Merman’s Vaughan Arnell and Rohtau Blend Hand-Crafted Animation and AI for Take That’s "Sweet July"

Merman has unveiled the music video for Take That’s latest single, "Sweet July," directed by Vaughan Arnell. Created in collaboration with independent artist-led VFX studio Rohtau, the film combines traditional hand-crafted animation with AI-assisted workflows to create a distinctive mixed-media aesthetic.

Drawing inspiration from iconic music videos including Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer and a-ha's Take On Me, alongside four decades of comic-book illustration, the creative team developed four distinct visual styles that evolve throughout the film. Rather than relying on automated effects, each frame was carefully crafted by hand using a combination of illustration, animation and compositing techniques, resulting in an authentic animated feel that celebrates the band's performance.

Because Take That are so instantly recognizable, preserving their likeness while embracing bold graphic styles was central to the creative process. Rohtau worked closely alongside Vaughan Arnell and the Merman team throughout the shoot. Some of the most exciting moments came from happy accidents including the large studio doors opening to cast beautiful shadows that translated into rich line-art textures across the floor.

Once the edit was complete, the film was divided into individual sequences and assigned to a team of specialist artists across Europe including Sébastien, the French comic-book specialist, handled the water-ink, darker ink, and color comic-book sections, maintaining both the timeline and the visual flow. Zed, based in Hungary, brought his expertise in textured, gritty comic-book imagery and added depth, while Linus in Switzerland drew on his background in comic books, collage, paper craft, and stop-motion to help shape the more tactile, layered sections. Overall, the team created a rich visual language that balances analogue craft with contemporary technology while always keeping the band's performances at the heart of the film. Vaughan’s openness to play, explore, and guide the film with confidence helped create an environment in which the team could flourish creatively, resulting in a complex but highly readable and visually inventive piece - a dream scenario, and a dream team.

Director Vaughan Arnell said: "The video was inspired by the iconic videos of INXS, Peter Gabriel and a-ha, but we wanted to re-interpret that style through a contemporary AI lens. Rohtau were incredible at bringing the idea to life. We had three artists from across Europe each creating different sections of the film, all coordinated by Jordi at Rohtau, so it became this genuinely collaborative process. There were hand-drawn sketches, illustrations and painted elements, all blended with different AI platforms. It ended up feeling like a real fusion of traditional craft and modern mixed-media techniques, and we were thrilled with how it all came together."