Synopsis

A weary office worker moves through a strange, dreamlike world where routine and alienation become increasingly surreal. He encounters balloon-like figures, shifting walls, distorted objects, and vividly colored environments that seem to reflect his mounting despair. The video moves fluidly between live action, hand-drawn animation, stop-motion tableaux, and digital compositing, creating a fragmented visual journey that feels part psychological fable and part psychedelic collage. Rather than following a literal narrative, "Etcetera" turns the monotony of work and emotional exhaustion into a constantly mutating fantasy.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video's visual language combines live action, stop-motion, cel animation, and digital compositing rather than relying on a single animation method.

• The concept began as a short-film idea before being adapted to "Etcetera." Its early notes included a balloon man, interactions with a wall, and a broader story about despair and alienation at work.

• The project was made as an unofficial video, meaning it was not commissioned as a conventional label production.

• Funding for the production came through IndieGoGo, with contributors supporting the project before seeing the finished film.

• The video was created in connection with My Dry Wet Mess' album "Irrational Alphabet," released by Daedelus' Magical Properties label in 2010. "Etcetera" appears as the album's fourth track.

• The song itself is compact, running for approximately two minutes and twenty seconds, while the video expands its musical ideas into a roughly three-minute visual piece.

• The production's handmade textures and surreal imagery reflect influences that include "The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb," "Malice in Wonderland," Ryan Larkin's animated shorts, and Norman McLaren's stop-motion films.

• Coverage of the video helped place it within the motion-design and animation community, where it was noted for its psychedelic atmosphere and unusual combination of techniques.