Cool Animated Short: Gorillaz – The Mountain, The Moon Cave and The Sad God

This is a beautifully animated short Gorillaz film and music video for their ninth studio album, The Mountain. It was directed by Jamie Hewlett (designer, illustrator and co-creator of the band), Max Taylor and Tim McCourt at The Line studio

It was made entirely from hand-drawn animations and used cel animation techniques inspired by films such as The Jungle Book and One Hundred and One Dalmatians. I do love this animation style and it is so refreshing while we are currently being bombarded with AI slop.

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According to Jamie Hewlett, the film gives “a condensed explanation about what is being sung about on this record, which is essentially the story of life. The mountain is a metaphor for life. The bottom of the mountain is vast, with many green jungles and many paths, many opportunities, and the higher you climb, the more narrow it becomes. And if you make it to the top of the mountain, what is beyond that? And that is essentially reincarnation.”

“We processed our digital pencil work to mimic photocopy degradation. We scanned real paintings at high resolution and finished the details digitally. It was about capturing the tactile quality that only real materials give you,” director Max Taylor said to Catsuka. “In a time of AI overload, this is our love letter to craftsmanship. We’re chasing the feel of pencil on paper. Paint on board. And all the imperfections that come with it.”

Via FirstShowing