When you hear the word ‘animation’, most people think of a linear story-telling method, such as a feature film, such as those by Disney or Pixar, or perhaps televised cartoon series, like Scooby-Doo or The Moomins.
But animation is used for a wide variety of purposes and it presents a variety of ways to make visuals really ‘pop’, with the ability to manipulate the appearance of characters and scenes, and create a distinctive and unique effect.
One such field in which these skills can be very effective is the music industry. Music videos are traditionally filmed, so musical animations can stand out against their competition in the field, and corner a niche in the market for artistically-produced videos with a distinctive character and style.
Although musical animated films were produced for bands through the sixties and seventies, animation wasn’t introduced to music videos as we know them until the eighties, having previously been associated mostly with children.
Today, they are known to be an excellent creative story-telling method for children and adults alike, with the ability to bring extra character and dimension to musical sequences. In this article, we run through 5 of the best animated music videos ever made!
1. Innuendo – Queen (1991)
Innuendo is a masterpiece of creative animation in 2-D. The video takes the form of almost a collage-style animation, utilising traditional sketching styles, Picasso-style figures, film, calligraphy and claymation animation, frequently overlaying each other. It utilises black and white, colour and sepia images to create an eclectic, and chaotic, almost random-seeming sequence, that still flows from scene to scene.
The band themselves are also animated in different, changing styles, from a sketchy appearance to paint-splatter art, the artwork is eye-catching, ever-changing, and unique.
The video was made remotely, as Freddie Mercury was too ill to be present for much of the filming. As such, the band hired a team of animators to create the music video to create the visuals to do Freddie’s voice and incredible stage (and real-life) personality justice.
The result was an artistic hit, going straight to the UK Hit Singles list in 1991. The video is hauntingly passionate to watch today, in the knowledge that it achieved fame only 10 months before Freddie Mercury’s death on November 24th the same year.
2. Yellow Submarine – The Beatles (1968)
Although this is actually a full-length feature animation, there is no denying that these distinctive, pop-art like figures are an iconic part of music and animation history.
The film was directed overall by Canadian animation producer George Dunning (also known for The Flying Man, 1962, and The Apple, 1963).
There were also two specialist animation directors, Robert Falser and Jack Stokes involved in running the production. Dunning specialised in surrealist animation, which was a nice fit for the Beatles’ psychedelic music.
Although The Beatles themselves took a little winning over (the band were wary of making another feature film following Help in 1965, which they famously did not like), they eventually warmed to Yellow Submarine, even saying that they wished they had been more involved with it – despite previously expressing that they wanted little to do with the film.
The animation was very popular with the public, and even today, it is known as one of the most influential animations of all time.
3. Accidents Will Happen – Elvis Costello And The Attractions (1979)
Often credited as being the first full-length animated music video, Accidents Will Happen has an iconic, rough-sketched style of animation, using a comic-book strip style and a jerky flow sequence, with interspersing lines, which creates the impression of static lines on an old television set.
The images of ‘accidents’ range from the mundane to the earth-shattering; throughout the images of broken teacups to nuclear wars, the music remains almost nonchalant, creating a sense of the writer’s disconnection from his mistakes.
4. Three Little Birds – Bob Marley And The Wailers (2020)
A playful take on the ‘three little pigs’ fairytale, ‘Three Little Birds’ was released for Marley’s 75th Anniversary in 2020.
Animated by Morgan Powell of Seed Animation, the visuals are simple and classic, with subtle influences of Disney and Looney Tunes. The plot revolves around the wolf attempting to catch the pig, but the pig beats him each time.
The two are finally united, with the help of the ‘Three Little Birds’ who encourage them to become unlikely friends. The film was well-received and is very effective in carrying across Marley’s message of hope and peace in the face of adversity.
5. Fell In Love With A Girl – The White Stripes (2001)
Directed by Michel Gondry, this Lego animation was ground-breaking in its use of Lego to sculpt a variety of animated scenes. And it was very successful – though the success was not cheap!
The White Stripes were unable to strike a deal with Lego, as Lego maintained that their product was strictly to be marketed for children. As such, the band had to pay for each Lego box used in making the video, costing them a large sum of money. Following the video’s success, Lego contacted The White Stripes to ask if Lego pieces could be included with the single. The White Stripes refused.
The band, dancing figures, moving patterns and scenes such as people waiting for a bus are all animated in red, black, and white Lego block-style animation. It is simple but effective, with bold, striking colours. The animation moves in time to the swift rhythm of the music, which makes it fast-paced and eye-catching.
There isn’t a ‘plot’ as such, but this makes the focus of the video the music itself. As such, it is very effective in communicating the mood and feeling of the song, while creating a highly entertaining, memorable video with a ground-breaking style of animation.
NOTE: This article was produced by New Frontiers Marketing and originally published here.
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