Michel and Olivier Gondry create a brand new animated music video for Idles
Although known for their individual work, filmmakers and brothers Michel and Olivier Gondry have also been acclaimed over the years for their collaborative projects such as their numerous videos for The Chemical Brothers. The fusion of their styles and techniques is always exciting and for their latest project the duo created an animated music video for British rock band Idles and their new single Model Village.
The title is a sociopolitical statement about how the small town mentality often encountered in Great Britain is not limited to just small towns, but also highlights the dangers that can be associated with it.
“I hated growing up in a city that was really a city that was really a fishbowl. I left as fast as possible only to realize that the fishbowl doesn't exist … just the fish, and they're everywhere, ”says Idles singer Joe Talbot of the song's meaning.
To bring these feelings to life, the Gondry brothers have created their own village with paper cut-outs, in which pig-like cartoon characters live, based on the poetry: "There is a lot of pink skin in the village. ". The aesthetic is like a happy kids' TV show, but there are darker undertones everywhere, with a dash of surreality that is addicting viewers.
The video was created under the terms of the ban. Michel cut hand-drawn pieces of paper into characters, buildings and shapes at his desk in his LA studio, and then filmed them from above on his iPhone. Then the footage was sent to Paris, where Olivier took the collages and brought them to life through CGI.
“Olivier and I were thrilled to work on it because we're using completely opposite techniques,” says Michel. "In the first part we try to illustrate the lyrics as closely as possible, to create the world, and then in the second half … they go to the moon."
The video was produced in collaboration with WePresent, WeTransfer's editorial platform, which Partisan Records used to create the video. As part of the release, the brothers also made a behind-the-scenes film that can be seen here.
Model Village is taken from Idle's new album Ultra Mono, which was released on September 25th. @michelgondry; idlesband.com