Synopsis

Metronomy perform "The Look" in a stark white studio while a parallel stop-motion story unfolds around three animated seagulls. The birds take over a miniature amusement-park world, racing and colliding in bumper cars as the band's cool, restrained performance continues alongside them. The contrast between the minimalist live-action footage and the colorful, handmade animation gives the video its playful character, turning a simple performance clip into an offbeat seaside fantasy.

Factoids & Trivia

• Joseph Mount recalled that the original treatment was only about a paragraph long, mentioning animated seagulls and dodgems. Its unusual brevity gave the band confidence that the concept was focused and visually assured.

• The live-action sections were produced in London, while the stop-motion animation was made in Los Angeles.

• The animation team originally expected to finish the project in roughly a week. The production ultimately involved eight days of puppet and prop construction, followed by six days of animation across two stages.

• Around 70 shots were planned, with many requiring all three seagull puppets to be animated at the same time.

• The first technical plan called for a more limited "pop-through" approach, using storyboard images and dissolves to resemble a three-dimensional picture book. The record label later pushed for fully animated footage instead.

• Animators John Joyce and Max Winston built the puppets and props at Screen Novelties, a Los Angeles stop-motion studio.