I shot a music video/documentary last Sunday on a very sort notice. I worked with the director, Danielle Stallings, about 8 years ago and this shoot was the result of her submitting to a competition and being one of the finalists who had to finish a short film within a couple weeks.

So she came up with a music video/documentary concept that involved some beach shots, forest scenes, a bus ride and lots of plants. Danielle also interviewed some people who started the “counter culture” in the 70s and the interviews were part of the documentary.

Danielle bought some plants to use for the filming and all the actors who were involved were given the option to keep the plants at the end of the day. To my surprise nobody took the plants home. Well that was good for me because Danielle gave me all the plants that I wanted and so I took all of the small plants and I left her with the big ones that I had no room for.

After the shoot they all looked wilted and exhausted. I put them on my patio next to each other, gave them some water and now, three days later they all look healthy and happy. If you can’t pay me for a shoot, I will work for food as any other actor but I will also work for plants or a bicycle.

Sunday I had an early call time. I met Danielle, the director, at 7:30 am at Marina Del Rey. It was a beautiful day and I was looking forward to working with her again.

We started with a few shots at the beach and when the rest of the actors arrived, we took a quick breakfast break and continued to shoot with the group.

Hanelle Culpepper, the director of Six and the City and A Single Rose came to support this project, but this time not as a director but as an actor. (Hanelle I met at a film festival in 2002 and I stayed in touch with her since.)

Bill Philip, an actor I met at one of my classes and who became a friend, was also there as an actor and he was also helping out wherever needed. (I love to see people who are involved and whose eyes are everywhere and who help when needed. He is a person I know I would refer when the right role comes up.)

After the beach scenes we moved to a woodsy area for some twirling shots which was the last shot that involved all the actors. I had one more scene left which was very important to me and which was one of the reasons why Danielle cast me.

Danielle I stayed in touch with for many years and through my email blasts she knew about my advocacy on riding public transportation and on bike. So she asked me if I wanted to be involved in a music video documentary, where the main character rides the bus to the beach to plant a tree, which will grow into a forest.

Throughout the entire day I was thinking of this scene. It was important to me not to skip it. And finally we were on the bus, finishing the last shot and we wrapped for the day.

It is important to me that we show on screen that not everybody is in a car and to show that people ride the bus, their bikes and that people walk. It is important for me to show on screen to my friends and to the movie industry that there are people on public transportation who are not poor, who are not underprivileged, but who choose to ride instead of drive.

It felt awesome to work on something that is meaningful and that says something about doing good for the planet without being preachy. I love that there were no car scenes and I love it that my character who uses public transportation is portrayed in a positive light.

The shoot was a lot of fun and it was a fulfilling day for me. I hope Danielle will win the competition and I hope this short will screen at many festivals.

Music Videos are cool, don’t you think?  I always loved watching them (not much lately, though) and I even got to be in a couple of them through background work.  And they were fun!  Always!  And it is always fun to see how the video is cut at the end.

Now I finally get the chance to be in one as a principal actor.  Woohoo!

The director, Danielle Stallings, whom I worked with about 8 years ago on Haunted Planet, contacted me about her new project that is a commentary on the counter culture. She asked me if I would be interested and if I was available to shoot for one weekend in January.

Of course I said yes!  And I’m looking forward to the shoot, even though I will probably have to be on set at 5 am.  Ugh!  That will be the hardest part of the shoot.