EXCLUSIVE: Blue music video director reveals why he chose Dundee – and says he wants to return
The director behind Blue’s latest music video has revealed how a day exploring Dundee convinced him to use the city as its backdrop – and he already wants to come back for more.
Dundee has been given a starring role in the music video for You Should Know, with Blue filmed across the city and Broughty Ferry against some very familiar surroundings.
From the cobbled streets of the city centre to Broughty Castle and the waterfront, the finished video showcases a very different side of Dundee – all captured in black and white.
And after its release, Dundee Culture spoke directly with the man behind the video, director Wayne Lennox, to find out how the city ended up on screen.
Dundee wasn’t always the plan
Interestingly, Dundee wasn’t chosen months in advance.
Wayne explained that the team had been considering potential filming locations around Blue’s tour schedule, helping to make the logistics of shooting the video easier.
With family in Scotland and memories of the country’s landscape, he arrived in Dundee several days before Blue and began searching for somewhere that would work.
And that’s where a bit of local knowledge came in handy.
Wayne told Dundee Culture that his friend John Mac, who lives in Dundee, took him around the city and showed him some of its best locations.
“After looking around all day seeing the incredible sights, I decided the cobbled street near the river and the castle and its surroundings would be best for the vibe of the song,” Wayne said.
The result sees Dundee become much more than an anonymous backdrop.
The historic cobbles provide one of the video’s most distinctive sequences, while Broughty Castle, the beach and surrounding waterfront give the video an entirely different atmosphere.
Why the video is in black and white
Perhaps one of the most striking things about You Should Know is its monochrome appearance.
Familiar Dundee locations suddenly look completely different through Wayne’s lens, particularly the historic streets featured alongside the band.
And that was very deliberate.
“I wanted to shoot in black and white to give it that cinematic feel and timeless feel to the video,” Wayne explained.
It works particularly well with Dundee.
The old stonework, cobbled streets and waterfront lend themselves beautifully to the monochrome treatment, giving places many Dundonians will immediately recognise a surprisingly cinematic appearance.
Blue caused a bit of a stir in Broughty Ferry
Filming a major British boyband around Dundee was never going to go completely unnoticed either.
Wayne had plenty of praise for the welcome the production received, describing local people as “incredible and so helpful”.
And apparently there were a few surprised faces along the way.
“Some people passing by were shocked to see the Blue guys out and about,” he told us.
That included a stop at a small café near Broughty Castle, where the band went for coffee between shots – presumably providing a slightly unexpected sight for anyone who happened to be grabbing a cuppa at the same time.
Wayne also singled out John Mac for going “above and beyond” in helping him find the locations that ultimately shaped the video.
Could Wayne return to Dundee?
Hopefully, this won’t be the last music video we see filmed here.
After spending time exploring the city and seeing the finished results, Wayne told Dundee Culture he would happily return.
“I loved the locations we found,” he said. “It truly gave me the perfect backdrop to create a great video for the guys.”
And then came perhaps the nicest endorsement of Dundee as a filming location.
“I would love to come back one day and shoot many more bands in many of the incredible locations around this beautiful city.”
We’d certainly be happy to see that happen.
Dundee has no shortage of dramatic locations that could provide the backdrop for another music video – and You Should Know demonstrates just how good some of the places we walk past every day can look through somebody else’s lens.
For a video that came about after a day spent exploring the city with a local, Dundee has ended up looking absolutely brilliant.
And who knows? Maybe the next band Wayne brings to Dundee won’t be too far away.
