LIONS

Visual Planning

Music Video Outline: "LIONS"

• Target Shoot Dates: Aug 22/23 or Aug 29/30 | 2 Day Shoot | Budget: $7,500

• Locations: St. Mary’s Church (Boston) | Long Backroad (TBD) | Automotive Shop (TBD)

• Actors: The Band (Connor, Matt, Aaron, & Austin), Joe Stump (guitarist), & Johnny (actor)

• Core Premise: Performance-heavy visual set in St. Mary’s Church. Johnny, a sinner seeking sanctuary in the pews with a duffle bag of stolen money, undergoes a spiritual awakening. Moved by the music, he relives flashbacks of his past sins (a heist and a fatal traffic stop) before achieving spiritual restoration. Overarching theme of the church as a refuge/haven from the storm/chaos of the outside world.

• Core FX: CGI Lion walking through the Church, animal & storm overlays in the eyes of the band + Johnny, storm effects in the distance of a backroad, lightning strikes in the windows of the church, levitation of Johnny’s spirit up through the Church, revolving shots around Johnny & the band in the Church + automotive shop, drone footage of Connor driving away from the storm, etc.

• Color Scheme: Dark orange & black - Sons of Anarchy // Ghost Rider // Johnny Cash.

VISUAL SEQUENCE

1. Intro & Arrival:

   • Sunset driving shots of Connor heading toward the church on a backroad, away from a building storm.

   • Connor enters the church, walking down the aisle past Johnny: the only man in the pews, praying. A match-cut transforms Connor into a photorealistic lion pacing toward the altar, which then morphs into Connor holding the mic as the band hits the opening riff.

2. Flashbacks & Dual Role:

   • Extreme close-ups on Johnny’s eyes in the pews trigger fast memories.

   • Auto Shop: Johnny working as an automotive technician while the band plays as phantoms behind him in the shop.

   • Traffic Stop: Connor (as a cop) approaches Johnny’s car at night. Panic-stricken, Johnny cocks a pistol & prepares to confront the cop - implying that Johnny kills Connor. Cuts directly to Connor screaming the chorus in the church, revealing him as both the slain officer and Johnny's spiritual guide

3. Climax (Joe Stump Guitar Solo & Johnny’s Levitation):

   • The church lights darken & become a gothic crimson/dark blue lighting. Joe Stump appears on the church balcony & shreds the guitar solo as a lightning storm rages through the stained glass behind him.

   • Overwhelmed by the solo, Johnny’s spirit detaches and levitates to the vaulted ceiling before slamming back into his body at the solo's peak. Joe Stump disappears in smoke (or turns into a flock of crows) as the solo finishes.

4. Outro:

   • The music stops; the band vanishes. Johnny leaves the duffle bag in the pews as penance. Walking out of the Church, his form briefly transforms into a full-sized lion—signifying he is restored—before he steps out into the morning light.

PRODUCTION LOGISTICS & CONTINGENCIES

Location Split: Shoot the Auto Shop performance first (Morning/Day 1) using simple shop lights and haze. Move to St. Mary’s Church for the core performance, utilizing both day and night lighting to build visual depth.

1. Lighting FX: Use red/blue LED strobes for the traffic stop car interior. Pair exterior strobes with crimson/blue gels for the church lightning sequence.

2. VFX Strategy: See what’s possible as A.I. storm overlays through the windows, develop a plan for levitation/the transcendent effect from the Oliver Francis Toxic Paradise video of Johnny’s spirit leaving his body, research the viability of a realistic CGI Lion, & explore visual effects that can enhance the storyline

3. Lion Backup Plan: If photorealistic 3D lion CGI proves too costly, swap to dramatic cutaways of high-resolution lion stock footage.

Contingency Plan for the Guitar Solo

• If Joe Stump is unavailable to appear on set:

  • Option A (Silhouetted Stand-In): Connor will perform the solo as a silhouetted guitarist on the balcony. Frame the shot in heavy backlight, smoke, and aggressive lightning strobes so the guitarist remains a high-contrast silhouette, keeping the "Dark Lord" aesthetic intact without requiring clear facial shots.

  • Option B (Stage/Altar Pivot): Shift the solo performance down to the altar floor. Position Aaron (or the primary rhythm guitarist) front-and-center under a stark, downward white spotlight while the rest of the church plunges into total darkness. The band will essentially be performing the rhythm, while a supernatural force provides the solo.

REFERENCES

FX