August 10, 2005 14:45

Green Day plan ambitious video for next single

Andnd it will be director Samuel Bayer's swansong...

Photo Gallery: Green Day
Photo: Pa Photos

GREEN DAY[/url] plan to release the epic ‘JESUS OF SUBURBIA’ as the final single from ‘AMERICAN IDIOT’.

And the five-part, nine minute single is likely the last ever video directed by Samuel Bayer, who has been behind the clips for the other four singles, including the NME Award-winning ‘American Idiot’ promo.

Talking to MTV about the ambitious project, Bayer said: I think it’ll be my swansong. I can’t think of a better way to end my video career. It’s going to be the most literal translation of the record. It’s about the Jesus of Suburbia, and the lyrics will come to life.”

The song is one of two narrative centrepieces to the band’s ambitious rock opera.

Bayer continued: “It’s going to be very raw, sort of be like Larry Clark’s film ‘Kids’. We’re going to cast all unknowns, real kids from Los Angeles and Northern California, and tell the story of Jesus of Suburbia.”

Meanwhile, Bayer, who has shot videos for Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and [a][/a], says his clip for recent single ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ is the best he has ever made.

He said: “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve worked with so many rock acts over the years, and I’ve shot so many videos, but ‘…September…’ is hands down the greatest thing I’ve ever done.”

The cinematic clip features speaking parts from Jamie Bell (’Billy Elliott’) and Evan Rachel Wood (’Pretty Persuasion’).

Bayer continued: “When I watch music videos it seems like the genre becomes predictable. Sometimes directors, when they’re telling a story, it’s not about dialogue and constructing scenes, its about getting a couple of models and having them pretend to act. I wrote a real script and we case really great actors. We spent a month casting the video. Evan Rachel Wood and Jamie Bell are both great actors. We did rehearsals, casting calls, we tackled it exactly like a major motion picture.”

“It’s a sad song. It’s about loss and heartbreak. And I’ve played the video for people and seen them cry. To have a video that evokes that kind of emotion from people is amazing. In my career, I’ve never had anything affect people like that.”