In this adorably twisted 2D music video, a fluffy purple cat punishes the weak and dirty in the wake of COVID-19.
In our latest Fresh Takes, we share with AWN readers Don’t Touch Your Face, New York director and animator Leah Shore’s 2D music video for Gina Volpe’s song of the same name. Shore’s ode to the realities of COVID-19 is hilarious, violent, and slightly raunchy: a perfect tone for a story told by a fluffy purple feline determined to help enforce virus-safety hygiene.
In the short, an adorable, vaguely homicidal lavender cat punishes people not practicing safe hand-to-face distancing. The message is simple and silly, taking some of the drama and seriousness out of a very, very serious matter. How do you stop La Corona? Don’t touchie your face!
The project first came to Shore when the Lunachicks’ Volpe requested she make the music video. “I was honestly in a low place because I had just fled from NY due to being immunocompromised / high risk and am currently living with my mom at the moment Grey Gardens style 2.0,” Shore shared. “So, when she contacted me, I was thrilled to have the ability to produce something that I felt could bring some positivity to what's going on right now, especially as a New Yorker and an artist.”
While puzzling out the concept and story arc of the video, Shore realized that the perfect protagonist might just be an antagonist, noting, “My mom has a cat named Lemon who's name truly fits her lifestyle. So I'm hanging out with Lemon and listening to ‘Don't Touch Your Face’ and thought how hilarious it would be if this angry bitchy cat was just sick of people reacting to the virus in the wrong way and beat people up the entire time. I thought it would be punk, humorous, and irreverent enough for people to digest in these hard times.”
Once the concept was set, Shore made quick work of the video. “I boarded / keyframed the piece in a week and then handed it over to my animator, Rob Yulfo, who animated it in a week, and we were done” she says. “It was produced by Cyndy Villano and associate produced by Lola Rocknrolla. It was a really fast turnaround, so I had to think of really funny shots that are relatable and ridiculous. I think that it got people's attention, right?”
It did indeed, Leah. Give the Internet a cat, and the digeratti will listen. Give the Internet a man in a gimp suit, and they’ll follow you anywhere.
For more information about Leah Shore and the Lunachicks, visit their websites and social media:
Leah Shore:
Website: https://www.leahshore.com/
Twitter: @Leah_Shore
Instagram: leah_shore
Gina Volpe:
Website: https://www.ginavolpe.com/
Instagram: ginavolpeco
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ginavolpeco/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1qjFulvl5PLIjSoCihFBvG?si=GwdSWQbAQMao8Y5hA0vWrg
Lunachicks:
Website: https://www.lunachicks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LunachicksOfficial/
Cybersecurity specialist by day, investigative journalist by night.
