmas stop-motion specials. "We immediately started talking about a 1970's arts-and-crafts look, making things out of cardboard, burlap, fabrics and wood," says White, "so it's very tactile looking with a lot of texture in the background, and the architectural angles were whacked out. We also brightened up the overall color palette to get away from the faded old film look."   

Shaw adds that the studio worked at a slightly larger scale on this project - about 20 percent larger, allowing cameras to get in closer to the action. In addition to production, the spot was edited at Bent by Eric Gorski, with Jon Weigand serving as editorial supervisor. 

Jim Barrett and Jake Buff of Portland's Downstream handled color correction. Compositing and sound design was performed there as well.