Neighborhood Watch’s Daren Rabinovitch Talks Magical Realism and Noname’s "Hundred Acres" With Curation Hour
January 21, 2026
HUNDRED ACRES unfolds across the streets of Los Angeles, where felted creatures, dance, and the urban landscape quietly converge. Directed by Daren Rabinovitch of Encyclopedia Pictura, the music video for Noname revisits magical realism through tactile craft and spontaneous discovery. Prosthetic transformations, handmade costumes, and in-camera effects shape a world that feels playful yet grounded and oddly nostalgic.
Filmed in streets and parking lots, the piece resists digital spectacle in favour of presence. Fantasy emerges not as escape, but as something discovered through motion, collaboration, and the subtle elasticity of everyday reality.
HUNDRED ACRES feels like a burst of magical realism. How did the collaboration with Noname first come about, and how did that relationship shape the theatrical world you built for the video?
Noname reached out to us directly after seeing our previous videos, which are even more theatrical in nature. Given the real things she talks about in her lyrics, we thought “magical realism” would be a good way to spin that theatricality. We shot everything in L.A., using our studio as a base, and filmed mostly in the streets and alleys nearby, which brought a looseness that fits the vibe of her song.
In contrast, the puppets were very intentional. They were inspired by some of Beatrix Potter’s ballet costumes that we love. And we put a lot of work into them to make them magical enough to carry their scenes on their own. When we finally met up with Noname to shoot, it felt like giving her a present to unwrap, and I think she was genuinely delighted.
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