California native here-- this intro and the title track poster were definitely shot in Cali/LA. It looks like they did the poster when they were here for Coachella: Coachella happens in Indio, which is really close to Joshua Tree National Park (Joshua trees surrounding the car) The footage in the intro is from LA. There's footage of Santa Monica High School (the lacrosse game) and the beach is either Venice or Santa Monica. The Atinys are walking to the Grammy Museum which has an Ateez/Xikers exhibit up until mid-June. The footage of Hongjoong's megaphone and the various props is from the Grammy Museum exhibit. The end of the intro looks like the rail tracks outside of downtown LA. TBH I don't think the intro is lore related (I think Halateez cosplay is just a visual shorthand for Atiny lol), this reads more like a retrospective of Ateez's career up until now. So far Coachella/Golden Hour really seem like a turning point for them, and big moments of transition are opportunities for reflection. Maybe that's why so much is filmed in LA, to pay homage to how they started and signify a new beginning? I'm excited to see what the album's themes/lyrics look like!

This was definitely filmed in California. There were a couple of billboards up on the road to Coachella that have me thinking.