6 min.
Piece by Piece, Vid by Vid
Over three decades as a musician, Pharrell Williams has done things his own way, taking maverick approaches that still operate in the mainstream.
The production of his new film, it turns out, had the same philosophy.
By now you’ve likely heard of Piece by Piece, Williams’ film with Morgan Neville that sits on the line between authorized celebrity biopic, animation mold-buster and formalist doc experiment. Lesser told, however, is the story of how the film came to be: with the use of dozens of everyday artists around the world, many of whom had never before held a Hollywood gig — or any gig at all.
They connected via the L.A.-based creator platform Tongal, allowing Williams and Neville to find both quirky visions and less expensive labor. Essentially, instead of hiring a professional animation…