Going frame, by frame, by frame | Tolleson
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Going Frame,
By Frame,
By Frame
06—20
2024
On capturing the creative process
For Studio TK
With the launch of the Santé chair, Studio TK wanted to create a video that celebrated its designer, Patrick Norguet, and his ethos, vision, and process. So they approached us with the following brief: introduce Santé as a product, explain why it matters to the architecture & design (A&D) community, highlight Norguet’s personal craft, and make it all feel real, human, and very very special—in no more than 2 minutes.
While this project wasn’t the first of its kind, it did present new challenges and opportunities to bring the brand’s creative spirit and partnerships to life. And to return to a few of our favorite analog things: pen, paper, and X-Acto knives. More on our process, below.
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Santé, by Patrick Norguet
A stop-motion journey, with 1700+ frames distilled into 121 seconds and narrated by the designer himself.
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“There’s no undo with stop-motion. It requires an analog leap of faith. Before you know it, you’re 150 moves in, there’s no turning back, and you have to find a way to land each scene—while trusting the journey along the way.”
Molly Skonieczny, Creative Director, Tolleson
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The wonder in the words
It began as it usually does: with an in-depth interview. Sitting down with Patrick Norguet, we dove into his passions and his unexpected love for music, which became the foundation of our story. From multiple conversations, we explored how to translate complex ideas—like the intricacies of his personal background and creative process—into a narrative that was easy to grasp, yet visually compelling.
The goal was to show, not tell, Patrick’s story. And we wanted it to feel visceral—to take what could have stayed abstract and instead use hands-on, analog techniques, and a bit of creative intuition to make it real.
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IDEAS ON PAPER
Crafting the Vision
Storyboarding
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“It’s not only about perfection. It’s about trusting the process—bringing each piece to life in real time.”
Eric Einwiller, Director of Photography, Tolleson
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Despite the storyboard, we didn’t end up producing every frame. We let several moments unfold naturally, allowing ourselves to find delight in the unexpected and even some initial setbacks.
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Sticking it all together
Animating type by hand was literally a glue job: each letter cut, glued with color, and unfolded frame by frame. While the voiceover told the story, the type anchored the video visually. The process was slow and full of small tweaks, but in the end, the letters didn’t just complement—they added depth, movement, and an intriguing visual thread that pulled it all together.
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Four Elements
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CUTTING IT UP
A process with paper
Behind the Scenes
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Measuring once, and then 100 times
Animating each hand-cut paper object, frame by frame, required patience and precision—and a lot of cutting. From crafting intricate letterforms to visual metaphors, every movement had to be just right. And the process came with a larger-than-life learning: that creativity is sometimes just one big paper cut, waiting to happen.
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A hundred flower heads in—and we were still cutting, prepping, and racing against time to keep them fresh for their big camera moment.
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“I don’t think I’d used an X-Acto knife in close to 25 years. But I’m happy to report: it’s like riding a bike.”
Steve Tolleson, Founder, Tolleson
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Smells like team spirit
From endless cutting to perfecting every shot, everyone had to be hands-on—through multiple late nights and lots of moments questioning how we were going to pull it off. But with the time and touch of every individual, it all came together. And that’s where it clicked: hand in hand, step by step, cut by cut.
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The perfect take often comes only with persistence—try after try—landing when you least expect it.
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“We take a creative leap of faith, not always knowing exactly where it will lead, but trusting that the process will bring something remarkable in the end.”
Briana Tarantino, Account Director, Tolleson
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THE FIRST OF
ITS KIND
Christophe Pillet’s REC
Designer Video
We first used the same stop-motion technique to bring Christophe Pillet’s REC tables to life—which we’ve since seen as a crafty way to combine design and storytelling, working frame by frame.
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