Honne's new animated video is a heartwarming story of affection and self-acceptance
In the past few months, music videos have experienced a renaissance of animation – from Tom Misch's gentle animated car ride in video for night riders to Chris Hopewell's stop-motion version of Cat Stevens classic track Where Do The Children Play?
The electronic music duo Honne is the newest artist to deal with animation after the pandemic. The release of her new single No Song Without You is accompanied by a charming animated video created by illustrator Holly Warburton.
The project was directed, developed and completed by Honne together with Luke Tipping, Creative Director of Atlantic Records UK, and commissioned by video director Dan Curwin. Warburton was brought in by the band to create the animation after they became fans of their online work.
The track, written by Honnes James Hatcher and Andy Clutterbuck together with producer Pomo, describes a close relationship in Clutterbuck's life and how the other person can always lift him up in difficult times.
In the same way, the video tells the story of the relationship between a green monster and a lamp spirit. "I liked the idea of bringing an unlikely couple together – one lives underground while the other descends from the light," explains Warburton.
“At first the monster seems to be very insecure and afraid of the world. As you meet the lamp spirit, things begin to change as you explore the city together and discover its hidden beauty. While the enthusiastic spirit guides them on the journey, the monster can let go of fears and sadness at least for a while. "
Warburton digitally created the animation using a frame-by-frame technique in Photoshop. The backgrounds were first set up to define the scene, then the movements of the characters in the rooms were mapped and the lines filled with a warm palette of purple and orange.
"I often work this way because I like the imperfections and wobbling that go with it," says Warburton. "With this method, it's inevitable, so I learned to take on the look!"
hollywarbs.com