Synopsis

The video presents a surreal journey through life, beginning in childhood and moving toward adulthood and old age. A camera races through a succession of real objects suspended against a black background, revealing their carefully constructed interiors as they split down the middle. Toys, food, household items, clocks, a globe and the faces of four children appear in rapid succession. The visual progression follows the song's themes of growing older, desire, relationships and mortality, ending with a playful return to its opening sense of wonder.

Factoids & Trivia

• The production used real, physical objects rather than computer-generated animation. Each item had to be cut in half while preserving a convincing view of its internal details.

• Splitting a clock was particularly demanding. The art department removed its mechanism, cut the miniature components in half, and reassembled them so the interior would remain visually complete.

• A long borescope-style lens was used to create the sensation that the camera was traveling through the objects. The narrow lens allowed the crew to film directly into the constructed cross-sections.

• The four boys' heads were not physically cut in half. Their apparent anatomical interiors were created with carefully prepared visual effects and prosthetic elements.

• The children's section was designed around the idea of looking forward into adult life. Toys surround them as symbols of childhood, while the objects ahead suggest work, relationships, aging and death.

• The shoot was completed in a single day, despite the large number of specially prepared objects and the precision required for each camera movement.

• The edit was built around the percussive structure of the song. Objects were timed to separate on guitar accents and drum hits, making the visual cuts feel like part of the rhythm.

• The video was released online on December 13, 2011, ahead of the January 2012 release of the album "Given to the Wild."

• Although the song is called "Pelican," no pelican appears in the video. The production instead focuses on the idea of looking through the middle of everything.