Creating a music video for an iconic Australian rock band is something 40 University of Newcastle students can proudly tick off their bucket list, after producing the official music video for The Living End’s new single ‘Not Like The Other Boys’.

Bachelor of Visual Communication Design and Bachelor of Communication students were given an exclusive sneak preview of the video today, which was uniquely brought to life as a result of valuable work-integrated learning.

The project was conceptualised, shot, animated and edited with The Living End in the University’s world-class production studios.

The Living End - Not Like the Other Boys

ARIA Award winners, The Living End has continued to make a significant mark in the Australian music industry since its formation in the 1990s. The band said the collaboration was an exciting exercise in knowledge-sharing between established and emerging creatives.

“We had a great time making the ‘Not Like The Other Boys’ video with the extremely talented and creative students at Uni of Newcastle,” The Living End said.

It was a first for us as we'd never made an animated video before, and we were blown away by the quality of the end result. It was exciting to be part of a unique process that gave young up and coming directors a shot. The students came up with a very clever idea that really captures the meaning behind the song in a really cool way.”

Using the technique ‘rotoscoping’, whereby live-action footage is traced and animated effects applied to the image, the final video is a mash up of bold lines, colour and extraordinary forms to tell the story.

Already gaining national recognition, the clip was nominated for best Australian & NZ animated music video at the 2019 CLIPPED Music Video Festival as part of Vivid Sydney. The only solely student-produced project, it stood its ground against works from seasoned industry professionals.

Bachelor of Visual Communication Design student, Reid McManus, helped rotoscope the clip and said the experience had been an incredible introduction to the industry – one which provided unique real-world insights.

“It was a really exciting experience to work with such a well-known and loved band. They have faith that we as students can do a bigger project – something that’s more like what we’ll be doing in the commercial world,” he said.

These are tangible skills that we’ll be able to draw on as our careers progress in the industry.”

It’s not the first time the talents of University of Newcastle creative students have caught the attention of international stars. In 2017, Justin Timberlake shared students’ rotoscoped work of his smash hit ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’on his social platforms.

Associate Professor in the School of Creative Industries, Susan Kerrigan, said the continued interest in the talents of University of Newcastle students was an exciting prospect for the future of local creatives.

“We’re thrilled to have been involved in something so ground-breaking. It’s a rare opportunity for students to be able to gain real-world experience in collaboration with such an established and respected group like The Living End,” Associate Professor Kerrigan said.

We’re looking forward to continuing our efforts in the growth of creative industries locally, and providing real-world opportunities for the next generation of artists.”

Head of the School of Creative Industries, Professor Paul Egglestone, said the project was a significant milestone.

“This brilliant opportunity for our students marks the first step in a growing collaboration between the School of Creative Industries and BMG Australia, a full service music company with a roster that includes AC/DC, Alison Wonderland, Didirri, Dune Rats, Illy, JET, Peking Duk, SAFIA, What So Not, Wolfmother and Winston Surfshirt,” Professor Egglestone said.

“We’re keen to continue building on our relationship with BMG to provide our students with even more opportunities to kick start their creative careers here with us.”

‘Not Like The Other Boys’ features on The Living End’s eighth studio album ‘Wunderbar’ and is out now through BMG. The official music video was released publicly by The Living End on Friday 5 July 2019.

The band surprised students at the exclusive preview with a special recorded message

Work Integrated Learning

The Living End collaboration is the result of the University’s commitment to incorporating ground-breaking work-integrated learning into its degree programs.

Its degrees prepare graduates to expand their creative talents and develop hands-on skills that are relevant and in demand across the creative industries.

Find out more

Students bring The Living End music video to life