Synopsis
A young boy uses his PSP to enter Wyclef Jean into a high-speed video game mission. Jean drives through the digital world of "Burnout Paradise," pursuing his objective while the action shifts between game footage, live-action scenes, animated imagery, and a surreal performance space. The video presents Jean as both player-controlled character and performer, blending car-chase spectacle with fantasy and music-video imagery. Its storyline moves across several connected worlds, including reality, the game environment, and a mysterious realm between life and death.
Factoids & Trivia
- The video was created as a cross-promotional project involving Sony Music, Sony PlayStation, Electronic Arts, and Criterion Games, the developer of "Burnout Paradise."
- PlayStation 3 and PSP hardware are integrated directly into the concept. The boy's handheld console serves as the device that sends Jean into the mission.
- Much of the driving material was produced through machinima, using the "Burnout Paradise" game engine rather than conventional vehicle filming.
- The production was built around three contrasting environments: the real world, a purgatory-like performance space, and the game's open-road setting.
- The video's car-crash and stunt imagery draws heavily on the visual language of arcade racing games, making the promotional game itself part of the narrative rather than merely a background product placement.
- Paul Simon, who is featured on the recording, does not appear in the video.