Sunday.
So. Today's the first day of my unemployment. My contract expired on Friday, and although the company does want to hire me back next season, that's... next season!
Oh, if anyone wants to see what I've been working on? 1001 Nights airs on Teletoon up here in Canada on December 19th. I forget the time slot - I think it's like, 8 AM and 3 PM or something like that. It's gonna be on CBC too, I think, although that may just be the French version. Check your local listings!
Yesterday Shawna and I had our very first music video shoot. Our friend Dale was directing one for a local band, and he asked us if we could be feature dancers. We said yes, of course, especially because Shawna said it was a metal band and 18-year-old me was WAY impressed. Shawna mentioned the shoot was out at Dale's place, and someone replied, "oh, the mansion?" and she laughed, thinking it was a joke.
Er, no. It wasn't.
This house is insane. It's way out on 49th ave and Granville, and while I'm sure any modern celebrity would be unimpressed? It's ridiculous. It's older - someone told me they heard it was built in the 40s - but not the best looked after. We got out of the cab and walked up a long driveway shaded with trees, to a pillared doorway over which was a mossy balcony. There was a sign on the door: "entrance around back." So we went around the side and accidentally wound up in the giant garage before finding a maze of small hallways and doors that eventually led us to an arrow made out of tape that pointed to the basement door.
The basement is called 'the boat room' because somewhere along the line (I assume in the 70s{ someone decided to make the place look like the inside of a ship. There's a bar at one end, done in a nautical blue. All the walls are wood panelled, and the carpet is an ancient orange shag. There are a ton of fake windows, all made to look like portholes. But the best is the fake wall. Someone actually made a false wall with more portholes that look out on a mural of the sea. Essentially you feel like you're on some rich 70s pervert's yacht. It was also the warmest room in the house, so it was where we hung out when we weren't shooting.
That's one thing you don't always realise about shooting stuff - you will be waiting around for hours.
Anyway, the upstairs is even more fabulous. The main entrance has a sweeping staircase, and the upper half of the house all has this gorgeous old light gold floral pattern wallpaper. The lower half is painted a soft old-lady pink, which is less awesome. The kitchen had four fridges, and every bathroom in the joint had a different sort of theme.
The yard was amazing too - just HUGE. Much of the ground didn't seem to have grass - just moss. There was a small abandoned tennis court, and a decrepit fountain that I just loved. But my favourite was the tree. Almost in the middle of the grounds was this gnarly tree with a circular base around it. If I owned that house? I would form a coven simply to dance around that fucking tree. There was also a tire swing at the far end of the lawn.
The sad part is that the house is getting torn down! They're gonna build an old folks home on the property instead, which is cool and all, but... yeah. Typical Vancouver. "Is it old and cool? DEMOLISH IT." Ugh, if I had the money I would buy that place and paint at LEAST one room Absinthe green. And have an herb garden on the enclosed porch.
So, Shawna and I got changed into our rocker outfits, which were low-cut black tops, black corsets, black shiny leggings, and boots. We were told we'd be shooting outside before the sun set.
You guys... it's Canada. Even in BC the average temperature right now is like, four degrees.
And then Dale says, "oh, you girls, go on the balcony! You'll have to crawl through the window."
Haha, Dale, you so funny.
...except he was serious.
Have you ever crawled through a window in a corset? I now have. I had to have one of the guys help hoist me out because I had to go feet-first. My feet couldn't touch the ground and my boobs blocked my vision. Oy. Getting back IN was easier - I took off my corset and shirt so I could move my arms better. Still managed to rake my knee a good one on the sill, though.
Our next shot was in our Halloween sugar skull makeup - Shawna as Marie Antoinette and me as Santisima Muerte. Shawna's costume is sexier, heh. Anyway we got to descend the staircase and molest the guitarist and whatnot. I wore my bigass Iron Fist skull shoes and you know... wearing heels everyday to work makes these things not to hard to dance in, anymore.
Anyway, it was a hell of a long day but I'm glad we did it. As soon as I remember the name of the band I'll post that (and they were so not like, Cannibal=Corpse-style metal. More like hard rock.) and of course whenever the video gets done. Dale says if all goes as planned it's gonna me on MuchMusic and MTV Canada, which is awesome.
