A Re-Cap: Clash

The last 4 days have been as very long ones.

Wednesday morning I met up with my friend Dave at Grammy. We got in vans, along with 15 or so other people and drove to Pattaya. An abandoned shopping mall was being used as the set for the upcoming Clash video. -Awesome song BTW, I'm phsyed for the album to be released-
Right off, we started filming the pool scene. I was asked to bring my camera, so I took pictures until my battery ran out. I'll by spare soon, I never want to do that again. After the pool, we filmed the bathroom scene. Then the window scene. Then the vacuuming scene. Followed by the wall scenes. Then the table scene. Black wall scene. Finally the parking garage.
This is where it gets interesting. By this point I had been hanging out with the band a lot and things were very laid back. We were running around checking out this freakin scary building. Caved-in sections, years of garbage, and water on the floor. Dark sections, with no light, and old lift, which makes some crazy noises and only comes when it wants to. After running around for several hours, P'Som, the lady in charge of casting for Upper Cut Productions, had Dave and I go get dressed. The costume lady put Dave in some funky clothes but they weren't too bad. I on the other hand, got not funky, but skimpy clothes. A tight black tank top, solid black baseball hat, and tight black jeans. I didn't know where we were shooting so I didn't change my shoes (I was offered black Converse). We went to the parking garage and sat in the gear vans while Helga, the crazy, hung-over, and drunk 15 year old Russian model, and Phil the not-so-strange Swede model did the car scene.
OK THIS is where is gets interesting. At about 5:30 or so, all 20 extras were called over to a section of the garage that had been taped off with plastic and lit already. We were all placed in positions as if we were in a club dancing. So Dave, I, and a bunch of 15-30 year olds are dancing to Dr. Dre? because it was faster than the song for the video. Did that for a while, then P' Bank sung while three of us did cirlcles infront of him, to give the image of many people in the club. Then P' Pon, playing guitar, did the same thing.
OK NOW is the interesting part. By this point I knew most of the guys from the lighting and camera crew. They were all far too ready to hose me down. We were shooting b+w film with a red filter, so a fire truck, and 50 gallon barrels of red-dyed water were brought in. First we stayed in the same positions as the first part of the dance filming. Then we go hosed big-time as we danced. This stuff stains. I now own true-pink Converses and had to SCRUB myself for a half hour to get it off my face and body. After drenching us, the director had me take off my shirt and stand front and center. They had me dance a couple feet from the camera, shot me in the chest with water, and had me fall back like I was being blown away. This should look really cool in b+w. Pretty cool idea. I'm so skinny that the shirtless idea might not have been so cool, but the b+w slow speed will be neat.
More hosing. Gaffers took turns getting it in my ears and nose. Then we went and changed/showered under the fire truck.
About this time I met P'Tum/Dum/Dam (I can't transliterate) the manager for Clash and many bands under the Grammy label. P'Tum invited me to photograph Paradox, one of my favorites, the next day. He had heard I was a photographer.
We got paid, 620 baht. Then everyone left. Dave and I said goodbye to the directors and the band, who were the only ones still around, then got in the vans. Got back to Grammy a little after 12, then home by 1am.

NOTE: I found the song Fai Ruk ไฟรัก on a messageboard. I have no idea how they got a copy of this, as it isn't on a cd for another month. http://www.army2004.com/board/upload/index.php?showtopic=19473