3OH!3 Music Video Shoot Los Angeles, CA

Today was a day of firsts on the set of the newest 3OH!3 music video shoot, which I choreographed for and danced in. The director spoke with me two days ago and explained his highly creative and abstract concept. I told him that I could bring his vision for my section to fruition if I hired my own dancer. With production's approval, I of course hired Janelle Dote, a fellow performer in a burlesque company that I dance with regularly, The Lalas. I could think of no one else I'd rather spend a long day on set with. And I know Janelle is a professional that would not require an off-set rehearsal.

I can't reveal the the director's concept prior to the video actually being released of course. In the industry, you don't have to make me sign some impersonal, mistrusting confidentiality agreement for that. I've worked enough. I know how we do. So I'll keep my firsts ambiguous. Like: today was the first time on set that I was ever asked to dance worse. I'd like to say it was because I was so outstanding I was outshining the ensemble of dancers, but alas, that's not a first in today's story. Rather, the character the director wished Janelle and myself to portray actually would have not danced so well. So we were outshining our own characters, I guess you can say. In the same vein, I've also never been asked to not smile so much while dancing. If you know me, you might know it is hard to not smile while doing something that gives me such obvious joy.

This was the first time I've ever been asked to pull down my pants on set. Pull UP my pants; yes. I've been asked to cover more midrift, or thong straps or just go for the high waist look, but today, they needed my pants down. So that one was new.

Finally, I have shot two films this year where the director of photography wished to utilize one of those crazy tech fancy still cameras to shoot high definition film. Both, after seeing the footage, nixed the idea and went to high def video on the RED camera due to picture quality and cohesiveness. This was the first project I have ever worked on that was shot entirely on a still camera. As the steady rig passed over, I searched for eye line into the lens and saw only two still cameras. I felt like we were in a rehearsal! But there they both go: one taking actual stills and the other shooting high def video. I trust that everyone on the sets I work on any more is really an expert in their field and if they say this music video will be shoot on a still camera, then I say we will do it! But I've never seen a more pixelated playback, that's for sure. And I couldn't help but wonder, somewhere deep down; is this video intended exclusively for Youtube? What a crazy, changing world we live in.

Dance worse, smile less, pants down and entire music videos shot on a high def still camera. I can't believe the things I get to live through sometimes!