A chance meeting between British rocker Chris Martin and actor Andy Serkis inspired the band to embrace motion-capture technology for a new music video.

The musicians were transformed into chimps in the promo for their new single Adventure Of A Lifetime using techniques pioneered in Hollywood movies such as Avatar and The Lord of The Rings.

It has now been revealed the idea came about after frontman Chris bumped into Andy on a plane, and the pair discussed the actor's experiences with motion-capture on films such as King Kong and the Planet of the Apes series.

The rockers spent six months making the short clip, and used "full motion performance capture rigs" to transform themselves.

Adventure Of A Lifetime is the first single taken from the band's new album, A Head Full of Dreams, which is due for release in December (15) and features collaborations with stars including Beyonce, Noel Gallagher, and Chris' former partner Gwyneth Paltrow.

Chris recently revealed the musicians came close to missing their deadline for the record.

"It (the deadline) gradually moved later and later - but we came in relatively on time," Chris explained during an appearance on Britain's BBC Radio 1.

He also revealed the record is much more cheerful than their last offering, 2014's Ghost Stories, saying, "(It is) a more colorful, more joyful sort of thing... It's the sound of us being free and happy and very grateful to be in our group."

The album is also said to feature a clip of President Barack Obama, who is believed to be a big fan of the band, singing during a church service.

"I met Barack Obama in the summer and one thing he said to me was, 'Oh I have your songs on my iPod," but I just thought, 'Oh I bet he says that to every pop star he meets,'" Chris explained in 2012.

"I can't get my head around the notion that the president of the USA would have any of my songs on his playlist. It is just too surreal."