Dezeen Magazine

Dropbear recreates retro video games using old cassettes in Opiuo's Quack Fat music video

Music: Australian animation studio Dropbear used over 340 painted cassette tapes and floppy disks to create the stop-motion animation in this music video for producer Opiuo's new track Quack Fat.

Quack Fat music video by Dropbear for Opiuo

Dropbear's video for Quack Fat, which is taken from the Australia-based DJ and producer's 2014 album Mereki, features animated recreations of classic video games – including Tetris, Space Invaders and Megaball – made from tapes and diskettes.

Music video by Dropbear for Quack Fat by Opiuo

"I grew up listening to music on cassettes and Walkmans, so I thought it would be a nice idea to bring back the cassette and other retro things from my childhood and incorporate them into a music video," Dropbear founder Jonathan Chong told Dezeen. "I like the juxtaposition of Opiuo's new sound and the retro imagery."

Music video by Dropbear for Quack Fat by Opiuo

Chong painted 240 cassette tapes and 108 floppy disks to make the video, which consists of over 2800 still images animated at 25 frames per second.

Music video by Dropbear for Quack Fat by Opiuo

"I had to source a lot of cassettes from second-hand shops," Chong explained. "You'd be surprised that they were quite hard to find. I suppose cassettes aren't as popular as they used to be."

Music video by Dropbear for Quack Fat by Opiuo

The floppy disks were easier to get hold of, however.

"I'm a big hoarder," Chong admitted. "Some of the disks were in boxes that I'd been storing for ages. All that hoarding finally paid off!"

Music video by Dropbear for Quack Fat by Opiuo

The video game sections in the video are interspersed with sequences featuring a boombox and an old yellow Sony Walkman, which opens and closes in time to the music.

Music video by Dropbear for Quack Fat by Opiuo

"I wanted to make an ode to those retro objects and also create a vibe that would match the energy of the music," Chong said.

Music video by Dropbear for Quack Fat by Opiuo

"The yellow Walkman was perfect as a 'main character'," he added. "I've had many people tell me that they had owned that walkman when they were kids, so I think it really resonates."