The image sets the tone for an animated music video drawn entirely by hand.
Animator Bill Plympton directed and animated the music video for “u know i luv u” by the Los Angeles indie pop duo Average Friends. Plympton drew every frame in his signature Plymptoons style of hand-drawn animation. The video was funded through Kickstarter and premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival.
Plympton’s whimsical line work has company elsewhere, such as Kate Renshaw-Lewis’s chaotic fish and glove animation, a playful short worth watching.
Plympton, who turned 80 in April, has spent more than five decades making short films. His guiding rule, as he has described it, is “make it short, make it cheap, and make it funny.” The results are instantly recognizable: loose, wobbly line work and absurd, rubbery characters.
The band’s founders, George Kosturos and Brandt Parks, announced the project as a bridge between generations. Kosturos said that Plympton’s work “has always lived outside the mainstream” and remains “fearless, funny, and completely his own.” Early announcements said a Kickstarter campaign would launch soon. Later coverage reported that the campaign funded the short.
Credits behind the bill plympton music video
Average Friends wrote and performed the song. Plympton directed, animated and co-produced the video with Kosturos and Owen Andrejco, who also edited it with Kosturos. Kutan Katas mixed and mastered the track, Josh Aude handled sound design, and Nora Avissar, Brooke Murphy and Caden Zips provided color.
Plympton’s résumé is long. He has made more than 50 short films, including two that earned Academy Award nominations, and eight features. He has also directed 10 music videos, 18 commercials and nine couch gags for The Simpsons. His films have won more than 20 festival awards, including prizes at Annecy, Cannes, ASIFA and Berlin. In June, he was inducted into the Animation Hall of Fame.
The Woodstock Film Festival marked his birthday with “Grilling Bill Plympton,” a screening of his shorts. Fellow indie animator Signe Baumane interviewed him about his career during the event.
For a contrast with hand-drawn work, see how AI is reshaping animation in AI tools for orchestral animation mastery projects.
Watching the video
The bill plympton music video’s appeal lies in its restraint. Plympton keeps the drawings simple and the motion loose, so the jokes land through timing and character. For a song about nerves and a lifetime spent waiting for the right moment, the approach fits well.
Frequently asked questions
Who directed and animated the Average Friends music video?
Animator Bill Plympton directed and animated the music video for “u know i luv u” by Average Friends. He drew every frame by hand in his signature Plymptoons style.
How was the Bill Plympton music video for Average Friends funded?
The video was funded through Kickstarter. It premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival.
Who wrote and performed the song in this music video?
Average Friends, a Los Angeles indie pop duo, wrote and performed the song “u know i luv u.”
How many music videos has Bill Plympton directed?
Bill Plympton has directed 10 music videos. He has also made more than 50 short films and eight features.
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