Figure Skater Overcomes Bullying in Poignant Guy Sebastian Music Video

"Bullying is universal and everyone understands how that feels and looking back on your childhood and that deep pain can fuel your motivation to do your best and prove them wrong." This is the thesis of the new video for Guy Sebastian's "Before I Go" as articulated by Playtime director James Chappell.

The clip shows the tribulations faced by a young boy who is bullied for partaking in figure skating with his female counterpart. As the boy is pursued and ultimately attacked by the bullies, we see this hardship mirrored in the arduous training of the now grown-up figure skater.

Chappell uses this metaphor of our wounds and bruises becoming our source of strength to inform the video in a most articulate way. We see the skater enduring knock after knock, falling down, receiving bruises and horrific cuts, but continuing to press on in order to achieve and succeed.

"The concept for the video is one I've been brewing for many years." Said Chappell, speaking very fondly of the "athleticism and beauty of ice skating at a visual level". When the opportunity arose for him to pitch on the new Guy Sebastian music video, Chappell was most excited when he found that the theme of the song and his concept would marry perfectly. "I love an underdog story and bullying is quite personal to me and Guy's song is all about perseverance and overcoming bad energy and loving yourself by pursuing your passion despite what people think."

Chappell has explored the subject of bullying in previous works, namely his much-acclaimed and Clipped Music Video Festival 2018 finalist video for Bliss n Eso's "Believe". It was this experience and the eloquence with which Chappell approached the topic that brought Sony back again this time around. "It was a relatively breezy pitching process - there was no resistance and lots of creative freedom".

While Chappell has also used the bluesy soulful style of the song to inform the way he lit and shot the scenes of Guy Sebastian performing, it is these scenes of the ice skater in motion that really make the video come alive. Stark blue lighting, high contrast, slow motion and  ice sled dolly shots give immense gravitas to the movements and manoeuvres of the skater at full tilt.