A little socket-headed chap frees himself and goes exploring his world in Helen Clemens' appealing animation for Eskimo Joe, made with long-time collaborator Pete Commins.

Helen is one of the up-and-comers in music videos in Australia. Her other visually stimulating (but not usually 3D) vids include another for Eskimo Joe, Josh Pyke and Sneaky Sound System.

Helen Clemens on making the video for Eskimo Joe's Losing Friends Over Love

"Eskimo Joe had me in mind for their latest video and they had initially referenced Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer. So I found inspiration from it's amazing array of complex image structures, animation and constant transition of the worlds we pass through. I also found inspiration from Herbie Hancock's Rock It, and I loved the idea of designing kinetic sculptures and organic mechanisms that react to the music.

"My idea was to create a world, set in nine neat, art exhibit like rooms, which are inhabited by nine individual kinetic sculptures or organic mechanisms. Our world is emotionally explored by the Boxman character that unplugs himself from the first room and goes on to explore each room searching for that special something. The further into his journey the more Alice in Wonderland it becomes. 'Boxman' discovers that these conceptual art sculptures have a life force of their own and he finds himself being unsatisfied, intimidated or having no connection with this kinetic world.

"The point of this animation style, is that I knew it could be done efficiently, with a six week deadline, and having worked closely with Pete Commins from Partizan for the last five years I knew we could create a wonderfully individual-looking music video that should be enjoyed and be seen as a cool piece of visual poetry.

"Eskimo Joe, Cath Haridy Management and Warner Music Australia were magnificently supportive and brave enough not to have the band performing in the video."