This week on Necessary Genius, we take The Hardest Button to Button, a song from the White Stripes album Elephant, for a short tour of New York. Enlisting Michel Gondry to create the video behind the song created a memorable and visually interesting short film using stop-motion pixilation animation.
This is before all the CGI stuff.
Check it out:
The White Stripes - The Hardest Button to Button
How was it done?
Michel Gondry used 32 identical Ludwig drum kits, 32 identical Fender amplifiers, and 16 identical microphone stands, which were later donated to a music school after filming in New York. It was apparently filmed backwards. For example, Meg sitting beside another drum kit that would be added, and then moving back. Each shot gives a strange jarring effect, reversing it so it appears the kits are magically appearing in front of her as she moves.
Stop-motion is clever stuff.
The song itself is also a clear lesson in garage rock, in the spirit of back-to-school. The kids could do worse than listen to this powerhouse of thumping drum, crunchy electric guitar, and wildy strange vocals.
Thank you for reading!
I hope you liked this reminder of the White Stripes.
Yes, I know those days are long gone.