Tourist ft Years & Years 'Illuminate' by Nicolas Ménard
David Knight - 9th Dec 2014
Director and graphic artist Nicolas Ménard's debut music video is for up-and-coming electronic artist Tourist's Illuminate - featuring Olly Alexander of Years & Years on vocals - which presents a story of confusion with a very distinctive and hypnotic graphic sensibility.
It's a starkly black and white 2D animation which the viewer experiences from the point of view of the main character, moving through different environments, we watch our protagonist open letter after letter, written in a language he cannot understand, to symbolise the chaotic communicative issues that follow a break-up.
Inspired by Japanese graphic artists such as Yuichi Yokoyama and retro games X and 3D World Runner, this was drawn frame by frame, with Nicolas including edgy graphic characters that represent the artists, alternating the environments - parks, underwater scenes, art galleries - to the tempo, and gradually adding colour to heighten the power of the chorus.
Tourist works with creative director Jake Robinson, who says: "We reset Tourist’s ‘look’ in his previous single Wait by moving to simple black and white design and cinematography. With Illuminate we wanted to be bold, expressive and introduce colour into that world. We felt that Illuminate’s vibrant feel naturally lent itself to animation. I’ve been keen to work with Nicolas for a while. His work, whilst being visually striking, manages to covey a fragile human quality."
Polydor have released a series of GIFs on Tumblr showcasing Nicolas’ beautiful hand drawn illustrations.
NICOLAS MENARD:
"It’s been a real blast to direct Tourist’s 'Illuminate' music video. Not only because it’s such a playful, awesome sounding track, but also because Will was keen to jump straight into the weird abstract universe I’d suggested. It’s also been really fun to play with the idea of translating a poem into Korean; a little metaphor for miscommunication in a relationship. I’m looking forward to seeing whether people dig out those cryptic messages..! Everything was animated frame by frame in Photoshop, with some slight compositing in After Effects, and the editing in Premiere"
Watch 'Tourist ft Years & Years 'Illuminate' by Nicolas Ménard' hereDavid Knight - 9th Dec 2014
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Credits
Production/Creative
- Director
- Nicolas Ménard
- Producer
- Beccy McCray
- Production Company
- Nexus Productions
- Executive Producer
- Luke Youngman
- Production Coordinator
- Natalie Henry
Animation
- Animator
- Nicolas Ménard
- Animator
- Anne-Louise Erambert
- Animator
- James Hatley
- Animator
- Isaac Holland
Editorial
- Editor
- Nicolas Ménard
Commission
- Commissioner
- Emily Tedrake
- Commissioner
- Jake Robinson
- Label
- Polydor
Other credits
With thanks to
Lara Lee, for translation
David Knight - 9th Dec 2014