A dreamy tribute to Mac Miller

A new music video for Colors and Shapes pays tribute to American rapper Mac Miller, who died in 2018.

Directed by Hornet's Sam Mason the video is a surreal and stirring film that follows Miller's dog Ralphie as he embarks on a quest into unconsciousness. The film is a dreamscape portrait with abstract yet realistic CG animation, ethereal transitions, and a heartfelt story.

Colors and Shapes first featured on the 2014 mixtape Faces, which is considered by many to be Miller’s greatest work for its unique, jazzy production and themes of personal exploration. The lyrics are meditative and metaphorical, psychedelic and psychological, a selfless-journey and self-reflection all in one, and Miller’s family hoped to create a film that would visually illuminate some of these themes. 

The idea behind Ralphie as the protagonist spawned from a true story about a time he went missing while Miller was in a recording session. Unfortunately, Ralphie was never found, and this story is about where Ralphie might have gone. Supporting the literal premise is a more abstract exploration of childhood and, more specifically, Miller’s childhood. "In some ways," explains Mason, "it’s sort of a look at the emotional and difficult and perilous path of an artist.

"We were letting the film tell us what it needed, and we just made space to let it become what it needed to. I think there was something really magical in how everyone just really trusted the process. It was really important to us that this was 100% a passion project, but a passion project that involved a very important context that we had to honour."