Paint - Initial Group Treatment

As the first chord chimes in, the audience is treated to a montage of London’s most modern landmarks. It is late at night and the surroundings are empty and vacant. The main feature is the sheer darkness with the addition of the stunningly lit attractions. Our band shows up as the verse begins. Each is standing in front of an iconic landmark – the Dome, Piccadilly Circus or the Eye. Their positions in front of the camera remain fixed as they each perform individually and alone to camera. However, to the beat, the location behind them changes between the three original locations. Three band members alternating through three locations. Throughout this first verse, the camera remains fixed at a dynamic low-angle LS, showing the stance and stature of the performers.

Upon the first line of the chorus, the camera changes, however. The position and angle remains the same, but there is far greater shot variety – focusing on the arms, hands, faces and feet of the performers. When the Lead sings the final line of the chorus, he runs off camera to the side along with his microphone. This is the trigger to a sequence of shots showing all the band members running fast and intently to an unknown destination. This continues until mid-way through the second verse, when the Lead turns – mic in hand – and sings to camera before running off once again.

In contrast to the previous ending of a sequence, the next sequence begins by the Lead running into shot ready to scream. He is in a totally black room and is dressed in a matching black boiler suit. He runs into his usual position, but his band members aren’t there – their places are left empty but their instruments are waiting for them. As we focus on the Lead’s vocals, at specific moments – in time with the beat – the other band members run into shot, take their positions and too start playing. Again, the camera remains fixed and at a strong low angle until the chorus begins, when the shot variety changes and the camera is no longer fixed. The shots are in shaky handheld, showing extreme close ups of details, like faces, guitars, drum sticks and alike.

At the conclusion of this the third chorus, there is more screeching from the Lead. In this sequence, band members flicker by disappearing and then reappearing in time with the beat. The London night shots are seen once again, and the changing of the background becomes much faster and the band-members appear and reappear with growing speed and ferity. The final verse acts as highlights of the video – we briefly see their running around London, some montage-like shots of London and set the scene for the final sequence.

In a split second, their instruments disappear and they are left standing there blankly. Then, the final scream sees all motion grind to a slow speed as the band are sprayed with layers of bright coloured paints. The actions slow to half-speed mid-way through the shots to see the specific movements of the performers as the paint lands on them. They’re shot freely in handheld, high and low angles. And finally, as the final chorus begins their instruments reappear and they perform one last time, still covered in splattered paint. It is continuous with no disappearing-reappearing gimmicks – just the band letting rip. The song ends on brief glimpses of London as seen in the opening shots of the video.