Crash Test Dummies

Last spring when I was working on Hatchfest Photography, I decided to create a stop motion video, even though I had no idea how to make one, nor what sort of subject I would focus on. As some of you saw, I ended up getting various people in my life to come "sit" for me in my studio against the same background (actually my duvet cover hung on a rod) and I asked them various questions while photographing them in succession, basically watching how they would respond to the camera and the questions. The project started out very moody and serious, but ended up evolving into something humorous. At the very end of the editing process, I decided that I wanted to add music to the video, and it needed to be quirky, interesting, and not something people would hum along to. Crash Test Dummies was about to release their new CD "Ooh La La" and had the perfect song for my video, called  "Now You See Her", and when I asked Brad Roberts of Crash Test Dummies if I could use it, he was kind enough to say yes.

I had so much fun creating the video, even though I ran out of time to really finish it for the Hatchfest slide show I was organizing, that I sent it to Brad to see, thinking that the band might be interested in having me recreate the video by adding footage of Brad, Brad's wife Michelle, and a few others to make the images fit the song, vs. having the song added to the video. Brad liked the idea, so a few weeks ago when I was in NYC he "sat" for me on the very record breaking heat day that gave us 103 degrees. I tend to get more than a wee bit pushy when I have the camera in my hand, and I coaxed Brad to keep going and going for an hour and a half, after which he politely informed me "I think I am about to expire". I was a little embarrassed that I had pushed so hard, but very grateful that he'd been such a gracious, accomdating subject. The kicker, however, was that I was also supposed to get some footage of Brad outside on the street for a video that designer Juni Moon was creating for the song "And Its Beautiful" - she had some wonderful stop motion footage but none that included Brad, so that was really my official "job" that day. I subtly (I think) pleaded with Brad to go out in the stifling New York concrete emanating heat and he kindly acquiesced, so I was able to get some shots of him that I submitted to Juni for her video. You can see that video now on their website. Look for my video of "Now You See Her" in August hopefully!