Based on a Rorschach inkblot test, the video opens on a white sheet of paper. Complementing the hypnotic, rolling beat, black ink blooms into expressive, dynamic forms. The ink shifts and repours into symmetrical “tests”, subtle hints of the lyrics buried within each. The duo that make up Gnarls Barkley, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse, recur throughout: the side of a face, a crooning mouth. We slide from one to the next, the barrier between each vignette indistinct, in a firm, accelerating ride through the narrative. The forms evolve and new ideas are introduced: hints of color add an emotional subtlety, a swarm of scattering insects burst from a splattered drop.

To create and control the remarkable organic effect of ink, Blind used a combination of technical wizardry, and good old-fashioned getting their hands dirty. In a studio environment, they created and shot hundreds of ink splats, splashes, and everything in-between.

Creative director: Vanessa Marzaroli; Executive producer: Santino Sladavic; Line producer: Susan Harris; Designers: Christine Kim, Bryan Louie; Atsusuhi Ishisuka; Lawrence Wyatt, Vanessa Marzaroli; Animators: Atsushi Ishisuka, Lawrence Wyatt, David Yan, Trevor Shepard, Andre Salyer, Jesse Franklin, Benji Schuup, Bill Sneed, John Robson; Production artist: Lin Wilde; Flame: Joel Ashman; Mattes: Owen Hammer; Editor: Erik Buth

Client: HSI / Robert Hales; Director: Robert Hales; Line producer: Coleen Haynes; DP: Damien Avecedo; Editor: Ken Mauwe