1. Music Video
BOYS DON’T CRY
Kirsty Hamilton | Written Treatment | 4/11/17

2. PAGE 1
2/2/17

3. PAGE 2
I would say I'm sorry
If I thought that it would change your mind
But I know that this time
I have said too much, been too unkind
I try to laugh about it
Cover it all up with lies
I try to laugh about it
Hiding the tears in my eyes
'Cause boys don't cry
Boys don't cry
I would break down at your feet
And beg forgiveness, plead with you
But I know that it's too late
And now there's nothing I can do
So I try to laugh about it
Cover it all up with lies
I try to laugh about it
Hiding the tears in my eyes
'Cause boys don't cry
Boys don't cry
I would tell you that I loved you
If I thought that you would stay
But I know that it's no use
That you've already gone away
Misjudged your limits
Pushed you too far
Took you for granted
I thought that you needed me more, more, more
Now I would do most anything
To get you back by my side
But I just keep on laughing
Hiding the tears in my eyes
'Cause boys don't cry
Boys don't cry
Boys don't cry

4. PAGE 3
Boys Don’t Cry by The Cure, 1979, is a simple new-wave song, which on the surface is about a person who has recently broken up with their partner.
Judging by the lyrics, the break-up appears to have happened due to unkind words (‘I have said too much, been too unkind’) and perhaps not
confessing or admitting to the love they felt for their partner (‘I would tell you that I loved you’).
The Cure are a band that have been rediscovered by a younger audience in today’s generation, and so my music video should be targeting this
audience. I’ll be using some performance shots of a local band playing to impersonate The Cure, and I’ll be setting the video in the 80s, so this means
bringing out some of the 80s quirkiest parts such as the interior decor, hairstyles, and fashion, all of which seem to be coming back into style.
For my music video, I would like to represent the simple lyrics with a simple narrative showing the aftermath of the break-up that is portrayed in the
lyrics. The video will focus on my lead actor, and his character, created through the lyrics, is a man who is trying to get through a break-up which he
didn’t think would affect him much. He’s trying to laugh and pretend it doesn’t bother him but he’s desperate to have his partner back – ‘took you for
granted… now I would do most ‘anything to get you back’. He’s arrogant on the surface, but we can see in the video that he is genuinely upset but feels
afraid to show his emotions due to the stigma of men not crying.
The music video will begin with some performance shots of the band playing to match the introduction of the song, but there will also be four
consecutive shots of an open fridge, hand holding beer bottle, opening bottle, then drinking. I want this in the intro to help set the scene of the man
going through the breakup and turning to casual drinking with friends, as though everything is fine.

5. PAGE 4
Once the first verse begins, we are introduced to the main actor. This verse will be 1:1 with the lead, with the camera always directly in
front of his face, and direct gaze being made. The lead, lip synching, is sat at a table in a kitchen with a beer bottle in hand and a
potted plant to the side. I want this recurring plant in the video to symbolise the lead’s ex-partner, or maybe a sense of his former self
watching over him as he’s falling into a pit of destruction. The plant follows him in almost every scene. As the second half of the first
verse continues, the lead stands and begins walking through the kitchen to main room – camera is tracking.
I want to use the opportunity here to create a particularly 80s style, so the hair and fashion is very important. The movement of the lead
is also vital, and I think George Michael, or Rick Astley are good examples of using 80s style dancing/walking.
When the pre-chorus begins, we’re cut to the lead with friends in the pub. I want this scene to have the filming more discreetly/from a
distance, so we are seeing them all in a naturalistic scenario – no lip synching, no direct gaze. This scene needs to have a comedic feel
to it, so the friends should be having a laugh, and they’re playing darts, drinking pints; I want one extreme close-up of a dart hitting a
dart board. To try and convey a naturalistic scene, the lighting is important here; it needs to be dim, with warm lighting, like in the
above photo on page with the lyrics.
To try and continue a comedic approach in this scene, I want a sudden direct gaze from main and quick zooming in to
enter us into the chorus. The chorus will be a continued shot from the close-up of the lead, but then as the camera zooms
back out we realise we’re in a different setting with the band behind the singer. I’m going to use this opportunity for some
close ups of the band members/instruments rocking out.

6. PAGE 5
In the second verse, we’re outside the front of a house with 80s dancing and lip synching. I want to continue this comedic approach, and so I’m
going to use Edgar Wright’s use of visual comedy with an arm entering the shot holding the plant, but of course in my music video, the plant
has this symbolism throughout the video, so it will represent more than a slice of cake seen below. I want the tension to be start building up
here too, so he pushes the plant away aggressively.
As the pre-chorus comes in again, we are back in the house seen in the first verse. Lead is with friends also seen earlier, and they’re drinking.
We can see an argument between the lead and one of the friends, and when ‘to laugh’ is repeated the second time, the lead smashes a beer
bottle and threatens his friend, and then the other friends get involved and pull them apart. I want the camera here to slightly dolly to the side
and pull-focus to the plant on window-ledge. In the background of the shallow focus, we can see guy fall on floor head in knees and friends’
legs gather around him.
In the last verse we’re outside, it’s midday and cloudy. In this scene the lead is outside his ex-partners house and looking up at her bedroom
window. We can see him shouting a name up at the window (but we can’t hear any dialogue), and we see a woman come to the window, but
we can’t make out her face. In the window we can also see the plant. The lead holds up a sign with ‘I love you’ scribbled on it in black pen, and
when the camera looks back at the window, we see the figure of the woman leave the frame. This scene is directly addressing the lyrics ‘I would
tell you that I loved you if I thought that you would stay’ – the video can be interpreted as him actually saying ‘I love you’, or reflecting his
doubt of his love changing anything.

7. PAGE 6
21/01/17

8. PAGE 7
At the bridge, this is just a scene of the lead singing with the band. This scene is passionate, with very emotional singing into the
microphone, particularly as ‘more’ is repeated. As ‘now’ is spoken the scene cuts to lead with mates on sofa. The lead is distant
and not involved in the scene, but as his friends pass him a bottle, he cracks it open and cracks (at ‘keep on laughing’) back
into character of arrogant and laughing.
As we fall back into the chorus, I just want the lead lip singing again with the band, but this is just 1:1 with the lead again, him
taking up full frame. When boys don’t cry is said the last time, I want a time lapse of the lead distant again on the sofa, and his
friends all talking then one by one leaving the frame.
The video finishes on the band playing.

9. PAGE 8
Locations are still to be scouted and recced, but the first two photos above are potential exterior locations. In terms of
equipment, that is also still to be decided, but a digital camera, Canon, will be used for filming. Hair stylists will be available on
the days of filming. Clothing requirements will be sent out prior to the filming.
Thank-you for your interest in collaboration with my production.
Any questions; please reply to this email with them and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Kirsty Hamilton-Emery