Jim Le Fevre Talks Cat-Dogs, Strobes And Animation

Over the weekend, Nexus unveiled its 3D SBTRKT-O-SCOPE – a giant art installation created to visually represent producer and instrumentalist SBTRKT, by featuring his infamous dog-cat mascot.

Known as the stroboscope, because it is activated using strobe lighting and 33.3rpm spins, the artwork creates an optical illusion of the animated creatures crawling over New York’s iconic skyline.

Nexus director Jim Le Fevre speaks to shots about the inspirations behind the project, the difficulties in creating such an installation and how his past experience served its purpose.

What was the brief you received from the client?

SBTRKT's Art Director A Hidden Place wanted to create a 3D Zoetrope, as a kind of prequel to the New Dorp music promo (below) to tell a birthing story of the dog-cat character created for the album’s artwork.

One of the trickiest points was trying to explain the restrictions and nuances of a zoetrope, which cannot conform to a filmic narrative. Instead, zoetropes work best in an environment where the looping movement acts as a narrative. It was imperative to skilfully craft something and distort the relationship between the cat-dog characters and the space on the disc – and make the audience question what is actually happening.

What was the inspiration behind the installation?

Because we were hard-pressed for time with the physical construction of the project, we really only had one chance to explore our inspirations of the above music video and the Manhattan Harbour line.

The birthing idea of the dog-cat animal married perfectly with the linear looping of the zoetrope –there was still a beginning, middle and end involved: the animal emerges from the water, bounds up buildings and disappears into the centre.

Structurally, I approached the project by defining what restrictions we would face and what elements we had to hand. The repeated patterns of the zoetrope create the most beautiful results and strobe lighting gives you so many options, so, in a way, it was great to allow it to create itself.

Technically the project looks very visually pleasing but also incredibly difficult to achieve. What was this process like? Tell us a bit about the process behind creating the installation.

It was important to understand what works best within repeated animated loops, but having worked on a similar project definitely helped me. 

Firstly, we had to decide the revolutions of the spinning disc and the frequency of the strobes to define how many frames we would be using and how big the character could be. The dog-cat character measured around 15cm, so we calculated that the disc could come to 33rpm and 10 frames per second for the strobe; which gave us enough space for each character not to bump into its neighbour. 

As this installation was to be experienced in the ‘real world’, I focussed on pre-visualising with 3DS Max. The set had to be designed in 3D and was inspired by the buildings around Manhattan’s Harbour line – but it still had to be easily 'broken apart' and turned into a jigsaw of flats so that each piece could then be laser-cut. There were about 700 pieces created which appear incredibly solid when the disc is revolving.

A basic 3D model of the dog-cat creature was created and we re-built the set and rigged it, preparing it for animation. The movement of the animal is almost poetic thanks to the weight and detail of each creature - people have been mesmerised by the flick of a tail or how it sinks its haunches into the buildings.

This process was condensed into a couple of days due to the sheer scale of work that followed. We really only had one go at the animations, but when it felt right, we sent it out to Inition to 3D Print using Nylon SLS.

We also had to test the strobes, construct the installation and figure out how the strobes would work (they’d be controlled by magnets to make sure they got the exact speed necessary). Once everything returned from their manufacturers, all models were hand-painted and secured.

What was the most challenging part of the shoot?

Ironically, as this is an installation intended to be experienced in reality, the hardest thing to do was film it. The frequency of the stroboscope works against the frame rate of most live-action cameras, so I had to think about this!  


It was quite a technical job, how much of a relief was it to see it all play out at the end?

The most exciting bit was the first time we turned it on - we all just stood around marvelling at our efforts, pleased that the planning had worked out. I've created many variations of this process so I know that if the planning is correct, everything should work, but there is always a moment of doubt.

The scale and clarity of the piece as well as the quality of animation has made this experience truly unique and wonderful. Once it was up and running, we watched it for ages – often not realising that people from other studios in the warehouse were standing around mesmerised too.

It’s really rewarding to watch someone who has never seen it before and know what they are about to go through. The sheer size and design of it is arresting even when it's not moving, but when it starts to spin, it’s great to watch people’s expression and joy as they pour over every detail.


You’re very well versed in directing animation spots. Was there much difference working with an installation and how so?

I've experimented with animation off-screen for a few years now and I always get excited about exploring different settings and new premises. I have also worked on other installations and am familiar with the nuances involved – quite different to the linear time-based narrative of film.

Working in installation-based projects is remarkable as you physically get to share the experience with viewers – something that doesn’t translate in film or commercials.

How did you retain your own personal style on this project but also create something that SBTRKT wanted?

Although the design was locked down before we even started, I enjoyed steering the direction and technical development of the installation as my past experience supported the project. I feel that my personal style and contribution has helped to finish the project to a high level.