geoffgould.net
Home | IMDB entry | Bio | Demo Reel | Twitter | Contact | Site Map


Back to Independent Shorts Reports Index | Back to Reports Index
Share |

Geoffrey Gould
Reports from the set/s...
Abigail
Motionless in White

Music Video

Wednesday November 03, 2010
A week or so previously, my good friend Maria Olsen contacted me that she was working on a music video and had recommended me to the project's producer/director Kevin McVey, a friend on a few of whose projects she'd previously worked. She let me know he'd be in contact and sure enough, he emailed me and we clarified my interest and availability.
Monday the 1st I received the location, calltime and callsheet (listing [Billie Piper resembling] Kasey Shirk as Production Coordinator, in case there were any problems on shoot day); on which it listed Maria's character being Mrs. Williams (I never actually received a script or outline of the music video's visual story). Initially I was told I was playing a judge, though according to the callsheet I was playing a "Detective Tripper," a bit of synchronicity I found hilarious. The character name is a completely inadvertant in-joke; decades ago (literally, the mid 1980s), back east a group of friends and I put together and wrote up a few scripts for a series of short "episodes" for a Star Trek universe spin-off (homage and semi-satire), titled Star Rogues (ironically its flavour would eventually be reflected in the series Firefly). For that series, my ship-navigator character name was simply Tripper: no first or last name or whether Tripper was actually my name or a nickname.
I noticed on the callsheet my calltime was 10:30am, which was a good thing to notice as the email simply listed the crew call as 10am, and at first I set my arrival for that. When I saw I had a bit more leeway time, I shifted my bus arrival time more for 10am instead of 9:30.
Due to some apartment drama, I still left early, arriving in time to see a #60 bus just leaving from 7th and Flower as I emerged from the Red Line downtown. After maybe twenty minutes or more, the 760 Rapid came by, which took to the familiar intersection of 7th and Alameda. The production was being shot in an unused "renovated" factory within the gates of the famous American Apparel. I was met by Kevin McVey who brought me up to the fourth floor; he was a bit surprised I was about 45 minutes early for my calltime.
The main crew call was 10am but many were already there, and shortly after ten talent began to arrive as well. I had not been aware that the first callsheet I'd received had the wrong shoot location. I went by the attached map how to find the place. Friendly Rick Timber playing my partner Detective Roland (as though our character names actually mean anything beyond the pages of the script), did not come across the updated callsheet and relied on that, arriving "on time" with time to spare, but way back over on LaBrea. Marie Olsen was slowed by traffic, though as with most productions, no one really was "late," per se.
Once Rick Timber had arrived and we were approved by wardrobe, they began shooting the interrogation room scene with us and Jonica Patella, playing Abigail. The floor we were using contained several standing sets, as did other floors (lots of hospital rooms and equipment and such on the first floor). Here we had a police station, interrogation room, et al. In the first scene Abigail provides the two detectives the indentification of who she accuses, (played by Sasha Stuber), who later we bring in, and do interrogate (all shot out of sequence, obviously). Storywise, in between we go to our superior Commander Scott (Jim DeVito), who gives us the go-ahead to bring in [Sasha's character].
Understandably, this is all visual: we have no lines as such other than gesticulations and occasional mouthing, though Kevin discouraged us from too much mouthing. Occasionally Rick amusingly tended to go t'town with his mouthing, and were there audible lines, it'd seem he'd unintentionally just continue talking over anyone else trying to say anything.
Considering that indeed this was so low-budget we were only receiving copy and credit, it was more hurry up and wait than usual, though once they were shooting things went well and light. Kevin was a very good director who knows how to communicate to his actors. Kevin's Director of Photography Christopher Pearson went as quickly as he could, but amusingly got stuck trying to remember Jim DeVito's name, and kept calling him Peter. The wrong name got so ingrained, particularly as there wasn't a single Peter in the cast or crew, that Chris began all but pissing himself off that he couldn't associate the name Jim with the actor, several times even calling him Peter mere seconds after repeatedly reiterating to himself aloud that the name was Jim...
The detectives were wrapped around 9:20pm'ish as the (very goth) band Motionless in White prepared to do their main performance aspect (they were filmed doing a few lyrics here and there in the interrogation room set and in the police station set).
Throughout our scenes, director Kevin consistantly liked what we were doing, and assured us that we'd certainly be working with him again. As to copies we were told they would be ready "in about three weeks," so I figured I'd drop him a Hello email sometime in December.

Geoffrey Gould as Detective Tripper with Jonica Patella as Abigail and Rick Timber in Motionless in White's ''Abigail'' music video.
Geoffrey Gould as Detective Tripper with
Jonica Patella as Abigail and Rick Timber as Detective Roland
in Motionless in White's music video Abigail.

Geoffrey Gould packing heat in Motionless in White's music video ''Abigail.''
Geoffrey Gould packing heat as Detective Tripper
in Motionless in White's music video Abigail.

Marie Olsen and Geoffrey Gould working together again, in Motionless in White's ''Abigail'' music video.
Marie Olsen and Geoffrey Gould working together again,
in Motionless in White's Abigail music video.

Marie Olsen getting ready for Motionless in White's music video ''Abigail.''
Marie Olsen getting prepared to perform in
n Motionless in White's Abigail music video.

Sunday January 09, 2011
Finished video/s
While not exactly provided a physical DVD copy, music video director Kevin McVey emailed to the cast and crew, providing us a copy (the full, "uncensored" version), of the music video via a yousendit.com file.
Here is the full version (QuickTime), while embedded below hereon is the "official" version on YouTube.


Motionless in White official Abigail music video

In the Making Of video below (on YouTube, which I found on my own), at the 1:45 mark is a shot of the interrogation room from an angle or two not in the actual video, and then a shot of me passing in front of the "one-way glass" (never actually shown in the video, except looking through it at our interrogating the accused girl), with the spots lighting the scene. At 2:08 we see me waiting in the office set with Rick Timber, as well as our dashing into Jim DeVito's office. At 2:58 we see Jonica Patella with Maria Olsen, on the smoke-filled tree set.


Motionless in White Behind the Scenes: Making Of Abigail music video


Click on thumbnail for full image.
Geoffrey Gould in Motionless in White music video ''Abigail.''
As Detective Tripper
Geoffrey Gould in Motionless in White music video ''Abigail.''
With Jonica Patella and
Rick Timber as Detective Roland
Geoffrey Gould in Motionless in White music video ''Abigail.''
Jim DeVito in the foreground
Geoffrey Gould in Motionless in White music video ''Abigail.'' Geoffrey Gould in Motionless in White music video ''Abigail.'' Geoffrey Gould in Motionless in White music video ''Abigail.''
Geoffrey Gould in Motionless in White music video ''Abigail.'' Jonica Patella and Maria Olsen in Motionless in White music video ''Abigail.''
Jonica Patella and Maria Olsen
Jonica Patella and Maria Olsen in Motionless in White music video ''Abigail.''
Jonica Patella and Maria Olsen


Back to Independent Shorts Reports Index | Back to Reports Index

geoffgould.net site created February 29, 2008

All Rights Reserved Without Prejudice UCC 1-308
All Rights Reserved Without Prejudice CCC § 1207

Copyright © 2010 - 2040

Anti Spam Blocker : Helping Fight Spam Email!