Synopsis

A group of teenagers wanders through a shadowy Los Angeles alley before two of them follow a mysterious hooded figure into an abandoned subway tunnel. Deep underground, Linkin Park perform amid smoke, harsh colored lighting, and levitating monk-like figures practicing martial arts. The surreal gathering turns chaotic when the teenagers knock over a crate and flee. The hooded stranger eventually reappears, while Chester Bennington delivers the song's explosive bridge upside down, intensifying the video's claustrophobic, nightmarish atmosphere.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed on September 8 and 9, 2000, in an abandoned subway tunnel on Hill Street in Los Angeles. The location was approximately 63 feet underground.

• "One Step Closer" was Linkin Park's first official music video. The band has recalled that the shoot was an unusually enjoyable experience, especially compared with the often stressful reputation of first videos.

• The group had considerable creative freedom because the label allowed them to decide what they wanted for the video. Mike Shinoda later described the concept as an escapist action movie.

• The visual style was conceived as a blend of "Blade Runner" and "The Matrix," with the floating monks and martial-arts imagery providing the most distinctive elements.

• An actor appearing in the video was used as a double for Laurence Fishburne, connecting the video's imagery even more directly to "The Matrix."

• Linkin Park recorded a separate live performance video at The Roxy in Hollywood on September 5, 2000. Although the band ultimately did not use that footage for the official video, it circulated online and was later made available in full.

• A special introduction thanking the band's street team members was created for one version of the video. That edition was distributed on DVD to street teamers.

• A German alternate version incorporated footage from the film "Das Experiment," which featured "One Step Closer" on its soundtrack.

• The video is notable for featuring Scott Koziol, who was Linkin Park's touring bassist at the time. It was the only Linkin Park music video to include him.