So. My work will be on TV in two VERY different forms. Heh.
Oh, if anyone wants to see what I've been working on? 1001 Nights airs on Teletoon up here in Canada on December 19th. I forget the time slot - I think it's like, 8 AM and 3 PM or something like that. It's gonna be on CBC too, I think, although that may just be the French version. Check your local listings!
Yesterday Shawna and I had our very first music video shoot. Our friend Dale was directing one for a local band, and he asked us if we could be feature dancers. We said yes, of course, especially because Shawna said it was a metal band and 18-year-old me was WAY impressed. Shawna mentioned the shoot was out at Dale's place, and someone replied, "oh, the mansion?" and she laughed, thinking it was a joke.
Er, no. It wasn't.
This house is insane. It's way out on 49th ave and Granville, and while I'm sure any modern celebrity would be unimpressed? It's ridiculous. It's older - someone told me they heard it was built in the 40s - but not the best looked after. We got out of the cab and walked up a long driveway shaded with trees, to a pillared doorway over which was a mossy balcony. There was a sign on the door: "entrance around back." So we went around the side and accidentally wound up in the giant garage before finding a maze of small hallways and doors that eventually led us to an arrow made out of tape that pointed to the basement door.
The basement is called 'the boat room' because somewhere along the line (I assume in the 70s{ someone decided to make the place look like the inside of a ship. There's a bar at one end, done in a nautical blue. All the walls are wood panelled, and the carpet is an ancient orange shag. There are a ton of fake windows, all made to look like portholes. But the best is the fake wall. Someone actually made a false wall with more portholes that look out on a mural of the sea. Essentially you feel like you're on some rich 70s pervert's yacht. It was also the warmest room in the house, so it was where we hung out when we weren't shooting.
That's one thing you don't always realise about shooting stuff - you will be waiting around for hours.
Anyway, the upstairs is even more fabulous. The main entrance has a sweeping staircase, and the upper half of the house all has this gorgeous old light gold floral pattern wallpaper. The lower half is painted a soft old-lady pink, which is less awesome. The kitchen had four fridges, and every bathroom in the joint had a different sort of theme.
The yard was amazing too - just HUGE. Much of the ground didn't seem to have grass - just moss. There was a small abandoned tennis court, and a decrepit fountain that I just loved. But my favourite was the tree. Almost in the middle of the grounds was this gnarly tree with a circular base around it. If I owned that house? I would form a coven simply to dance around that fucking tree. There was also a tire swing at the far end of the lawn.
The sad part is that the house is getting torn down! They're gonna build an old folks home on the property instead, which is cool and all, but... yeah. Typical Vancouver. "Is it old and cool? DEMOLISH IT." Ugh, if I had the money I would buy that place and paint at LEAST one room Absinthe green. And have an herb garden on the enclosed porch.
So, Shawna and I got changed into our rocker outfits, which were low-cut black tops, black corsets, black shiny leggings, and boots. We were told we'd be shooting outside before the sun set.
You guys... it's Canada. Even in BC the average temperature right now is like, four degrees.
And then Dale says, "oh, you girls, go on the balcony! You'll have to crawl through the window."
Haha, Dale, you so funny.
...except he was serious.
Have you ever crawled through a window in a corset? I now have. I had to have one of the guys help hoist me out because I had to go feet-first. My feet couldn't touch the ground and my boobs blocked my vision. Oy. Getting back IN was easier - I took off my corset and shirt so I could move my arms better. Still managed to rake my knee a good one on the sill, though.
Our next shot was in our Halloween sugar skull makeup - Shawna as Marie Antoinette and me as Santisima Muerte. Shawna's costume is sexier, heh. Anyway we got to descend the staircase and molest the guitarist and whatnot. I wore my bigass Iron Fist skull shoes and you know... wearing heels everyday to work makes these things not to hard to dance in, anymore.
Anyway, it was a hell of a long day but I'm glad we did it. As soon as I remember the name of the band I'll post that (and they were so not like, Cannibal=Corpse-style metal. More like hard rock.) and of course whenever the video gets done. Dale says if all goes as planned it's gonna me on MuchMusic and MTV Canada, which is awesome.
So. My work will be on TV in two VERY different forms. Heh.