EXTRA

Tuesday I worked as a Hollywood extra on the set of the brand new OKGO music video helmed by a man whose last name rhymes with LAUNDRY. But first: their show over the weekend was a hot affair as ARoss and the gents played in front of a sea of 13 year old girls and a smattering of fuddyduddies: us, friends of the band. OKGO opened for the Kaiser Chiefs who were a lot of fun to watch though not necessarily a band I'd follow or listen to on my iPod. There's something about a great frontman that makes even the most hackneyed tunes sound fresh. Anyway, the venue was huge---a G+--- and the honies were illegal. Post-show, ARoss invited KVondy and I out to a record label party up in the Hollywood Hills so after a delectable late night double-double at In-N-Out, we drove up the windy road to the party. We were intimidated. Private residence. Immense gates. Lots of cars. We didn't want to crash the party w/o ARoss and he was gonna be late so we decided to park for a litttle while and wait but soon decided to bag it. The music wore us old folk out. Turns out some bands I've only heard of in name were hanging out (Bravery, Hot Hot Heat) but honestly, that doesn't mean anything to me b/c it's not like I would've gone up to them and introduced myself as someone who cared about them in any real way. ARoss and ML eventually stopped by but by then, I was fast asleep.
So yes, music video! Extra work is almost always boring and often grueling and this was no exception except that I could hang out with some friends and read the Times straight through which I hadn't done in a long while. The look was supposed to be Oscar Wilde but it was more Swingin' 60s London. Lots of bright stripes, paisleys, suit vests, go-go dresses, outrageous stockings, etc. The scenario: boozy late night house party. Cool. Hip. Young. Pretty standard, right? Well, this is a mr. laundry film and nothing is as simple as it seems. What made the shoot interesting was the camera setup: 28 PD-150s rigged onto a 4x4 curved speed rail grid locked onto a dolly. Each camera had a different lens---from what I could tell---and as ARoss explained to me, mr. laundry will be cutting from camera to camera (i.e. wide to tight to wide), creating an artifiial ZOOM FX that'll be punchy and awesome and awesome. I don't get it exactly but it should be awesome. In any case, the day went by pretty fast though I wish I didn't buy this DSquared shirt at Fred Segal Santa Monica the day before b/c turns out the wardrobe lady didn't want me to wear it for the video, which of course was the only reason I got the damned thing in the first place. Instead, she had me wear a mustard/brown striped shirt which was shit.

Other than that, I've been consumed by cater/waitering. I haven't seen Eric in a week now. Last night at the opening night party for the King Tut exhibit, I served Drew Barrymore some water---she's very tiny as are JL Hewitt and Luke Perry---and bussed for 3 hours and hauled trash for one. I think my right wrist is messed. But the one thing about working at night is that like yesterday I had my morning free to go out and so a few of us grabbed breakfast at the Grove and watched Batman Begins at 10:30AM. No one in LA works so the screening was sold out.


LOVE
ALEX