Synopsis
The video follows a man and woman locked in an intimate encounter, presented through rapid, fragmentary images rather than a conventional narrative. Their bodies and faces appear in split-second flashes that gradually multiply, distort, and break apart. As the song builds, the footage shifts from recognizable photographic detail into increasingly abstract, kaleidoscopic patterns, turning physical closeness into a visual study of rhythm, repetition, and sensation. The result is hypnotic, sensual, and deliberately disorienting, with the imagery becoming more experimental as the track progresses.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was made with unusually broad creative freedom. The band gave the production team control over the concept while working within an agreed budget.
- The initial idea grew from a restriction: the band's manager asked for something that was not a conventional sex film. That limitation became the creative starting point for the video's intimate approach.
- The couple featured in the video were friends of the production team, rather than performers chosen for a conventional romantic storyline.
- The production used extensive animation and digital manipulation. The transition from photographic images into abstract forms required a lengthy post-production process.
- The video won Best Music Video at the 2012 New Zealand Music Awards, giving The Naked and Famous consecutive wins in the category after "Punching in a Dream" took the award in 2011.
- Its visual style reflects the filmmakers' broader interest in treating music videos like moving paintings, emphasizing color, texture, form, and rhythm over a straightforward plot.