Biffy Clyro - joy, discovery, invention

The band is in a private screening room, where small snippets of film are being projected onto a screen for them to watch. We don’t know why they’re doing this, but are watching closely the procession of girls in their early twenties that pass across the screen. They all appear slightly bored, as if they’d rather be doing something else.

Each girl stays on screen for about five seconds. Simon lip synchs to the song as he watches. Ben and James watch from other seats in the small twelve seat room, watching the procession of faces. A familiar face comes up on the screen, and Simon is suddenly transfixed as the girl remains on the screen. Ben and James clearly recognise her.

Close up on the beam of light from the projector. Dust in the air swirls in the fixed beam. Colours in the light swirl as the image projected changes from static to moving. Cut back to the screen that Simon is watching, and images of the girl, together with him, are being projected. He watches as the two of them interact, seemingly perfectly happy. He lip-synchs the song, watching the drama unfurl on the screen.

As we build up to the heavy guitar drop at around 1.50, the projected events take a turn for the worse. The girl is going bananas, shouting and screaming manically at Simon, who remains stony faced, trying not to let this madness affect him. She tries to attack him, a look of hate on her face. As he watches in the screening room, Simon closes his eyes. This hurts to watch.

The film runs to leader, and we cut back to normality. Simon is sat staring ahead, as more girls continue to pass across the screen.

This would be filmed digitally, with the projected footage shot on super 8 as soon as possible. (I would also shoot this on DV for backup). This would then be developed for real time projection when we shoot the video, so that Simon can interact with the projected light, and cast a shadow on the screen. I could shoot this sequence with Simon and the actress pretty much anywhere (preferably an exterior) in an afternoon.

In order to get the girls for the projected sequence, I will go out with a Mini DV and just ask people if I can film them for a few seconds for a music video. If they want to do it for nothing, then we film and get them to sign a release form. We cast for an actress that we edit in amongst these girls.

I want the camera to be on the move a lot with this. The screening room is small, and in order to increase that feeling I would like to use a steadicam to get a lot of movement across Simon’s face as he mouths the words. The location I have in mind has dark blue velvet seats that will look beautiful if we keep the grade quite dark, and keep the guys in black. I’d like to get the effect of faces being lit by what’s happening on the screen. I’d like to have Simon stand up in the light as well, and turn his face so that images from the screen hit his face. The effect of super 8 in contrast to the more clinical feel of the DV projections will give what only Simon can see a very dreamlike quality.