SUM 41 ~ Baby You Don’t Wanna Know (version 1)

Rejected 05/28/ 2011 What they made instead...

Concept

We would like create a music video, with the feel of a behind the scenes rock documentary, cataloging a tour of Toronto’s night life, but with a surreal twist… The band will be followed by a furry black beast everywhere they go.

Tone

Serious, with silly undertones. Like a Coen brothers movie or a Herzog doc.

Technical Treatment

We will use hand-held camera work and the footage will have a raw, grainy, 16 millimeter look, with a vignette. The furry black beast will be a man in a fur suit, similar to the way Chewbacca was handled in the Star Wars films or Barkley from Sesame Street. It’s mouth parts will be puppeteered.

Synopsis

Inside a cheap hotel room, Deryck awakes from a nap and heads to the bathroom to wash his face. He notices Steve, hunched over the bath-tub covered in soap bubbles. Steve moves to the side and reveals he’s washing a huge furry black creature, with glowing multicolored eyes. Deryck doesn’t react as he’s used to seeing the furry black beast every day.

Deryck exits the bathroom. The door to hotel room opens and a female press agent enters pushing a room service cart, loaded with Tacos and Jarritos Soda Pop. Jason enters behind the agent carrying a large bundle wrapped in brown paper. Deryck sits down and eats some taccos. Steve and the furry black beast exit the bathroom and join Deryck for the meal. The furry black beast is toweling off. He wraps the towel around his head like a turban.

Jason hands the paper bundle to the dog. The furry black beast opens it. Inside is an exotic looking fish. The furry black beast pulls the fish apart and eats it politely.

Jump cut to a ride in a van-cab. Deryck, Steve, Jason and the furry black beast stop to pick up Tom from the street corner. Tom looks pleased until he opens the van’s sliding door and sees the furry black beast. Tom looks suspiciously at the furry black beast as if he’s resentful. The furry black beast just pants peacefully.

Jump cut to the studio. The furry black beast is playing guitar, shredding fast and hard. Jason, Deryck and Steve are blown away by his talent. Tom looks on jealously. Angry, Tom leaves the studio.

Cut to a shot of the band playing a small live show. The furry black beast is on stage playing lead guitar. A small gathering of bar flies move to the beat, various old women shower attention on the furry black beast. Tom looks on from the shadows jealously.

Later, the band and the furry black beast visit the rock bar Bovine Sex Club. Deryck and the gang chat with the owner. He looks distraught. The owner leads the band and the dog to a small hidden room behind the bar. Inside, hunched in a chair, sits a middle aged woman holding a bag of ice to her eye. She’s weeping. She reveals a black eye. Someone has attacked her. She points to her office wall. On the wall is wooden sword wrack with a missing sword. A dusty silhouette of a sword is all that remains. Deryck, Steve and Jason look to the furry black beast. The furry black beast approaches the bruised woman. The dog’s eyes begin to glow brighter than before… In a flash, the woman’s bruises disappear. Steven, Deryck and Jason look on with awe.

Suddenly the sound of broken glass startles everyone in the office. The 3 guys and the furry black beast head back into the bar and find Tom is there with medieval sword. Tom looks upset. He’s swigging the sword and smashing beer bottles with it. As the song concludes, the dog monster approaches Tom. Tom flinches. He considers attacking the dog creature… until their eyes meet. om and the furry black beasts are drawn together as if their about to kiss. Before they touch, the screen cuts to black.

Cut to black