initial plot synopsis

04:34:00 Drew Anderson 0 Comments

1. What is your initial idea? 

Essentially our plot follows a main male protagonist as he stumbles through various worlds and locations after turning to a life of drugs and complete melancholy. The overall feel of the narrative will be dark and really make the audience think about whats happening. I think collectively as a group we wanted to follow this idea because we thought it would be most engaging and would also allow us to experiment with a range of style and filming techniques. Typically, sad music videos tend to keep with very slow paced tempo. We would like to adopt this technique into our final video but also introduce some cutting shots exhibited by Edgar Wright in Shaun of the Dead. However, the overall filming style should reflect that of Spike Jonze whose filming techniques tend to follow one person in a deep and focused narrative.

The main plot revolves around this man who at the beginning is seen being fired from his job or ending a relationship. It is at this point that the man dreams and as he dreams he envisions a girl. he can never quite see this girl but she wears a red dress and is clearly seen running away. After the dream  he turns to drugs and this is where the music will cut in. A smoke like effect will be used to cover the screen entirely to mirror the effect of smoke from the drugs. We follow the man who now enters the first world (which is the forest scene). In this world will stumble through the forest and pass people dressed in completely strange and tribal clothing. As he walks he imagines more vividly and creatively falling through areas of the forest to completely strange and bizarre happenings. He will then move onto a city scene before finally ending in a beach scene. In each world he is chasing this girl and can never quite catch her. However, it is at the beach scene that he is finally able to see this girl. She turns to reach out to him and whilst he is about to touch her himself she disappears completely. This is where the front headlights of a car will be seen and a faint revving of a car engine will be played over the music. We will hear a wheel screech and the man will be run over. The car is essentially a symbol for the harsh reality of this mans life. Whilst the girl is a microcosm of the drugs as she is ultimately all but a fantasy and escape for the man. The girl will also be wearing red which is typically a symbol for danger something that is certainly a foreshadow to his death. When she disappears he is seemingly exiting the drug like state becoming closer to reality which is the car itself. We could argue that the man can never return from his drug infested mind and is clearly lost within himself meaning death is the only solution for the critical finale of our narrative. After he is hit we will be greeted with a completely black screen and the sound of a horn beeping. I think the video will also contain a message and spread awareness of the danger of drugs and why people should not consume them.

2. How did you come to this idea? 

I had originally come up with the idea after watching an Ikea advert where a man goes through different objects into different rooms and places of a house. I liked the fluidity of the film and how in each room something different was happening. So I started to think of how I could incorporate this into my own storyline. Matt argued that we should have a theme of depression and love within the narrative to keep it more believable and engaging. From here we used a storyline sheet and started to plot down basic ideas and concepts as well as group discussions in class with all team members. Also it was fairly difficult to think of the idea completely before we had arranged the song choice as we came up with a lot of the ideas after hearing the song and the lyrics.

3. What part of the idea are you particularly keen on? 

I think it will be really interesting the final scene. This scene should have the most screen time and be the central focus and climax to the music video. We will have to film early in the morning to achieve a whiter, lighter light and give the impression that he is in another dimension or world. I also think it will be interesting to see how I edit the girl disappearing as he touches her. Apart from this I think every scene should really be composed and though about to achieve a consistency engaging and intriguing look. 

Plot idea in relation to our song: London Grammar, Wasting my young years

Our music choice fits our storyline very well. In fact the lyrics of the song read: "I'm wasting my young years", "It doesn't matter, I'm chasing more ideas". This is perfect when considering the man is wasting his years and ultimately wasting his life on drugs. He is unable to escape a deep depression and feeling of utter sadness so drugs are the only escape for him. Perhaps the reason behind the girl is that he strives to find love again in some form or another. He is quite clearly prepared to suffer the consequences and it "doesn't matter" if he chases his "ideas" which are essentially his drug plagued mind. In the closing stanza of the songs lyrics it reads "Don't leave me hanging on". It is here that the man is unable to contemplate the reality of his situation and is saddened by the fact that the girl has gone and he is left with nothing, trying to hang on to something that is not actually there; a fantasy. 

Lyrics: 

You cross this line
Do you find it hard to say it with me tonight?
I've walked these miles but I've walked in straight line
You'll never know what was there to be
Fine

I'm wasting my young years
It doesn't matter here
I'm chasing more ideas
It doesn't matter here

Baby
We are
We are
Maybe I'm wasting my young years
Baby
We are
We are
Baby, I'm wasting my young years

Don't you know that it's all I feel?
I wouldn't worry, you have all your love
I've heard it takes some time to get it behind

I'm wasting my young years
It doesn't matter here
I'm chasing more ideas
It doesn't matter here

Baby
We are
We are
Maybe I'm wasting my young years
Baby
We are
We are
Baby, I'm wasting my young years

I don't know what you want
Don't leave me hanging on
Don't know what you want
Don't leave me hanging on