Magnetic Field’s Ramez Silyan Directs Post Malone in the Scottish Countryside for Surreal 'Mourning' Promo

With melancholy undertones, sober-reluctant trap-pop song 'Mourning' by Post Malone laments late-night partying and fake friends. Tapping into the single’s core themes and working within the confines of Malone’s touring schedule, director Ramez “Mezzy” Silyan envisioned the song’s music video as an absurdist side quest in a video game, ultimately captured on film in the rural Scottish Highlands. 

Silyan was approached to helm the project following the pair’s work together on a recent ‘Scarface’-inspired Raising Cane’s campaign. Given the track and two-week heads up, he listened to the song on repeat for inspiration. 

“I kept being drawn to the texture of ice, and how that’s all that’s left when you get to the bottom of your drink,” explained Silyan. “From there, it evolved into the idea of Post pushing a giant block of ice until it melted down to a drinkable size. Knowing Posty was a big fan of ‘Skyrim’ (he has the logo tatted on his foot) and ‘Elden Ring,’ I designed it as a pointless Sisyphean task in a role-playing video game. If you’re familiar with these types of games, you know that you gotta complete the side quests to level up and face the boss.”

Beyond the initial concept of Malone pushing a giant ice cube, additional project details were determined by his tour’s off days, which ended up being in the UK. After sifting through possible location options, the team found the one that fit artistically and logistically; however, the coinciding Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla further complicated the challenge of building an ice cube in a remote location, as well as securing the necessary gear and crew for the one-day shoot. “As absurd as the concept of the video is, you don’t really expect the royal event to somehow affect the project,” Silyan mused.

Drawing inspiration from the rural environment, Silyan worked with Malone’s stylist Catherine Hahn to outfit him as an unassuming hero in turn-of-the-century garb, contrasting against Malone’s otherwise modern appearance and serving as a further nod to the video game concept; he noted, “For me, it’s important to build a world the audience will believe, regardless of how unbelievable it truly is.”

“When directing music videos, you hope for the best and prepare for the worst, while always  leaving a bit of room for the happy accidents. On this shoot, our challenges were largely scheduling and I think we were all stoked that we made it happen. The vibe on set was extremely positive and collaborative,” Silyan said. “I love the moment where Post has finally gotten the cube down to a somewhat manageable size and is pushing the very real ice block up a hill with the beautiful loch lomond in the background. It weighed about 200 lbs so his efforts are completely authentic, and he was totally game for it (what a guy!).”