“What You Want” evokes freedom and the fighting spirit of Evanescence’s fierce comeback.
The New York cityscape provides an industrial backdrop for the video that embodies where the
band has been since the release of their last album. The metropolitan setting echoes their first
video for “Bring Me to Life”, but takes it to another level, raising the stakes and placing
everything on a grander scale. Shots of the band take place in a small, gritty underground venue
packed with a throng of screaming fans. Cut scenes show Amy breaking free from the tightly
spaced confines of the city and eventually running across the Brooklyn Bridge, returning to the
world as its reigning rock goddess. The video takes place in the early morning darkness,
eventually culminating in the hint of a sunrise behind the city skyline as the band gazes across an
endless expanse of ocean—it’s the dawn of a new day for Evanescence.
CUT TO:
INT. CROWDED VENUE – PRE-DAWN 0:19
The band is playing a small underground club. The colors are
still muted, but bursts of stage lighting flash over the scene.
The gritty little venue is reminiscent of Evanescence’s earliest
gigs. A fanatic crowd surges against the stage, their tightly
packed bodies filling wall-to-wall in a high-energy frenzy. Amy’s
hair is long and wind-swept, expressing a wild freedom. She has a
dramatic stripe of red make-up across her eyes. The group
performs with feverish enthusiasm.
CUT TO:
INT. SUBWAY – PRE-DAWN 0:35
Amy is alone in an empty subway. The lights flicker eerily (a'la
horror movie) as she searches for an exit. The camera follows her
from behind as she runs her hand along the dirty brick walls that
confine her.
CUT TO:
INT. CROWDED VENUE – PRE-DAWN 0:43
Close up on Amy for “Every heart in my hands like a pale
reflection”
CUT TO:
INT. STAIRWELL – PRE-DAWN 0:51
Amy is running up a dark, cramped stairwell trying to exit the
subway station. She seems slightly paranoid, yet confident and
determined.
CUT TO:
INT. CROWDED VENUE – PRE-DAWN 0:55
Another wide shot of the whole band playing to the venue.
Individual close-ups of band members.
CUT TO:
EXT. ALLEYWAY – PRE-DAWN 1:07
Amy has escaped the subway to find herself in a tight alleyway
with buildings hemming her in on either side. The city is still
dark, but streams of light from a few scattered windows and other
sources of light cast ominous shadows.
CUT TO:
INT. CROWDED VENUE – PRE-DAWN 1:11
Another wide shot of the whole band playing to the venue.
Individual close-ups of band members.
CUT TO:
EXT. ALLEYWAY – PRE-DAWN 1:26
Amy is still walking down the long alleyway, tilted camera angles
reflecting her tormented mental state as she struggles to exit
the long maze of buildings.
CUT TO:
INT. CROWDED VENUE – PRE-DAWN 1:34
Another wide shot of the whole band playing to the venue. Individual close-ups of band members.
CUT TO:
EXT. New York Streets – PRE-DAWN 1:49
Amy has found her way onto the winding, empty streets of New York
in the early morning. She snakes her way through the city’s
obstacles.
CUT TO:
INT. CROWDED VENUE – PRE-DAWN 1:58
Another wide shot of the whole band playing to the venue.
Individual close-ups of band members.
CUT TO:
EXT. BROOKLYN BRIDGE – DAWN 2:05
(acting, no lip-syncing)
As the song reaches its climax, Amy runs across the Brooklyn
Bridge. The moment encapsulates her exuberant freedom, her hair
streaming behind her. The cables on the bridge create a strobelike effect as the sunrise begins to peek over the city skyline,
streaking through the wires. Right as the lyrics hit “forever
spiraling” Amy jumps into the air and the video follows her in a
slow-motion close-up. “Down, down, down,” with her hair and
clothing flapping around her in a surreal and beautiful fall. At
2:36, she hits the pavement hard, landing on all fours like a
superheroine.
CUT TO:
INT. CROWDED VENUE – DAWN 2:37
Short close-up of Will’s drumming
CUT TO:
EXT. BELOW BROOKLYN BRIDGE – DAWN 2:40
(acting, no lip-syncing)
As she sings “It’s only me” we see Amy where she fell, kneeling
with her head down, hair covering her face. The camera zooms into
a close-up slowly from the side. She slowly and defiantly lifts her head.
CUT TO:
INT. CROWDED VENUE – PRE-DAWN 2:52
The band is rocking harder than ever and the crowd is in ecstatic
chaos. Individual close-ups of band members.
CUT TO:
EXT. BEACH – DAWN 3:17
Amy has made it to the coast. She walks in slow-motion towards
the water’s edge with the New York City skyline behind her, the
golden rays just peering over the skyscrapers. At 3:24 the camera
follows her from behind. She wades into the water. The other band
members walk into frame from behind the camera, wading into the
water with her. The video ends with the band facing an endless
expanse of ocean.
