You might think that you’re a dedicated Childish Gambino fan, but artist Wahyu Ichwandardi has really taken the cake.
The award-winning animator – also known as Pinot – is using 1980s computer animation software to recreate Gambino’s iconic, provocative and important ‘This is America’ music video, and it’s incredible.
He’s logging his process on Twitter and Instagram and the impressive project is getting a whole lot of love from fans online.
So far so good. I think. ? pic.twitter.com/EJvvIpjYqZ
— Pinot W. Ichwandardi (@pinot) July 6, 2018
Ichwandardi started sharing pieces of his endeavour to capture the ‘This Is America’ choreography at the beginning of June, and it’s an arduous journey to follow.
Working on practically ancient Apple computers and using retro programs like MacPaint and MacroMind Video, he’s been painstakingly matching the animation pixel for pixel to bring each frame to life.
Trying to capture Donald Glover’s motion in MacPaint. pic.twitter.com/gL7JErrJpN
— Pinot W. Ichwandardi (@pinot) June 9, 2018
‘This is America’ is one of the most significant songs and music videos of 2018 and the thorough attention to recreating movements exactly is a testament to the minute detail of the music video’s creative vision.
“This is America” dope shit pic.twitter.com/QYnrQbsmuR
— Dj Candlest?ck (@candlestickem) July 5, 2018
The video and Donald Glover’s movements especially are embedded with pointed references to minstrelsy, Jim Crow, police violence and so much more to make a bold statement on the perception of black people in America.
Don't catch you slippin' up
Look what I'm whippin' up
(high res bitmap) pic.twitter.com/ZfUXT5lMJb— Pinot W. Ichwandardi (@pinot) June 19, 2018
With retro tools at hand, Ichwandardi’s personal ode to the Childish Gambino masterpiece is transporting the performance into what closely resembles a 1980s video game.
Pixel art machines:
– Drawing tool: Macintosh 128K + MacPaint
– Animation too: Macintosh SE + MacroMind VideoWork
– Both connected with LocalTalk pic.twitter.com/h19c8fWFKO— Pinot W. Ichwandardi (@pinot) June 29, 2018
It’s not finished yet, but so far there’s 375 frames of a pixelated Childish Gambino dancing and it’s damn impressive.
Even the pixel-version of Donald Glover could get it.
