“They told me not to smoke drugs, but I never listened…” sings My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James, and the lyric couldn’t be a more fitting introduction to James Frost’s wild, psychedelic trip of a video for Outta My System – which starts in live action, slips into 2D animation, and includes a pop-up cameo by comedian Zach Galifianakis (the animated version).

James Frost – now at new his new production company Honey Badger – makes a departure into animation with the Outta My System video, which sees a 2D one-eyed MMJ journey down the rabbit hole and through a lair with enough twists and turns that at one point the band’s flying through a planet full of robo-eyes, and, at another, they’re landing among satellites crashing into a desert landscape with rigs that pump oil through mechanized, Egyptian pyramids. And then, if that wasn’t trippy enough, the animated Zach Galifianakis makes a cameo as an evil wizard, whose cape and hat are somehow made more menacing over his pullover sweater and cargo pants.

Frost worked with animation director Michael Gillette who sketched the environments, which the team variously dubbed ‘Babylon,’ ‘Eye Land’ and ‘Consumer Land’. Frost and editor Nicholas Wayman Harris pieced the images together in a loose narrative and then executed rough moves on the stills, which allowed Gillette the freedom to sketch more scenes and transitions as the story was firmed up. Grant Kolton animated the project in a super-human solo effort over a three-month period.

“I knew I always wanted to create a story that ended up where we began,” says James Frost of the video’s surprise, circular ending. “I liked the idea that because we were going into an animated world we could do whatever we wanted.”

My Morning Jacket
Outta My System (ATO)
Directed by James Frost
Production Company: Honey Badger
Animation Director & Illustrations by Michael Gillette
Animation by Grant Kolton
Editor: Nicholas Wayman Harris
Executive Producers:
For ATO Records: Sharon Lord
For Honey Badger: John Benson, Gower Frost
Live Action:
Producer Sam Khazaeni
Director of Photography James Wall
1st Assistant Camera Lucas Deans
Gaffer Robert Oliva
Key Grip Nick Franchot
Hair & Make Up Monica Alvarez
Production Assistants: Meredith Snider, Patrick Gorman, Justin Reed
Color Timer
Clark Muller @ Incendio, Los Angeles, California
Visual Effects: The Mill
Animation: Gap Sangpattharamatee
Compositing: Gigi Ng, Keith Sullivan, Mark French, Greg Cutler, Ricky Weissman
Colorist: Sal Malfitano
Producer: Boo Wong