Synopsis

A lone young woman moves through a surreal, desolate landscape in search of a way home. The imagery shifts between barren desert, vivid poppy fields, shadowy interiors and dreamlike flashes of birds, fire and decay. Her journey unfolds as a dark, modernized take on "The Wizard of Oz," with the band's performance and heavily textured visual effects woven into the narrative. Rather than presenting a literal storyline, the video uses fragmented images and stark contrasts to mirror the song's anxiety, isolation and emotional disorientation.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was conceived without a formal client brief or script. The production team was given only a few references from the band about the song's origins and used them as the starting point for a more experimental concept.

• Its central idea was described as a dark, contemporary spin on "The Wizard of Oz," following one girl's attempt to return home and reconnect with her roots.

• Live-action filming took three days: two days in the desert and another in a poppy field in full bloom.

• The footage was captured in RAW format with a RED ONE camera, an early digital cinema system that helped give the video its unusually sharp, cinematic look.

• The production combined greenscreen macro shots with textures, animation and HD stock footage. The imagery was assembled using Final Cut, Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Cinema 4D and Maya.

• Data management became a significant production problem because of the large amount of high-resolution material. Despite that, the edit and post-production were completed in approximately two weeks.

• The song originally appeared on Manchester Orchestra's 2006 debut album, "I'm Like a Virgin Losing a Child." The music video is generally dated to 2008, while the band's official YouTube upload appeared on October 2, 2009.

• The video later became part of the visual identity associated with the band's early period, when their music was increasingly being presented through cinematic, collage-like imagery rather than straightforward performance footage.