This is the official video for the recorded version of “This Too Shall Pass” off of the album “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky”. The video was filmed in a two story warehouse, in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. The “machine” was designed and built by the band, along with members of Syyn Labs over the course of several months.
An incredible video that makes Honda’s “Cog” feel almost like a classroom demo by comparison.
A four-minute chain reaction you can’t fake
The mechanism is the star. OK Go performs alongside a giant, practical Rube Goldberg machine that triggers hundreds of small actions in sequence. The camera tracks the chain reaction as it unfolds, so the satisfaction comes from watching real physics carry the story forward.
In global brand and entertainment culture, Rube Goldberg builds travel because they turn craftsmanship into visible proof of effort.
Why it lands
This works because it is both legible and obsessive. You understand the premise instantly, then you keep watching to see whether it will keep working. The tension is not “what happens next”. It is “will it actually make it all the way”. That makes the piece rewatchable, and it makes every tiny moment feel earned. The real question is whether the mechanism feels trustworthy enough to hold attention all the way through. Practical chain-reaction films are more persuasive than polished spectacle because the visible mechanism becomes the proof.
Extractable takeaway: When you want people to commit attention, give them a single continuous mechanism to follow, and make every beat visibly caused by the one before it.
What to steal from chain-reaction storytelling
- Build one dominant visual system. A single machine beats a dozen unrelated scenes.
- Let the craft be the hook. Practical effects earn trust faster than claims.
- Create “will it work” tension. Reliability becomes suspense when the whole thing is interdependent.
- Design for rewatching. Layer details so viewers discover something new each pass.
A few fast answers before you act
What makes this “This Too Shall Pass” video special?
It is built around a warehouse-sized practical Rube Goldberg machine that runs in sync with the song, creating a continuous chain reaction that holds attention through pure cause-and-effect.
Who built the machine?
The machine was built by OK Go with Syyn Labs, developed over months as a large-scale practical build.
Was it really done in one take?
The finished film is presented as a single continuous shot. The appeal comes from watching the chain reaction unfold without cutting away.
Why do Rube Goldberg videos get shared so much?
They combine instant comprehension with delayed payoff. You get the idea immediately, then you stay for the satisfaction of completion.
What is the most reusable lesson for marketers?
Give people a mechanism they can follow, not just images they can admire. When each moment visibly causes the next, attention becomes effortless.