Heath Ledger’s Modest Mouse Video Premieres Today
By Jeffrey Hyatt
A new music video that was directed by the late actor Heath Ledger for the Modest Mouse song “King Rat” will premier online today.
The animated video makes its debut on MySpace Music, which coincides with the release of a new Modest Mouse EP, No One’s First, And You’re Next.
Watch the video below the jump…
It was back in January of 2007, while visiting his homeland of Australia, that Ledger presented Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse with an idea to direct a video for the yet-to-be-released song.
Ledger’s intention for the video’s theme was to raise awareness about the issue of whales that are hunted down illegally for commercial purposes off the coast of Australia each year.
The video was fully conceived down to the last detail but unfinished when Heath passed away in January of 2008. The video company The Masses (a film and music company which Heath was a partner in), completed the video in his honor with the full support of Brock.
Proceeds from iTunes video downloads in the first month of release will go toward Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization organization committed to ending the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.
The King Rat video was directed by Heath Ledger, co-directed and illustrated by Daniel Auber with lead animation by Norris Houk, animation by Jade Taglioli and produced by Sara Cline of The Masses.
