On Jack Stauber’s Aesthetic
Today I re-uploaded a bunch of animations I had on YouTube because I had tried using a Jack Stauber style VHS effect but didn’t think it suited my content anywhere near as effectively.
And that got me thinking about the man himself. Mind you, I never tried to imitate Jack Stauber, and I believe it would be almost sacrilegious to try to copy someone in that league, (although it can be argued that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.) But like my many influences, I borrow elements here and there.
But I digress…
I got to thinking about him and his videos, so I wanted to share my favorite animation of his here. The song, (composed and performed by Jack Stauber himself, who is primarily considered a musician,) is very catchy and upbeat.
But the visuals are what really take the cake, thus making this video the best example of the Jack Stauber aesthetic. In the next few paragraphs, I’d like to comment on what I believe to be the best parts of his aesthetic and his overall approach to making animations.
1.) There’s definitely a vintage bent to his work, as obviously exemplified by his use of the VHS effect (which he creates by transferring his videos to VHS and then back to digital.) But the other elements are more subtle. Take, for example, his use of neon colors. These types of colors look like they came from an 80s MTV video, which I especially appreciate.
2.) To enhance the nostalgia factor, as well as to introduce a creepy “cursed tape” vibe, he incorporates claymation into many of his animations, and the above video is a veritable cornucopia of Stauber claymation goodness!
3.) His videos are very easy to watch because most of them are short, bite-sized nuggets ranging anywhere from 20 seconds to a minute and a half. I find that it makes his videos very bingeable, which is the best way I can think of to pass a lazy Saturday afternoon.
4.) As a musician, his songs complement the vintage aesthetic of his animations very closely, as he sounds like he’s deliberately emulating 80s pop music. (His voice especially reminds me of Robert Smith’s vocals with The Cure.)
While I wouldn’t say his videos are necessarily a pastiche of the 80s, it would appear that he hearkens back to that time period in a few ways while definitely adding his own personal stamp.
And this stamp is inimitable and untouchable by mere mortals!
We salute you, Jack Stauber!