Vern, our little orphan intern with two first names (Matthew Ryan) and I went up to the Viper Room to capture the label showcase of newly signed to Warner artists, Nikki & Rich. I like to describe them as Amy Winehouse for Republicans, but I’m a pop whore and instantly fell in love. It was a good night and sort of crowded, but we got through it ok. That led to a ton of work for Vern including the video below, in which I wrote this amazing elaborate treatment for up until 5 in the morning one night, sent it to Vern and he said it’s perfect. I got so excited to do a big budget mini-documentary, EPK, montage and I was just waiting for the Executive Producer to green light it. She almost immediately called Vern after the email and said “Vern I don’t know how to say this, It’s completely wrong, this is the exact opposite of what we want to do.”
So I scooped up my wounded little heart and didn’t even end up working with Nikki & Rich again, but I had one fun night and got turned onto their music so all in all it was a great experience. Here's what they ended up with:
Here’s a video that really got me excited about doing film. I helped with some of the props and craft services, but mostly I just smoked cigarettes with the band and cracked a bunch of jokes. It was the production though, seeing a larger scale video that got me interested film as a career, cause with all my events, productions and everything, what I am passionate about is the coming together of many different talents to collaborate and make something bigger and more beautiful than something someone could create on their own.
I also met Matthew Logan Vasquez for the first time that weekend and well, life since has never been the same, but that’s entirely different blog. People C’mon.
It has truly been a ride that I've observed, rode, hopped off at the station and blew kisses to it as it pulls away. It begins with some guy named Jonathan Glazer (no big deal) directing The Dead Weather's first music video, Treat Me Like Your Mother.
They asked Vern to film some behind the scenes stuff. Obviously they immediately fell in love with him. What came out of that was a don't know what don't know why film it all situation where 2 great teasers were born. John Raines my friend, my person I will not walk on set or doing anything filmic without, edited the (almost) silent one, enjoy:
That all leads to them asking Vern, myself and a crew of 6 others to film 3 days 4 shows (3 concerts and one hellishly hot tediously crazy insane instore) which we have no released footage of at this time, as it's all enveloping into a 22 min UK special that sadly will never been seen here, but let me assure you it's bitchin' and what Alison can do with her legs/hips/body could command an army off a cliff. Here's a few terrible pictures of the balcony/marquee over the Regency Theater where the pop-up in store was, where I basically babysat equipment drank diet coke and smoked cigarettes from (i.e. heaven)
After filming at the Regency there wasn't enough time to go home and back so I scheduled for us to stay at a friends loft only blocks from the theater and the venue that night.
We basked in their air conditioning had a great lunch and some great polish beer and swam in a pool on their rooftop, it was glorious until we were running late and we tried to get back into the loft, and as fate would have it, the dead bolt broke off in the door. Equipment, clothing, keys, everything in that loft and the call time is creeping up on us...panic. I call the my friends/the tenants, I talk to the door man, I suggest he call the management company, a locksmith, anyone, he follows me back to the door with a 18 inch screwdriver and 'handles' the situation himself. Jack White you really owe Sam and James a new door.
We wrap and all is well, and then a couple of days later Vern gets a call from Jack White asking him to DP their next music video Cut Like A Buffalo in Nashville (That Jack White is Directing). Vern agrees and takes aforementioned John Raines to AC the several day/week long editing in hotel rooms shoot. here's how that ended up:
Meanwhile we're having conversations with another band for their break out music video in the UK and after writing treatment after treatment trying to fit their style and budget, it's just not a fit for either party. They go with someone else. They go to the UK to tour, to support their album and video. They get flagged by MTV UK for a failed epilepsy test that is done over there. I'm not saying we would have circumnavigated that issue, but it put our ears up to the situation. Cut Like A Buffalo was to show in the UK and sure enough, all the flashes, it didn't pass the test. Vern, the monster, the genius, instead of dulling the video, says, ok, you want simplicity, you got it, one shot, done:
And so ends this chapter. Our tech guy left his ipod, his wet boxerbriefs and his leatherman at the loft. I feel weird about having them being shipped all together. night.
We have such talented friends. Seriously I step back every once and so often and think what an amazing community of friends we have. The premiere went smashingly. Hundreds poured out to see an amazing film on the screen for the first time. The gracious, lovely and ridiculously handsome Samuel Lippke covered the event photographically. Above is Actor in the film Nicole Pietrini, Writer/Director Matthew Aveiro, Producer Vern Moen and Script Supervisor/My overall sanity Melinda Moen. You can check out Samuel's full post with all the photos here.
The talented, beautiful, wonderful, magnetic Tiffany Patton wrote about me (undeservedly) in her blog. You can view the generous blurb about me here. Thanks Tiffany! Oh and if you ever need a make up and/or hair person, hire her, but don't steal her away from me!
