Four classic Beach Boys songs are the soundtrack of a new, unprecedented four-part video series that builds into one long dramatic narrative. Each film can also be enjoyed individually. The series begins today with a new video for “Barbara Ann,” available to view on the Beach Boys official YouTube channel.
The cinematic story is directed by Andrew Litten, whose credits include Anderson .Paak, Pusha T, and Earth, Wind & Fire, and was filmed in South Africa with a local cast of actors. In the spirit of the timeless songs they illustrate, the narrative of the films captures young love, tracing a high school romance between the surfing-obsessed Helena (played by Zoe Manoek) and aspiring photographer and new kid in town Lucas (Toby De Goede). It addresses the difficult decisions each must make as graduation day approaches and their futures beckon.
“Barbara Ann” introduces Helena, a young teen who spends her days daydreaming about surfing and escaping from her small town. The story of Lucas, who moves to town with his father, will be told in the next video, “Don’t Worry Baby,” which follows tomorrow (10) at 9am PT.
The following videos in the series are “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (premiering next Friday, September 16 at 9am PT), which portrays the relationship between Helena and Lucas; and “God Only Knows” (September 17 at 9am PT), in which their young love reaches a crossroads as the end of high school comes near.
Each of the episodes focuses on an element of the escapism sought by the protagonists as they stand at the intersection of innocence and adulthood. They mirror the sentiments of indelible songs written when the Beach Boys were teenagers and young adults themselves.
Says Listen: “A recurring theme throughout the Beach Boys’ music is the feeling of being young and in love. Their most iconic songs were written when they were between the ages of 15 to 21, so there’s this exciting view on life that’s immortalized in their lyrics. I wanted to do the same with the music videos by capturing the spontaneity and playfulness of being a teenager, fantasizing about the future, pursuing new passions, and falling in love.
“I wanted to capture the feeling after your first kiss or how it felt leaving home for college,” the director continues.”Each video builds on itself to become one long narrative but it was also very important that each video could stand on its own. If you’re watching chronologically, you become more invested in the characters.” The videos also contain several hidden “Easter eggs” that further salute the legacy of the Beach Boys.
Listen to the best of the Beach Boys on Apple Music and Spotify.