The T-Shirt Effect

EDV

EDV

Well-known member
Hey all,

I am trying to replicate a really cool T-Shirt effect I saw on a TV AD. I called the station right after I saw it, and all I got was "sorry, we can't help you there" so I will try to explain it as best as I can.

It basically shows a model wearing a T-Shirt on one side of the screen, while the other side gives information like prices, etc.

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While a voice over tells us about the T-Shirt sale, we see a whole bunch of T-Shirts in succession on the same model. The pose remains exactly the same.
I realize they would have had the model change T-Shirt then take one photo, then put another T-Shirt then take another photo, and so on. They show about 100 different T-Shirts in the span of a few seconds.
Stacking the photos in sequence in post seems easy enough, but.... how do they nail the same exact pose so accurately again and again?
 
Having not seen the ad, I can only guess, but I would guess that the model is only wearng one blank shirt, and the designs are added as an overlay in post. If the model is moving a little bit, some motion tracking would be involved.
 
The pose was similar to the one in my first post, they showed a bit less of the face, and the shirts were all different color, with different designs.
I did take a really close look at the model in the ad, did notice his slight beard was not 100% consistent from shot to shot, but it was hard to tell and most people wouldn't have noticed that. Also I think the T-shirts had creases, like you would expect of a real shirt and not a digitally altered one.
There are variants on this trick in various other commercials, some with shoes, some with the model in the same pose but doing a 360 rotation while a sequence of dozens of T-shirts is shown. I'll keep looking for it on YouTube....
 
From that description, it does sound like it was all done in camera, without post-production compositing.

The best way to get someone to match a pose each time is to have the actor/model able to see the video monitor so that they can position themselves according to a reference.
 
Off the top of my head, here's something you could try.

As noted above, shoot someone wearing a blank shirt of a color you can key out easily -- could be the usual green, but something that isn't anywhere else in the pic.

Make sure the graphic area is as flat as possible. (If it's not, you'll have to manipulate the graphic you want to use to appear to bend with whatever contours are present.) But ALSO make sure you have shadows and folds and seam lines visible on the shirt, and keep your key tight enough that you don't key those out, too.

Place whatever T-shirt graphics with whatever color background you want behind the keyed-out original photo.

You will probably have to tweak all of this quite a bit.
 
Inject the model with a paralysing agent that makes him a stiff as a board. Use him as a living mannequin....

I think I remember seeing that ad. I think it was for Rivers. If that helps. How many times have you seen the ad? It may turn out not to be as perfect as you recall based off one viewing. I've had that experience more than once.
 
I've actually seen several variants of this ad, but this particular one, only once (Channel 10 actually). It actually looks low budget, but that T-Shirt effect makes it look impressive. I've also seen this effect used in more high budget TV ADs, where they add movement and other actors /models. I'll try to post the TV Ad later in the week if I find it. You'd be surprised how many TV ADs end up in YouTube these days....
 
Not really surprised, the idea of an ad is to get it out there. As a left field option, maybe shoot an email to the Gruen Transfer. They're probably the authority on domestic advertising currently. Someone on the panel might know or even be the one behind it. Before Gruen I don't think they was a great deal of mainstream appreciation for their art so you may get lucky and even be told the trick. I wouldn't ask outright though. Explain that you are a beginning filmmaker and interested in the ad and if they know who made it. If they feel you are sincere they may volunteer more info than you ask for.
 
Just saw the ad. It is for Rivers. It is a series of still shots with the model in similar rather than identical poses.
 
Stills wise Phase One have an overlay program for shooting tethered (typcially used to compose stills with space for advertising text)

Im not sure it works in live view or with other cameras

Then the model can look at the monitor and position himself to match the reference image overlayed at 50% opacity or suchlike..

Obvously you want marks on the ground and suchlike

Would be even cooler in motion, reference the last frame of the tee before..

S
 
Todd_Kopriva said:
The best way to get someone to match a pose each time is to have the actor/model able to see the video monitor so that they can position themselves according to a reference.
Click to expand...

No, that's the 2nd-best way. The best way is to get a bunch of static-cling material to fit a good sized HDMI monitor, and a fine sharpie. Trace the outline you want to match on the cling, then go to live footage and work with the talent to fit. You can do this with stills or video.

That's also really really handy for any keyed scene, where you want to match perspective, size, positions, etc.

EDIT: One thing of great importance - when you trace with the sharpie, make sure there's actually cling plastic on the screen....
 
If you want one conitnuous shot for fluidity, I think your best bet would be to get a solid color and do a simple "replace color" and add a design/graphic to each new color you reproduce. A little motion tracking may be involved, but if the shots are fast enough, no one would probably notice.
 
It's done basically how places like zazzle.com make their tshirts composites. They take a picture of a model with a shirt on to get the hang and wrinkle correct, then they overlay the image on the original tshirt image then use that image to " dress " the model. Quite simple when you think about it
 
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