Synopsis

Presented as a trailer for a fictional private-school movie, the video follows four unpopular students played by My Chemical Romance as they endure humiliation from a group of athletic bullies. Their pranks and acts of rebellion gradually turn the social hierarchy against the jocks. Intercut with the story are performance scenes of the band playing in a rehearsal room. The trailer builds toward a confrontation between the two groups, ending just before the promised showdown takes place.

Factoids & Trivia

• The original concept was for the band to perform at a high-school pep rally. The idea evolved into a fake movie trailer after the band and Marc Webb discussed how to make the members look convincing as older prep-school students.

• The trailer format drew inspiration from Wes Anderson's 1998 film "Rushmore," which also centers on an eccentric student at an elite school.

• The school scenes were filmed at Alexander Hamilton High School and Loyola High School in Los Angeles during August 2004. The fictional institution in the video is called Milton Academy.

• There are two official video versions. The earlier version combines concert footage with images of the band and material from its early period, while the better-known version uses the private-school storyline.

• Bob Bryar had recently joined the band but had not yet performed with My Chemical Romance when the main video was filmed. He played drums in the performance scenes despite having a broken ankle.

• Both versions were included on the 2006 video album "Life on the Murder Scene," alongside the band's live material, video diaries, and music-video documentaries.

• The video became a major part of the band's breakthrough, receiving frequent exposure on MTV2 and MTVU. It also won the 2005 Music Video Production Association award for Best Alternative video.