Rocks: They’re old, hard, and generally not the most exciting pets. In the hands of graphic designer and video artist Christophe Thockler, who in the past brought 400 flaming photos, and 550 marbles to life, they’re hardly inanimate. For Michna’s “Solid Gold,” off the Thousand Thursday LP (out now via Ghostly International), Thockler uses a stop motion/motion design technique to string 8,500 photographs of stones, sediment, and crystals into one glorious three-minute movement.
“Michna and I have at least two common points, we love good music and rocks!” Thockler writes on his website. “When we started to discuss about a music video for the track ‘Solid Gold,’ we quickly talked about minerals and how we loved them. I had a small collection and we soon decided to do some tests and go in this direction.”
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Using “60 rocks from 15 different countries all around the world,” Thockler creates an animated spectacle of spinning, sliding stone shapes. “In this video, I obviously wanted to work with the beautiful textures of the rocks and wanted to add something dynamic and kinetic to enhance the sequences,” he explains. “That’s why a large amount of shots are done mixing stop-motion and motion design.”
Thus, “Solid Gold” Thockler’s second work with the with Ghostly International imprint, takes matter from literally underfoot—the definition of the mundane—and transforms it into an evocative means of expression. Says Thockler, “I like to think about the idea that the casting of this video is made of ancient majestic characters from all around the world, it’s also a tribute to nature, with small bits of our planet dancing together during three minutes.”
Watch Michna’s “Solid Gold,” which features the vocal talents of MNDR, below:
Click here to order Michna’s Thousand Thursday.
Check out the links below for more music videos by Christophe Thockler:
Leaves Bleed in This Stunning Stop-Motion
