like a rolling stone

Michel Gondry you're my hero.

I saw his clip for The Stones' Like a Rolling Stone again yesterday. It's not my favourite clip but one that's always intrigued me. When I started getting into film and editing a couple of years ago I was under the impression that it was created using two techniques:

- 'Bullet Time' from The Matrix; a series of still frames taken simulaneously, then played in sequence with a slower (generally) frame rate for film.
- Again, only still frames, morphed together.

When I watched it again yesterday, I realised I was only scraping the surface:

- The shots of the Stones, while confusingly constructed, appeared to have been manipulated frame by frame in Photoshop, using the smudge tool (I can't remember the name but the one where you can 'move' pixels as if stretching and pulling the image).

Anyway, I just found the answers to all of my questions :) http://www.director-file.com/gondry/promos.html

It's not just the incredible effects Gondry employs, its how perfect they are to communicate the story, an innovative, and genius. I actually feel disgusting, like I'm 'on the boat', when Patricia Arquette is walking home and the background can't quite keep up with her. I just really love Michel Gondry.

Watch it or buy it.