Global superstar Ed Sheeran has released a stunning music video created by Finn Valley College teachers and students.
The video was filmed in the Stranorlar school and handpicked by Sheeran to accompany the song ‘Magical’ on his acclaimed new album Autumn Variations.
The incredible opportunity arose from a call-out from Ed himself, who asked fans around the world to share their creative film ideas.
Finn Valley College teacher Edel Temple jumped at the chance and the idea was selected as Ireland’s entry from more than 4,000 music videos entered from 75 countries.
The transition year pupils devised the concept with their teacher, Ms Garry, of a school love story with a Romeo and Juliet twist! The school hosts an annual variety show – the mix of love, literature and drama in a school setting seemed universally relatable and complemented the beautiful lyrics and melody of this timeless ballad.
FVC students Leona Mc Ginty and Danny Mc Menamin were cast as the star-crossed lovers.
Watch here:
Ms Temple, who submitted the entry, said: “A few months ago, I saw an amazing opportunity on Ed Sheeran’s Instagram page to create a music video. Myself and my son are huge Ed fans and my son constantly puts on concerts singing Ed Sheeran songs with his guitar.
“In Finn Valley College, I am lucky to bear witness to the most magical students; this is what I thought of when I saw the post.
“This was our moment to show off their magic as it would be a chance in a million for our students – so I sent in an application to take part.
“I asked my colleague Tina Garry for help. She, with the brilliant brains of our Transition Year students, wrote the pitch for the competition, devising the concept, planning the shot types and compiling a list of props to complement the narrative and music.
“The Romeo & Juliet theme, where an unrequited teenage crush was harboured by two friends, was something our pupils were keen to explore. A love for drama and literature in a school setting was popular as we kne w love and school were things that could be related to by so many people. Plus it suited the lyrics and melody of the beautiful song.
“The first-time screen actors in the video are our wonderful students and staff who gave up so much time and energy; thanks to Dave Carroll, Evan Barry, Finn Rankin and Siobhan McGinley for putting the pieces of the puzzle together creatively as well as our colleagues in Finn Valley College for their support and understanding.
“And the stars of the show, our pupils, we are so proud of how they rose to the challenge! Words cannot express how proud we are every single day of the school and the pupils.
Ms Temple adds: “I hope the magic of Finn Valley College is clear to the world and we are forever grateful to Ed and his team for making young dreams come true and for giving our pupils the chance to take part in something so exciting.”
About the videos, Ed commented, “I made Autumn Variations for the fans and I really wanted to bring them into the fold on this album. I was keen to see how they interpreted the music, so I decided to ask my fans from across the world to make videos for each album track. There were so many wonderful submissions and I’m very happy to announce that I’ll be launching all 14 fan-made videos over the coming weeks, kicking off with That’s On Me. I want to give special thanks to each and every fan who made these videos so special. I love them and hope you will too x”
