Recess Monkey Premieres the Cut-Paper Video for 'Paper Airplane'

What do three school teachers do on their day off? Take a trip around the world in a hot air balloon made out of paper. "Paper Airplane," the new music video by Seattle "kindie" rock band Recess Monkey, combines thousands of paper scraps and 100,000 or so stop motion moments in Final Cut to make a story about a boy who takes an unexpected journey.

"We really wanted it all to have a hand-made aesthetic, and a minimalist feel," explains Recess Monkey member Jack Forman.

To make the collages in the video, the band bought several hundred pieces of paper from the Seattle art store Artist and Craftsman Supply in various patterns, color and detail, hoping for a balance of "clutter and elegance."

The video for the psychedelic pop tune "Paper Airplane" is an excerpt from a longer DVD released in tandem with the band's new album "Hot Air." It's a story about a boy who sews together all of his siblings' hand-me-downs. The mismatched clothes catch the breeze on a clothesline and he realizes he accidentally constructed a hot air balloon.

"We loved the idea that by following a creative inspiration, the character could actually win an air race by following his instincts and being open to the experience," notes Jack. "Very similar energy to the process of making the animations on my home computer!"

Want to have more Recess Monkey fun? Check out the new Recess Monkey paper airplane and download it here.