The production company shares never-before-seen behind-the-scenes material from the making of ‘The Less I Know The Better’, a piece that marked a turning point in contemporary music video history.
Ten years have passed since “The Less I Know The Better”, directed by Lope Serrano and Nicolás Méndez (CANADA), burst onto the global scene to become one of the most influential music videos of the 21st century. Today, on the occasion of its anniversary, the production company has shared unreleased footage from the shoot — a visual journey that once again highlights a project that redefined the language of the contemporary music video.
The video, produced by CANADA for Universal Music Australia, tells the surreal story of a teenage love triangle between a basketball player, a cheerleader, and a gorilla. An unusual premise that, as the directors recall, sprang from the desire to combine hormonal drama with a powerful and highly symbolic aesthetic: “It was very simple: a player finds out the team’s mascot is with his girlfriend. When it comes to apes, sometimes the less you know, the better.”
Filmed over three days of intense production with a crew of 50 people, the project blended live action with hand-drawn animation, a distinctive hallmark of Lope Serrano’s creative universe. As revealed in the press note, the animation ended up being done entirely in his own style: “There were so many drawings that we considered several animators, but in the end he had to do it himself, locked at home for two weeks with the help of his wife, photographer Cecilia Duarte.”
The video’s psychedelic atmosphere — now instantly recognizable — was born from a very specific visual premise: “The idea of pouring paint onto a surface was the key that opened the psychedelic door,” explain the directors, who sought a vibrant, almost acrylic palette that contrasted with the gorilla’s black fur and enhanced the dreamlike tone of the story.
Since its release, the video has been acclaimed worldwide. Outlets such as Promonews, Vulture, and Billboard described it as “sexy, surreal, and visually hypnotic”, and its impact was reinforced by awards such as the SXSW Film Awards (Special Jury Recognition), a Graphite Pencil at D&AD, and Best Rock Video at the UK Music Video Awards. Over time, its status grew even further when it was chosen as #1 on triple j’s Hottest 100 of the Decade.
Today, a decade later, CANADA’s legacy remains more alive than ever. This anniversary not only celebrates a historic music video: it reminds us how authorial vision, creative risk, and craftsmanship can transcend generations in the era of audiovisual storytelling.
Here is the music video:
